Renée Victor, an actress beloved by generations of fans for voicing Abuelita in Coco and playing Lupita on Weeds, has died.
Videos by Suggest
Victor passed away peacefully at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, on the evening of Friday, May 30, surrounded by her family, as confirmed by her talent agency via Deadline. She succumbed to lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. She was 86.
“Renee is perhaps best known as the voice of Abuelita in Disney’s 2017 blockbuster Coco,” her daughters, Raquel Victor and Margo Victor, said in a statement via the outlet. “Renee was loved by so many & had fans all over the world. Her memory will be cherished by all who knew her.”
Victor, a San Antonio native, left Texas in the 1960s to chase her dreams of a career in entertainment in Los Angeles, according to Variety. She began her journey with early singing roles in the music industry, all while sharing her passion for dance by teaching salsa and tango on the side.
Renée Victor was a Frequent Collaborator with Robert Duvall
In the 1970s, she hosted KTLA’s Pacesetters, a program that showcased the Chicano Power movement. She joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1973 and later moved into television and film work during the 1980s. Her TV appearances included shows like Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Matlock.
On the big screen, she appeared in The Doctor with William Hurt, as well as The Apostle and A Night in Old Mexico with her close friend Robert Duvall.
Other notable credits include a recurring role as Florina Lopez on ER, voice work on the 1992 animated series The Addams Family, and recent appearances on shows such as Vida, Gentefied, All Rise, Snowpiercer, Mayans M.C., Dead to Me, A Million Little Things, and With Love.
She has also lent her voice to cartoons and video games, including the recent release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered in April.