Ana Ofelia Murguía, Voice of Disney’s Coco, Dies at 90

Ana Ofelia Murguía, a prolific actress known for appearances in The Queen of the Night and Disney’s Coco, has passed away at the age of 90. The news of Murguía’s passing was first revealed in a statement from the Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. It was subsequently confirmed in a report from BBC News, revealing that she passed away on Sunday, December 31, 2023. Additional details surrounding her passing are currently unknown at this time. Murguía has been regarded as one of the last remaining stars of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, acting in a wide swatch of projects since 1968.

“With deep sadness we regret the sensitive death of the first 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 statement reads. “We send condolences and warm hugs to his family and friends.”

Murguía was born in Mexico City, Mexico on December 8, 1933. She made her onscreen debut in 1967’s La tormenta, going on to appear in more than 100 film and television projects across her career. Her film roles included, but were not limited to, The Queen of the Night, Nobody Will Speak of Us When We’re Dead, Gaby: A True Story, Mexican, You Can Do It, The Heist, and La Vispera. She also had an uncredited role as a palace maid in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune. On the television side, she appeared in projects such as Gregoria la cucharacha, Tric Trac, and Uroboros, and Prime Video’s Mozart in the Jungle.

Murguía holds the record for the most Best Actress nominations without wins at the Ariel Awards, Mexico’s most prestigious acting awards, earning a total of five nods. She also won the Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress three times since the start of her career, in 1979, 1986, and 1966. In 2011, she was awarded a special lifetime achievement Golden Ariel award in 2011, alongside director and writer Jorge Fons.

Murguía was introduced to a whole new audience when she voiced the titular character, Mama Coco, in Disney’s 2017 animated hit Coco. The story of Coco follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family’s ban on music. Mama Coco proves to be an integral part of the film, which ultimately won two Academy Awards in 2018, for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Remember Me.”

Murguía’s final onscreen credit was in a 2018 episode of José José: El Príncipe de la Canción. 

Our thoughts are with Murguía’s family, friends, and fans at this time.