Renée Victor, best known for voicing Abuelita in the animated hit Coco and for her role as Lupita on Showtime’s Weeds, has passed away. She died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, surrounded by family, her agency confirmed to Deadline. The cause of death was lymphoma. She was 86.
Her daughters Raquel and Margo Victor wrote a heartfelt statement “Renee is perhaps best known as the voice of ‘Abuelita’ in Disney’s 2017 blockbuster Coco. Renee was loved by so many & had fans all over the world. Her memory will be cherished by all who knew her.”
She was born on July 25, 1938, in San Antonio, Texas, Victor began her performing career early, making her stage debut at age 10 in the opera Carmen. In the 1960s, she moved to Los Angeles, where she sang with Latin music legends like Xavier Cugat and Pérez Prado. She also taught salsa and tango, and with her husband Ray, formed the musical duo “Ray & Renée,” performing globally from 1963 to 1973.
Victor transitioned to acting in the 1980s, appearing in TV shows such as ER, Matlock, and The Addams Family. She gained wider recognition as Lupita in Weeds from 2005 to 2012. Her film credits include The Apostle, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, and A Night in Old Mexico. In 2017, she voiced the stern yet loving grandmother Abuelita in Coco, a role that endeared her to audiences worldwide.
Victor continued acting into her 80s, with roles in series like Snowpiercer, Mayans M.C., Dead to Me, and With Love. She was also a voice actor in video games, including The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
