Mary Rivera, 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Actress Who Played Ned's Grandmother, Dies at 82

Mary Egida Rivera, whose single scene in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' became one of the most widely shared moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has died at 82.

Rivera passed away on 15 April 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii, after suffering a stroke that left her in a coma. She was born in Iloilo Province in the Philippines and had spent her career as a teacher and church missionary before an unexpected audition made her a household name to millions of Spider-Man fans.

The news of her death reached the public this week, following the record-breaking release of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'.

From Facebook Ad To Marvel

Rivera had no professional acting background before landing the role of Ned Leeds' grandmother, or 'Lola', in the 2021 blockbuster. Her daughter, Angela Kelly, spotted a Facebook advertisement seeking a Filipina performer between the ages of 50 and 90 and urged her mother to send in an audition tape.

Rivera won the part and appears in a single scene, delivered largely in Tagalog, in which she asks Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man to clear a cobweb from her ceiling.

The moment became one of the most quoted exchanges in the film, both for its comic timing and for its unguarded showcase of Filipino language and culture inside a major Hollywood tentpole. Speaking to the Philippine radio station Star FM Baguio about the audition, Rivera credited her daughter directly for pushing her toward the role.

Rivera was born on 2 June 1943 and studied education at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, graduating in 1964, before working at the radio station Kanlaon Broadcasting System.

Why a Single Tagalog Scene Became a Landmark for Filipino Viewers

Rivera's brief appearance carried outsized significance because of what surrounded it. Her scene marks the moment Andrew Garfield's and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man variants first appear on screen, in what was one of the most closely guarded secrets in modern blockbuster history, alongside Jacob Batalon's Ned, Zendaya's MJ and Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

For many Filipino viewers, however, Rivera's Lola was the real breakthrough. Her scene paired her with Batalon, himself a Filipino-American actor born in Hawaii, giving the franchise a rare instance of two Filipino characters sharing the screen in a major American release.

Online reactions at the time celebrated the presence of Tagalog in a Marvel blockbuster, with social media posts highlighting the authenticity Rivera brought to the role. Family members described the part as one of the proudest achievements of Rivera's life.

An online tribute posted to her memorial page read: 'Tita Mary, as my mentor and colleague, you will be missed tremendously.' Another remembrance, from a family member, recalled decades of shared memories, from childhood lessons to family photographs spanning three generations.

Family, Final Days and Legacy

A family member said Rivera suffered a stroke that led to her hospitalisation and placement on life support. Doctors reportedly told the family that, even should she wake from her coma, her prognosis would not improve, prompting the family's decision to withdraw life support.

Rivera died on 15 April 2026, and her body was later cremated.

Rivera is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rivera, and her children, Carmela Jones, Paul Rivera, Edwin Rivera and Angela Kelly, along with 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her online obituary describes her as a retired missionary for her church who was, in the family's words, 'very proud' of her Spider-Man role.

Rivera's only credited screen performance leaves behind an outsized legacy, a handful of minutes that, for many audiences, turned an unfamiliar face into one of the most memorable grandmothers in modern superhero cinema.