Mary Rivera, the actress known for her role as Ned Leeds' grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home, has died at the age of 82. She passed away in April 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii, after suffering a stroke that left her in a coma. Her family made the difficult decision to remove her from life support following doctors' warnings that her prognosis was "not good."
Family tributes
According to TMZ, Rivera was cremated. A family member told the publication that she "lived a good life" and was "extremely proud" of her role in the blockbuster movie. Her family had encouraged her to audition for the part.
Rivera starred alongside Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Zendaya as MJ, with appearances by Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire.
Legacy and condolences
She is survived by her husband Alejandro, her children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Tributes have poured in on her obituary page, with one person writing: "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 tribute 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."
A third fan tweeted: "Goodbye, Ned's Lola. Although her screen time was brief, her warm and hilarious performance – especially her unforgettable scenes with Ned, MJ, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men – made her one of the movie's most memorable characters."
