Renée Victor, Voice of Abuelita in ‘Coco,' Dies at 86
Renée Victor, the actress known for voicing Abuelita in Disney and Pixar's Coco and starring as Lupita in Showtime's Weeds, has died. She was 86.
Victor died at her home in Sherman Oaks on Friday night surrounded by her family after a battle with lymphoma, her representative told The Hollywood Reporter.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Devin Harjes, 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'Daredevil' and 'Gotham' Actor, Dies at 41
Alan Alda, Mike Farrell Among Those Paying Tribute to Loretta Swit: "A Supremely Talented Actor"
Sherry Robb, Literary Agent, Talent Manager and Producer, Dies at 81
After being born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1938, she moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s where she grew her career as a musician. Victor worked alongside the likes of Xavier Cugat and Perez Prado, who helped popularize Latin music in the States before she and her husband began performing as the duo named 'Ray & Renée' from 1963 to 1973.
She began her pivot into television in the 1970s when she hosted Pacesetters, a KTLA program that spotlighted the Chicano movement. Victor went on to be featured in an episode of Masquerade in 1984, Scarecrow and Mrs. King in 1985 and Matlock in 1987.
She ventured into voice acting in 1992 with the animated The Addams Family series, with her additional credits including The Doctor, Confessions of a Shopaholic, A Night in Old Mexico and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, among others.
In 2005, she joined the cast of Weeds, where she starred as Lupita, the housekeeper to Mary-Louise Parker's character.
Victor starred in Coco as the protective Aubelita, and the film went on to garner two Academy Awards for best animated feature and best original song, 'Remember Me,' written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Notably, Coco featured an all-Latin cast.
After Disney announced Coco 2 was in development at Disney's Annual Shareholder Meeting earlier this year, Victor showed her excitement for the project on Instagram.
'It was my great pleasure and experience working with the incredibly talented Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina! We get to do it again,' she wrote, though the official cast for Coco 2 has not yet been confirm. 'This is what we've all been waiting for! I'm so excited! Coco shared a Mexican tradition that is now celebrated around the world in unity. An amazing amount of work and talent goes into the creation of this unique film.'
Following the news of her death, Pixar shared a statement in honor of Victor on Instagram. 'We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of Renée Victor, the voice Abuelita in Coco and an incredible part of the Pixar family. We will always remember you,' they wrote Saturday.
Gloria Calderón Kellett, whom Victor starred alongside in Prime Video's With Love, shared a heartfelt Instagram post Saturday, recalling when they first crossed paths on the set of The Ortegas and 'she radiated talent, humor and grace.'
'It's hard to say goodbye to the incomparable Renee Victor,' she wrote. 'Years later, she would become my TV mom, Marta, on With Love — a role named after my paternal grandmother. It felt like destiny. She brought that character to life with such warmth, sharp wit, and elegance. And let's be honest — she had the best legs in the biz!'
'Renee was a true pro. A scene-stealer. A joy. A blessing. Her artistry made everything better, and her presence made every set brighter,' she wrote in the conclusion of the post.
Survivor include her two daughters, Raquel and Margo.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT
'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
The Ending of 'Elio' Explained
If you haven't seen Disney and Pixar's latest movie, Elio, then you need to hop in a spaceship and zip on down to the theatre because it is the cutest thing you'll see all year. It's about Elio, an orphaned kid who's obsessed with space and aliens, and more than anything, wants to be abducted and taken away from Earth where he feels like he isn't wanted. Well, his wishes come true after he messes with a satellite message at the Air Force base his aunt works at and aliens send a ship to come get him, mistakenly thinking he's the leader of Earth. He's zipped through space to the Communiverse, a place where advanced species of the universe come together. In exchange for a permanent spot in the Communiverse, Elio volunteers to deal with the scary Lord Grigon, who's threatening to destroy the Communiverse after not being admitted. That decision ends up sending Elio, and Grigon's son Glordon, on a wild adventure. So how does it all end? Let's get into it! After Elio's negotiations with Lord Grigon take a sharp turn for the worse, he gets thrown into a jail cell. But pretty quickly, he manages to climb out a broken window. On his escape, he meets Glordon, the son of Grigon. The two bond and it seems like for the first time, Elio might actually be making a friend. He tells Glordon he needs a bargaining chip against Grigon, and Glordon, who's also never had a friend before, agrees to go with Elio and pretend he's being held hostage. The two go back to the Communiverse where they video call Grigon and Elio threatens (but not really) to hurt his son if he doesn't leave the Communiverse alone. Glordon, not really wanting to go back with his dad since he has zero desire to be a weapon-wielding machine like Grigon is, has Elio create a clone of himself to send back in his place. But Grigon figures it out pretty quickly and goes ballistic, locking up all the Communiverse ambassadors as he searches for his real son. It might take the Communiverse a little longer than you'd think for what are supposed to be the smartest aliens around to figure out that a literal child is not the leader of Earth, but they eventually get there. Grigon makes Ambassador Questa read Elio's mind to find out where the real Glordon is and by doing so, she sees the whole truth, including who he really is. As Grigons soldiers take over the Communiverse, Elio gets knocked through a portal back to Earth. Elio's Aunt Olga might seem kinda excited about the clone version of Elio that's been sent to Earth so that no one gets suspicious that he's missing. This Elio is being chatty, helpful, and has stopped being so obsessed with aliens and space–all the things she's wanted him to be. But Olga is no dummy. She secretly plucks one of clone Elio's hairs and takes it to investigate under a microscope, clearly suspicious of his change in behavior. She's also surrounded by books on alien abductions, so yeah, she knows what's going on. Her suspicions are confirmed when the strand of hair comes to life and busts its way out of the microscope slide and crawls back down the hall to the rest of Elio's clone. She follows it and lifts up Elio's eyepatch to see there's no actual eye behind it, so this can't be her real nephew. Yes! But he's not in the best condition when he arrives. The real Elio, now reunited with Olga after getting kicked out of the Communiverse, sees some commotion going on at the Air Force base. The two of them take a closer look and see the spaceship Glordon was in is being hauled inside a warehouse. They break in, and seeing that Glordon is fading away (he's freezing cold now that he's out of his usual climate), start the ship back up and fly into outer space. Thankfully, also yes! With an unexpected assist, that is... After dodging dangerous debris fields and zooming through at warp speed, Elio, Olga, and Glordon make it to the Communiverse, which has been taken over by Grigon. At this point, Glordon is unresponsive and Grigon, seeing his son's state, shockingly rips off his suit of armor, sacrificing his honor, so that he can climb down and save his son. When Glordon wakes back up, he tells his dad he doesn't want to be a killing machine trapped in armor like him. Grigon says that even though he doesn't understand Glordon, he'll always love him. He apologizes to Elio and tells his cronies to release all the people of the Communiverse. Having saved the day after all, Elio is finally offered a permanent place in the Communiverse. But his initial excitement is stopped when he sees his aunt's heartbroken face at the thought of him staying in space. Elio tells the Communiverse ambassadors that he wants to give Earth another chance and that this isn't goodbye, it's not yet. Elio is all about feeling like an outsider and searching for acceptance. On that acceptance journey, Elio, who at the beginning of the movie shuts out his aunt and other kids, learns to connect with someone else thanks to Glordon. Elio feels like his aunt doesn't really want him and he sees that Glordon shares his same fears, but with his dad. By the end of the movie, Elio learns that his aunt loves him and would even jump in a dinky-looking spaceship for him, and Glordon realizes his dad will love him no matter what he wants to do with his life. Ambassador Questa sums it up nicely towards the end, telling Elio, "Unique can sometimes feel like alone, but you're not alone." And now we're crying again!
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A Young and the Restless Newman Takeover After June 16
Victor, Nikki, and Nick are all off to meet the mysterious Aristotle Dumas on the June 16 episode of The Young and the Restless. Along with Sharon, Sally, and Billy, they're all playing a lively guessing game of Who Is Dumas? Which means they've taken their eyes off the prize? And what's the prize? Why, Newman Enterprises, of course… and who was left at home to watch the store? We all know that Victor (Eric Braeden) calls Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) 'my baby.' (Which is patronizing and condescending and, if we do say so ourselves… creepy.) But we — and she — know who Victor's real baby is. It's the company he built from the ground up with no help from anyone and without ever doing a bad or illegal thing ever: Newman Enterprises. Victor cares more about it than he does about his precious family, no matter how much he might insist to the contrary. That's why he keeps hiring and firing his children and other relatives from it. Nobody is quite good enough to run it — not the way Victor wants it run. MORE: Find out what happened on Y&R today. Victor is only going to France with Nikki and Nick (Joshua Morrow) because he wants to make sure Dumas doesn't do anything silly, like give Billy (Jason Thompson), Sally (Courtney Hope) or Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) the means by which they might put a chink in Newman Enterprises' armor. He left Adam (Mark Grossman) in charge, confident that his younger son would never do anything that might make his daddy love him less (especially since Victor has already made it clear in countless way to Adam that he loves him less than Victoria [Amelia Heinle] and Nick. Abby [Melissa Ordway] doesn't count.) READ MORE: Here's what happens next on Y&R. Except Victor didn't count on Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) making sad faces at Adam about following Victor's orders and going after Billy. Adam will do anything Chelsea says. He told her he'll deal with Victor. Could that be stealing his entire company out from under Victor while he's away? What will Victor do without his 'baby' then?
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Young and the Restless Spoilers Weekly Update June 23-27: Secrets, Lies, and More Wild Bombshells
The Young and the Restless spoilers weekly update for June 23-27 tease Cane's reveals leaves more questions than answers, Claire finds herself in quite the predicament, and Damian proves himself to Lily. Monday, June 16, 2025- Episode #13145Victor (Eric Braeden) and the Newmans traveled to France aboard his private jet, growing increasingly wary as they awaited an encounter with the elusive Dumas, while Sharon (Sharon Case) still recoiled from her previous poisoning. Billy (Jason Thompson) and Sally (Courtney Hope) joined them, sparking tension as Billy probed Victor about their mysterious host. Meanwhile in Genoa City, Holden (Nathan Owens) and Nate's (Sean Dominic) rivalry boiled over when Nate demanded Holden leave town. Back at Crimson Lights, Adam (Mark Grossman) made a bold choice, defiantly refusing Victor's plan to target Billy, and Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) stood by him. Later, Victor quietly hinted that he might already know more about Dumas than he's letting on, raising the stakes even higher. Tuesday, June 17, 2025- Episode #13146At the Dumas Estate, Sharon marveled at the setting while Victor grew suspicious about Dumas's motives. As guests attempted to solve the garden maze, Sharon encouraged Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) to enjoy the adventure, while Victor hinted he had a plan. Sally and Billy navigated their way through, with Billy skeptical of both Dumas and Victor. Meanwhile, on the Dumas Express, Jack (Peter Bergman), Diane (Susan Walters), and Kyle (Michael Mealor) strategized for whatever Dumas might have planned, joined by Audra (Zuleyka Silver), who seemed eager for drama. Audra and Kyle toasted to the challenge, while Diane questioned her intentions. At the estate, more guests arrived, including the Abbotts, and frustrations rose when Dumas's assistant revealed he'd been delayed. A hidden figure monitored everything from a dark office as Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) boarded the train. Wednesday, June 18, 2025- Episode #13147Mariah's (Camryn Grimes) emotional unraveling unfolded when she reached a breaking point: despite Tessa's (Cait Fairbanks) pleading, she confessed she could never reveal what she had done and could no longer forgive herself, deciding their relationship- and marriage – had to end, and she would leave and arrange a visitation schedule for Aria. Tessa was devastated, having forgiven Mariah even before knowing the truth, and begged her to stay, but Mariah insisted. Meanwhile, Danny (Michael Damian) shared his plan to propose to Christine (Lauralee Bell) and bonded with Daniel (Michael Graziadei), who leaned on Tessa's friendship to navigate his grief. Lastly, Adam and Chelsea reaffirmed their trust in each other at Newman Media – he dismissed rumors about Billy while comforting her fears. Thursday, June 19, 2025- Episode#13148Guests arrived at the remote estate and navigated a labyrinthine garden maze where Phyllis found Nick (Joshua Morrow), Sharon spied on their reunion, and the Winters family, including claustrophobic Damian (Jermaine River), made it through with Lily's (Christel Khalil) help. Kyle encountered Audra in the maze, sampled her enchanting new perfume, and became visibly smitten as she subtly baited him. Jack and Diane grew uneasy and debated whether Dumas's eccentric hospitality was business strategy or something more sinister. Meanwhile, on a luxurious private train, Devon (Bryton James), Lily, and Damian awaited Abby's (Melissa Ordway) delayed arrival, anxious to meet the elusive host. Ultimately, Dumas (revealed to be played by Days of our Lives alum Billy Flynn) signalled it was time to reveal himself and officially welcome everyone. Friday, June 20, 2025- Episode #13149Lily was shocked to discover that Cane Ashby (now played by Days of our Lives star Billy Flynn) had been pretending to be Aristotle Dumas. Amanda (Mishael Morgan) led her through a maze and insisted on keeping Cane's identity secret before revealing the truth. When Lily confronted Cane, he admitted that while his name was fake, his intentions were sincere. Despite this, Lily felt uneasy and later confided in Devon and Damian about Cane's deception. The other guests were confused and speculated about Cane's motives. Victor, who had suspected something was off, confronted Cane for answers. Cane stayed calm and promised to explain everything when the time was right, leaving everyone anxious about what would come next. WATCH THIS: Did you know SoapHub has a podcast?! Check it out here! Monday, June 23, 2025- Episode #13150Victor gives Cane the third is left with more questions than party guests discuss Cane's charade. Tuesday, June 24, 2025- Episode #13151Victor forces Cane to put his cards on the and Jack compare and Lauren join the has a 'chance' encounter. Wednesday, June 25, 2025- Episode #13152Amanda runs interference for and Chelsea do some leans on Damian. Thursday, June 26, 2025- Episode #13153Billy and Sally conspire against pushes Kyle's comes to Claire's rescue. Friday, June 27, 2025- Episode #13154Nick questions Cane's and Phyllis receive a painful reminder of their past makes a bold move with Damian.
