Renée Victor, ‘Coco’ voice actress and ‘Weeds’ star, dies at 86

Renée Victor, the actress who starred as Lupita on Weeds and provided the voice of Abuelita Elena in Pixar’s Coco, has died. She was 86.

Victor died at her home in Sherman Oaks on Friday while surrounded by family, a representative for the actress confirmed to Entertainment Weekly. She had been battling lymphoma, a type of cancer that targets the immune system.

Her daughter Margo paid tribute to the star on Sunday, penning a heartfelt Instagram post.

“She was dignity and beauty till the end. I am shattered, but I celebrate the end of her elegant and defiant battle with illness these last couple of years,” Margo wrote. “She would never allow anything to keep her down. All my life she’s been a force of nature, a world of fun, sharp wit with boundless talents and energy. Throughout her long life, her ability to reach any goal against odds was formidable.”

The actress’ daughter continued, “She was and will forever remain my hero and inspiration…. I know she is happy where she is now, while still by my side.”

Following news of her death, the official Pixar Instagram account paid tribute to the actress as well.

“We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of Renée Victor, the voice Abuelita in Coco and an incredible part of the Pixar family,” read the post, which then referenced the film’s signature song, adding, “We will always remember you.”

Born in San Antonio on July 25, 1938, Victor began her career on the stage, singing and dancing professionally across Europe, Latin America, and the South Pacific. In the 60s, she moved to Los Angeles and worked as a musician alongside the likes of Xavier Cugat and Perez Prado. Then, in 1963, she and her husband, Ray Victor, joined forces as musicians and spent a decade traveling globally under the banner Ray and Renée, earning the nickname, ‘the Latin Sonny & Cher.’

Victor’s pivot to television came in the 1970s, when she served as the host of KTLA’s Pacesetters. She went on to fill small roles in episodes of Masquerade, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Matlock, The Tony Danza Show, and ER.

In 2005, she joined the cast of Weeds as Lupita, the housekeeper to Mary-Louise Parker’s Nancy Botwin. She was widely praised for her role in the Showtime series and after starring in the first two seasons, continued making guest appearances throughout the show’s eight season run. From there, Victor appeared on several shows, including Gentefied, All Rise, Snowpiercer, Dead to Me, Mayans M.C., and A Million Little Things.

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In 2017, Victor provided the voice of the stern and protective Abuelita Elena in Pixar’s Coco, a film that garnered two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. The film notably featured an all-Latin cast. When news of an upcoming sequel, Coco 2, arrived in March, Victor voiced her excitement on Instagram.

“It was my great pleasure and experience working with the incredibly talented Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina! We get to do it again,” she wrote. “This is what we’ve all been waiting for! I’m so excited! Coco shared a Mexican tradition that is now celebrated around the world in unity. An amazing amount of work and talent goes into the creation of this unique film.”

Victor is survived by her two daughters, Raquel and Margo.