Ana Ofelia Murguía, one of Mexico's most famous actresses whose voice as Mama Coco in Disney's animated film “Coco” brought her international recognition, died on Sunday. She was 90.
Her death was confirmed from the National Institute of Fine Arts and the National Theater Group of Mexico, which did not specify the cause of death.
The National Theater Company described Murguía has been called “one of Mexico’s greatest actresses” on social media. In a statement, Lucina Jiménez López, director of the National Institute of Fine Arts, described her career as one that “shaped an entire era.”
In Pixar's 2017 animated film Coco, Murguía plays the key role of Mama Coco, the great-grandmother of a boy, protagonist Miguel, who is on a journey to uncover his family's history in the Land of the Dead. At the emotional climax of the film, Miguel and Mama Coco sing the song “Remember Me” together.
The film, based around the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, was celebrated for its portrayal of Mexican culture and its handling of weighty themes such as death in a children's film. At the 2018 Academy Awards, he won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Remember Me.”
“Coco” introduced Murguía to a global audience, but she was known long before in her native Mexico.
Ana Ofelia Murguía was born on December 8, 1933 in Mexico City. She studied acting at the National School of Theater Arts in Mexico and made her debut in the 1954 play “Trial By Fire.” Her first film role was in the 1964 film “Transit”.
She went on to appear in more than 70 plays and 90 films, collaborating with some of Mexico's top filmmakers. According to a statement from the Institute of Fine Arts and the National Theater Company, she was praised for her versatility, playing the role of villain or antagonist.
At the prestigious Ariel Awards in Mexico, Murguía won Best Supporting Actress for her performances in “Cadena Perpetua” (1979), “Los Motivos de Luz” (1986) and “La Reina de la Noche” (The Queen of the Night) in 1996. She was nominated for Best Actress five times but never won. In 2011 she was awarded the Golden Ariel Special Prize for Lifetime Achievement.
In April 2023, she was awarded the Ingmar Bergman Medal by the National Autonomous University of Mexico for her “indelible mark” on Mexican film and theater.