Mexican actress Ana Ofelia Murguia and her voice in the movie “Coco” dies at the age of 90

Ana Ofelia Murguia, one of Mexico's most famous actresses, whose voice as Mama Coco in the animated film “Coco” brought her international fame, died on Sunday. She was 90 years old.

And it was her death Certain By the National Institute of Fine Arts of Mexico and its National Theater Company, which did not say where she died.

National Theater Company described Ms. Murguia on social media as “one of Mexico's greatest actresses.” In a statement, Lucina Jiménez Lopez, director of the National Institute of Fine Arts, described her career as “marking an entire era.”

In the 2017 film “Coco”, produced by Disney Pixar Animation Studios, Ms. Murguia plays the main 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 family's history. In the film's emotional climax, Miguel and Mama Coco sing “Remember Me” together.

The film, based around the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, was celebrated for its depiction of Mexican culture and its treatment of important topics such as death in a children's film. It won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Remember Me” at the 2018 Academy Awards.

“Coco” introduced Ms. Murguia to an international audience, but she was well known in her native Mexico long before.

She was born on December 8, 1933 in Mexico City. She studied acting at the National School of Dramatic Arts in Mexico, and made her debut in 1954 in the play Trial by Fire. Her first screen role was in the 1964 film Transit.

She went on to appear in more than 70 plays and 90 films, working with some of Mexico's best filmmakers. She was hailed for her versatility, often playing the role of a villain or antagonist, according to A.J statement From the Institute of Fine Arts and the National Theater Company.

Information about survivors was not immediately available.

At the prestigious Ariel Awards in Mexico, Ms. Murguia won Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1979 film “Cadena Perpetua”; “Los Motivos de Luz” in 1986; and “La Reina de la Noche” (Queen of the Night) in 1996. She was nominated for Best Actress five times but never won. In 2011, she was honored with a special Golden Ariel Award for Lifetime Achievement.

In April 2023, she received the Ingmar Bergman Medal from the National Autonomous University of Mexico for leaving an “indelible mark” on Mexican cinema and theater.