Actor Ana Ofelia Murguía has died at the age of 90. The Mexican-born star was best known for her role in the 2017 Disney Pixar film Coco, which went on to win the Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Murguía voiced the eponymous Mama Coco, the aging matriarch of the central Rivera family. As Mama Coco, Murguía sings a version of Coco’s most well-known song, “Remember Me,” the tune that won the Academy Award.
As per BBC News, Murguía passed away on Sunday, December 31. She was 90 years old.
In a statement pointed to X/Twitter, Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature wrote, “With deep sadness we regret the sensitive death of the leading actress Ana Ofelia Murguía, who was part of the stable cast of the National Theater Company of Mexico, and whose artistic career was vital for the performing arts of Mexico.”
Ana Ofelia Murguía Was An Underrated Talent In Her Decades-Long Career
While Murguía is best known for her work in Coco, the nonagenarian’s career originated back in the 1960s. She starred in predominantly Mexican films throughout her career, including titles such as 1971’s Para servir a usted, 1992’s Mi querido Tom Mix, and 1979’s Life Sentence. The actor also found roles in copious short films across her career, as well as in TV episodes and miniseries, including an episode of the United States sitcom Mozart in the Jungle.
Murguía was largely an underrated talent during her acting career, for she did not gain much recognition outside of her home country of Mexico. Despite this, the actor had a prolific career, with over 100 titles to her name at the time of her death. She received a number of Ariel Award nominations, which is the highest honor for film within Mexico. This included wins for Best Supporting Actress in 1979, 1986, and 1996, as well as a lifetime achievement award in 2011.
Coco was Murguía’s penultimate onscreen role, with her last coming in the 2018 TV series José José: El príncipe de la canción. In retrospect, Coco was a delightful and bittersweet sendoff to the actor as she rounded out the end of her career. In Coco’s ending, Mama Coco passes away peacefully, joining her ancestors on the ofrenda. This movie now acts as a poetic swan song to the career of the aging actor behind the beloved grandmother.
Coco
Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on a journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2017
- Director
- Adrian Molina , Lee Unkrich
- Cast
- Gael García Bernal , Alanna Ubach , Anthony Gonzalez , Selene Luna , Jaime Camil , Edward James Olmos , Renee Victor , Sofía Espinosa , Benjamin Bratt , natalia cordova-buckley , Alfonso Arau
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Genres
- Family , Animation , Adventure
- Writers
- Adrian Molina
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
