Disney’s Coco voice actor Ana Ofelia Murguía dies aged 90
Ana Ofelia Murguía, the 90-year-old Mexican actress renowned for her portrayal of great-grandmother Mama Coco in the Academy Award-winning Disney Pixar animation Coco, has passed away.
In the film, she played a significant role in depicting the story of a Mexican boy venturing into the Land of the Dead, unraveling family secrets in his pursuit of a musical career. Coco serves as a vibrant celebration of Mexican culture, prominently featuring the traditions of the Day of the Dead.
Acknowledging her contributions, Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature emphasized the vital role her career played in the performing arts of the country.
One of the poignant moments in Coco involves Mama Coco and her great-grandson, Miguel, singing the emotionally charged “Remember Me” together. Miguel croons, “For even if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart,” and Mama Coco joins in with, “Until you’re in my arms again… Remember me.”
The film unfolds against the backdrop of the Day of the Dead festival, an annual celebration in various South American countries, including Mexico.
This festival commemorates the cycle of life and death, marked by grand parades and individuals adorning their faces to resemble skulls, honoring departed loved ones who have transitioned to the afterlife.
“With deep sadness, we regret the sensitive death of the leading actress Ana Ofelia Murguía, who was part of the stable cast of the National Theater Company of Mexico, and whose artistic career was vital for the performing arts of Mexico,” the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature added.
Born in Mexico in 1933, Murguía won a special lifetime achievement Golden Ariel award in 2011 at a ceremony recognizing the best of the Mexican cinema industry.
She shared the prize, for her career spanning more than 40 years in stage, film, and television, with director and writer Jorge Fons.
She also won best supporting actress at the Ariel awards in 1979, 1986, and 1996 for films including 1994’s La Reina de la Noche (The Queen of the Night), about a female cabaret artist who remakes her career in Mexico after leaving Berlin following an incident with the Nazis.
Celebrating Coco’s double Oscar win in 2018 for best-animated film and Best Original Song, one of its producers, Lee Unkrich said his biggest thanks went to Mexico and that the film could not have existed without its “endlessly beautiful culture and traditions”.
“With Coco, we tried to take a step forward toward a world where all children can grow up seeing characters in movies that look and talk and live as they do,” he told the audience.
“Marginalised people deserve to feel like they belong. Representation matters.”
