"Spider-Man: No Way Home" Actress Mary Rivera Dies at 82
Mary Rivera, the actress whose brief but iconic appearance as Ned's grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home helped introduce Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has died at 82.
According to her obituary, Mary Egida Rivera died peacefully on April 15, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii, following a stroke. A family member told TMZ that after Rivera entered a coma, doctors told the family her prognosis would not improve even if she woke, leading the family to make the decision to remove her from life support. She was later cremated in a private ceremony, and a celebration of life was held for her in June.
A Non-Professional Actress Who Landed an Iconic Role
Rivera was born on June 2, 1943, in Iloilo, Philippines, and attended the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, graduating in 1964 with a degree in education. She went on to work for the radio station Kanlaon Broadcasting System before eventually relocating to Hawaii, where she worked as a teacher and later as a retired church missionary.
Rivera had no professional acting background before landing her role in No Way Home. According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers had placed a casting call on Facebook seeking a Filipina performer between the ages of 50 and 90, and Rivera's daughter, Angela Kelly, spotted the ad and encouraged her mother to send in an audition tape. She won the part playing Ned Leeds' grandmother, credited in the film as Ned's "Lola."
Though she appeared in only one scene, it became one of the film's most memorable moments. Rivera's character interrupts a tense standoff between Ned (Jacob Batalon), MJ (Zendaya) and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker, speaking to them in Tagalog as Ned translates and asking Garfield's Spider-Man to climb across her ceiling to remove a stubborn cobweb. The scene marked the first appearance of Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a twist Marvel had kept a closely guarded secret ahead of the film's 2021 release.
Family Remembers Her Pride in the Role
A family member told TMZ that Rivera "lived a good life and was extremely proud of appearing in the 2021 Marvel blockbuster," adding that her family's encouragement to audition ultimately became one of her most cherished accomplishments. Her official obituary echoed that sentiment, noting she "was also cast in the last Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home as the Filipino grandmother" and "was very proud of this accolade."
Tributes shared on Rivera's obituary page reflected on her life beyond the screen as well. "Tita Mary, as my mentor and colleague, you will be missed tremendously," one read. Another remembrance recalled decades of family memories, writing, "My memories with you are vast and long, beginning with you telling me to say: 'Biva Marcos Lopez' as a toddler, to three generations taking Cover Look photos, to saying goodbye. Imagining you watching us."
Rivera is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rivera; her children, Carmela Jones, Paul Rivera, Edwin Rivera and Angela Kelly; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
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