Mary Rivera, Actress in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dies at 82

Actress Mary Rivera, best known for her brief but memorable role as Ned Leeds' grandmother in the 2021 Marvel blockbuster "Spider-Man: No Way Home," died on April 15, 2026, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was 82. News of her passing was confirmed by family members on August 3.

Rivera died after suffering a stroke. According to family statements, she was placed on life support, and doctors advised that her prognosis for a meaningful recovery was poor. Her family made the decision to remove her from life support, and she died peacefully. She was later cremated.

Though her on-screen career consisted of a single film, Rivera's portrayal of Ned's Filipino grandmother, affectionately called "Lola," became a fan-favorite moment in the superhero epic. Her character provided levity during the film's multiverse sequence, calmly interacting with the variant Spider-Men played by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. In one notable exchange, she asks Garfield's Spider-Man, via Ned's translation, to clear a cobweb from her ceiling, which he obliges. She also asks the heroes to clean up their webbing before announcing in English, "I'm going to bed," and leaving the room. Later, Ned credits his...