Renee Victor, the Abuelita voice actress from Disney Pixar’s highly beloved animated movie Coco, has passed away at the age of 86. Long before Hollywood ever came calling, Renée Victor created a world that moved to a different beat—literally.
Born in San Antonio on July 25, 1938, she was the oldest of three sisters and the first to leap headfirst into a career in the arts. After moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s, Victor broke into the world of Latin music as a singer for legends like Xavier Cugat and Perez Prado. She didn’t just sing—she taught, too, giving dance lessons in salsa and tango at a time when Latin culture was often sidelined in mainstream America.
She met her husband through this creative circle. The two toured as “Ray & Renee,” a duo so vibrant they earned comparisons to Sonny and Cher. For ten years, they traveled the world, representing Latino artistry on stages that rarely saw it.
But Victor wasn’t finished. She was just getting started.
Renee Victor: Spotlighting a Movement, Not Just a Career
In the 1970s, Victor turned to television—not for fame, but for purpose. As host of KTLA’s Pacesetters, she helped shine a spotlight on the Chicano Power movement, a cultural revolution of identity, pride, and political awakening for Mexican-Americans across the U.S. This was a recurring theme in Victor’s life: she didn’t just play roles—she chose platforms. And with every opportunity, she championed culture, representation, and truth.
By 1973, she had joined the Screen Actors Guild and began landing roles in major TV shows like Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Matlock, and ER, where she portrayed Florina Lopez. These weren’t headliners, but they were hard-earned—and they paved the way for something bigger. In 2017, Coco burst onto the scene and changed the game.
The film, a loving ode to Día de los Muertos and the richness of Mexican family life, won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. But it was Victor’s performance as Abuelita—equal parts terrifying and tender—that lingered in the hearts of millions. She wasn’t just a character. She was every elder who ever protected tradition, enforced tough love, and made you eat second helpings.
In Victor’s voice, generations heard their own grandmother, their roots, their childhood kitchens.
Beyond the Microphone: A Life of Work and Wonder
Her daughters, Raquel and Margo Victor, shared in a statement:
“Renee was loved by so many & had fans all over the world. Her memory will be cherished by all who knew her.”
Victor’s résumé extended far beyond Coco. She voiced Morticia Addams in the 1992 animated Addams Family, played Lupita on Showtime’s Weeds, and appeared in The Apostle, The Doctor, A Night in Old Mexico, and shows like Dead to Me, Snowpiercer, All Rise, and Gentefied.
Every role added another thread to the tapestry of her career. She worked well into her 80s—not because she had to, but because the world finally started listening. Renée Victor’s passing is more than just the loss of a beloved voice actress. It marks the end of an era—one where resilience forged visibility. Where culture wasn’t just referenced, but centered.
Her career trajectory proves that authentic voices—especially Latina voices—can break barriers at any age, in any medium. Her story should embolden casting directors, studios, and creators to expand the scope of who gets to tell stories and when.
Renee Victor: Her Voice Lives On
Victor wasn’t a Hollywood “type.” She was herself—and that’s what made her unforgettable. Though Renée Victor has passed, her spirit is immortal. Watch Coco, and you’ll hear it. Not just in her voice, but in the silence that follows—the kind that makes you think of your own grandmother, your own culture, your own place in the story.
For all she gave us—on screen, on stage, and in spirit—Renée Victor deserves to be remembered not just as a performer, but as a pillar. A voice of her people. A flame that lit the way for those to come.
And even now, you can still hear her, can’t you?
“Mijo, no music!”
But oh, what music she left behind.
