Mary Rivera, who played Ned's lola in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' passes away
Mary Rivera, who starred in Spider-Man: No Way Home as Ned Leeds' grandmother, has passed away at 82.
According to her obituary, the Iloilo-born actress died peacefully on April 15. Outlets such as TMZ, Forbes, and The Wrap reported on her passing on Aug. 3.
Rivera as Ned's (played by Filipino American actor Jacob Batalon) lola appeared in one of the key moments in No Way Home. It was in her home where Ned, using Doctor Strange's sling, opened portals that brought multiversal Peter Parkers, who were played by former Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Ned's lola had a few funny exchanges with the Peters, as she asked Garfield's Spider-Man to clean a cobweb off her ceiling in Filipino.
"Ned, sabihin mo diyan sa mamang 'yan na alisin 'yung agiw sa sulok ha?" Rivera's character said.
Later on, she also scolded the two Spider-Men for making a mess in her home.
"Nagkalat ka na naman! Linisin mo lahat ng mga basura mo dito. At ikaw, alam mo na gusto ko 'yung bahay natin maayos, pero tingnan mo! Dumi dito, dumi doon," Ned's lola said before going up to bed.
Apart from Batalon, Maguire, and Garfield, she also shared the scene with Zendaya, who played MJ Watson.
According to Rivera's obituary, the Pinay was "very proud" of starring in the film, which appears to be her only acting credit.
"It's been an amazing adventure," her daughter Angie Kelly told The Conversation in May 2022. "To us, she's just my mom, but to the rest of the world, she's Ned's lola."
"It's humbling really because never before in cinematic history really has there been a place for the Filipino language and culture. They did a really good job with paying attention to the details of our culture," she added.
Rivera was a retired missionary who lived in Honolulu, Hawaii.
She is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rivera, her four children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
The news also comes on the heels of the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
