NEW YORK, NY.- Ana Ofelia Murguía, one of Mexicos most acclaimed actresses, whose voice acting as Mama Coco in the animated movie Coco brought her international recognition, died Sunday. She was 90.
Her death was confirmed by Mexicos National Institute of Fine Arts and National Theater Company, which did not specify the cause of death.
The National Theater Company described Murguía on social media as one of Mexicos greatest actresses. In a statement, Lucina Jiménez López, director of the National Institute of Fine Arts, described her career as one that marked an entire era.
In the 2017 film Coco, made by Disneys Pixar Animation Studios, Murguía plays the key role of Mama Coco, the great-grandmother of a boy, the protagonist Miguel, who finds himself in the land of the dead on a journey to uncover his familys history. At the emotional climax of the film, Miguel and Mama Coco sing the song Remember Me together.
The movie, which is built around the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead, was celebrated for its portrayal of Mexican culture and its handling of weighty subjects like death in a childrens movie. It won best animated featured and best original song, for Remember Me, at the 2018 Oscars.
Coco introduced Murguía to a global audience, but she was well-known in her home country long before.
Ana Ofelia Murguía was born Dec. 8, 1933, in Mexico City. She studied acting at Mexicos National School of Theater Arts and made her debut in 1954 in the play Trial By Fire. Her first screen role was in the 1964 film Transit.
She would go on to appear in more than 70 plays and 90 films, working with some of Mexicos best filmmakers. Hailed for her versatility, she often played the role of the villain or antagonist, according to a statement from the Institute of Fine Arts and National Theater Company.
At Mexicos prestigious Ariel awards, Murguía won best supporting actress for her performances in Cadena Perpetua, in 1979; Los Motivos de Luz, in 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 recognized with a Golden Ariel special lifetime achievement award.
In April 2023, she was awarded the Ingmar Bergman Medal from the National Autonomous University of Mexico for leaving an indelible mark on Mexican film and theater.
This article originally appeared in
The New York Times.