Mary Rivera, Spider-Man: No Way Home Actress, Dies at 82
The Philippine-born actress, best known for her role as Ned's grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home, died in Honolulu following a stroke.
Mary Rivera, who appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home as the grandmother of Jacob Batalon's character Ned, has died at 82. According to Variety, Rivera passed away on 15 April in Honolulu, Hawaii, after suffering a stroke.
Rivera was born on 2 June 1943 in Iloilo, Philippines. A family member told TMZ that she had been placed on life support following her stroke, and that she considered her role in No Way Home one of her most cherished professional accomplishments.
A Memorable Moment on Screen
Her appearance in the 2021 Marvel film came during a pivotal scene. As Ned and MJ found themselves in a tense standoff with Peter Parker—who had just emerged from the multiverse—Rivera entered the room to break the tension. Via Ned's translation, her character asked Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man to climb across the ceiling and remove a cobweb from a difficult corner, providing a moment of levity in an otherwise fraught sequence.
The scene brought together multiple generations of Spider-Man performers: Holland, Garfield, Tobey Maguire (who appeared earlier in the film), Zendaya, and Batalon. Though brief, Rivera's part became a memorable beat in one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
Legacy and Survived By
Tributes published on her obituary page reflected the affection colleagues and family held for her. One read, "Tita Mary, as my mentor and colleague, you will be missed tremendously." Another family remembrance stated, "Love you, miss you Nanay," recounting memories spanning decades and three generations.
Rivera is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rivera, and her four children: Carmela Jones, Paul Rivera, Edwin Rivera and Angela Kelly.
