Mary Rivera, who played Ned's grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home, dies at 82

A memorable scene in the multiverse

Mary Rivera entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe for barely a moment in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but that brief appearance turned her into a beloved figure for fans. She played Lola, the Filipino grandmother of Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), who interrupts a tense multiverse standoff between Ned, MJ (Zendaya) and Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker. In the scene, Rivera's character asks Garfield's Spider-Man, through Ned's translation, to climb the ceiling and clean a cobweb from a hard-to-reach corner. The moment broke the suspense and delivered one of the film's most quoted comic beats. Rivera's single credited film role was, by all accounts, a point of enormous pride. A family member told TMZ she was "extremely proud" of landing the part and counted it among her greatest accomplishments.

Life before the Marvel cameo

Born Mary Egida Rivera on June 2, 1943, in Iloilo, Philippines, she emigrated to the United States and lived a life far removed from Hollywood. Before the unexpected cameo, she worked as a radio speaker, teacher and Christian missionary. Her family encouraged her to audition for the Spider-Man role in 2020, when the production sought an older Filipino woman fluent in English and Tagalog. The gamble succeeded: she was cast and shared the set with Tom Holland, Zendaya, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Her scene played a part in boosting Filipino-American visibility in blockbuster cinema, and she was later honored at the Hawaii State Legislature.

Death and family's tribute

The actress died on April 15, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at age 82. According to an online obituary, she "passed away peacefully." TMZ reported that Rivera suffered a stroke and was placed on life support. After doctors conveyed a negative prognosis should she emerge from the coma, the family made the difficult decision to remove life support. The family delayed the public announcement to grieve privately.

“Tita Mary, as my mentor and colleague, you will be missed tremendously. My deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go out to the Rivera family during this difficult time.”

Another remembrance on the obituary page read:

“Love you, miss you Nanay. 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, four children, 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. "Spider-Man: No Way Home," released in 2021, grossed $600 million on its global opening weekend. The recently released follow-up, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," debuted with $927 million, though Rivera is not a part of that film.