If you searched her name this week and found a date that did not match, you are not confused. Mary Rivera died on April 15, 2026. The news did not become public until August 3.
The Four-Month Gap
She died peacefully in Honolulu, aged 82, after suffering a stroke. Her family told TMZ she had been placed on life support, and that after doctors indicated the prognosis would not be good even if she woke from the coma, they made the decision to remove it.
That is the whole explanation for the timing. There was no second event in August — only the moment the wider world found out.
The Scene You Remember
Her role in Spider-Man: No Way Home is short and completely disarming. She appears as Ned Leeds’ grandmother, sharing the screen with Jacob Batalon, Zendaya and Andrew Garfield.
She speaks in Tagalog. Confronted with a Spider-Man in her home, she is entirely unimpressed — and asks him to get the cobwebs off the ceiling. The comedy lands because she plays it completely straight while Garfield’s Spider-Man nervously tries to convince her he is not a threat.
She Had Never Acted Before
This is the part most people do not know. Rivera had no professional acting background whatsoever before that 2021 film.
She was born in Iloilo, in the Philippines, and later settled in Hawaii. Before she retired she had worked as a church missionary, a teacher, and a radio broadcaster.
How She Won the Role
Her daughter, Angela Kelly, came across an open casting call looking for a local Filipina grandmother in Hawaii.
At the audition Rivera did not perform a prepared scene. She simply talked about her own life — immigrating from the Philippines, raising her family, and the experiences that had shaped her. That is what convinced the filmmakers.
Her obituary notes that after being cast, “she was very proud”.
The Tribute
Jacob Batalon, who plays Ned, marked her death on Instagram with four words:
“REST IN PARADISE LOLA.”
Her Family
Rivera is survived by her husband Alejandro Rivera; her children Carmela Jones, Paul Rivera, Edwin Rivera and Angela Kelly; 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who was Mary Rivera?
Mary Egida Rivera played Ned Leeds’ grandmother in Spider-Man: No Way Home. She had no professional acting background.
How old was she?
82.
When did she die?
April 15, 2026, in Honolulu. The news became public on August 3.
What does “Lola” mean?
Grandmother, in Tagalog. It is not the character’s first name.
How was she cast?
Her daughter found an open casting call; at the audition she talked about her own life rather than performing a scene.
Death date, location, cause, casting story, family details and the Batalon tribute per Variety, Deadline, TheWrap, Forbes, ComicBook.com and TMZ, which first reported the death on August 3, 2026. Photo: Honolulu, Hawaii, where Rivera lived (CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons) — illustrative, not a photograph of Rivera.
