Renée Victor, Voice of Abuelita in ‘Coco,’ Dies at 86

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Renée Victor, famously recognized for her roles as Abuelita in Disney-Pixar’s ‘Coco’ and Lupita in ‘Weeds’ on Showtime, has sadly passed away at the age of 86.

On a fateful Friday evening, I found myself surrounded by loved ones as I took my final breaths at home in Sherman Oaks. After a valiant struggle against lymphoma, it was time for me to say goodbye. This news was shared through The Hollywood Reporter by my representative.

She was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1938. Later on, she relocated to Los Angeles during the 1960s and established her career as a musician there. Throughout her journey, she collaborated with renowned musicians like Xavier Cugat and Perez Prado, who significantly boosted Latin music’s popularity in America. From 1963 to 1973, she teamed up with her spouse to form the musical duo known as “Ray & Renée.

In the 1970s, she made her transition to television, starting with hosting a KTLA show called “Pacesetters,” which highlighted the Chicano movement. Later, Victor appeared in an episode of “Masquerade” in 1984, followed by roles in “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” in 1985 and “Matlock” in 1987.

1992 marked the start of her voice acting career when she joined the animated series, “The Addams Family.” Other notable roles include those in “The Doctor,” “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” “A Night in Old Mexico,” and “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” as well as several other productions.

2005 marked the year when she became part of the cast for “Weeds.” In this series, she portrayed Lupita, the housekeeper to the character played by Mary-Louise Parker.

Or more concisely:

She joined the cast of “Weeds” in 2005, taking on the role of Lupita, the housekeeper for Mary-Louise Parker’s character.

Victor played the role of Aubelita in the movie “Coco”, which later won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, titled “Remember Me”. The song was penned by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Worth mentioning is that “Coco” boasted an entire Latin cast.

Following Disney’s announcement about the production of “Coco 2” during their Annual Shareholders Meeting earlier this year, Victor expressed her enthusiasm for the project on Instagram.

She expressed her delight and insight about collaborating with the exceptionally gifted duo, Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. While the cast for ‘Coco 2’ hasn’t been officially announced yet, she hinted that we might get to work together again. She’s thrilled at this prospect because it’s something everyone has eagerly anticipated. ‘Coco’, which popularized a Mexican tradition, is now cherished universally. The creation of this distinctive film required an incredible amount of labor and skill.”

Or

“She joyfully shared her past experience working with the exceptionally talented Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, hinting that they might collaborate again for ‘Coco 2’. Although the official cast hasn’t been announced yet, she’s excited at the possibility. ‘Coco’, a film that introduced a Mexican tradition to the world, is now celebrated globally in unity. The creation of this unique movie demanded an enormous amount of hard work and talent.

After learning about her passing, Pixar expressed their sorrow on Instagram, remembering Renée Victor who played Abuelita in Coco, a beloved member of the Pixar family. “We will forever cherish your memory,” they said over the weekend.

Gloria Calderón Kellett, who worked alongside Victor in the Prime Video series ‘With Love‘, posted a touching Instagram message over the weekend. In it, she reminisced about their first encounter on the set of ‘The Ortegas‘ and described how Victor’s talent, humor, and elegance shone brightly even back then.

It’s difficult to express my feelings about parting ways with the extraordinary Renee Victor,” she penned down. “Later on, she took on the role of Marta, my TV mother in With Love, a character named after my maternal grandmother. It seemed like fate. She breathed life into that role with such warmth, keen intelligence, and grace. And it’s no secret — she had the most stunning legs in the industry!

In the end of her post, it was expressed that Renee was truly professional, captivating, delightful, and precious. Her talent enhanced everything, and her spirit illuminated each scene.

Survivor include her two daughters, Raquel and Margo.

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2025-06-01 03:54