Who played Ned’s grandmother in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’? Mary Rivera dies at 82
Mary Rivera, who appeared in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ as Ned’s grandmother, Lola, died at the age of 82. She played Ned Leeds’ (played by Jacob Batalon) grandmother in the fan-favorite film. Viewers have cherished Peter Parker’s school best friend over the years, whose granny also left an emotional impact on the fans. According to her obituary, Mary Ediga Rivera, of Milelani, passed away peacefully on April 15, 2026, in Honolulu. She was born on June 2, 1943, in the Philippines, and was a retired Missionary for the church.
The obituary mentioned that her role as a Filipino grandmother was something she was proud of. She is survived by her husband, Alejandro Rivera, four children, 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The late actress shared the screen with Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, Jamie Foxx, and Zendaya. Throughout the ‘Spider-Man’ films, fans witnessed Holland, Garfield, and Maguire playing the lead role in various installments.
One of the notable scenes featured in the film was: Batalon and Zendaya opening a portal into Ned’s bedroom. As a result, Garfield was able to enter as ‘Spider-Man.’ Witnessing unusual events, Rivera screamed while Zendaya, playing MJ, asked Garfield to “prove” that he was the real ‘Spider-Man.’ To prove his identity, Garfield used his superpowers and could be seen stuck to the ceiling. Seeing him like that, Ned’s lola, grandmother, played by Mary, asked Garfield to clean the cobwebs since he was already up there. Ned could be seen translating the Tagalog that his grandma spoke.
A family member’s tribute on Facebook reads, “Thank you for representing the Filipino community with such grace and pride when you portrayed Ned Leed’s Lola in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). You will forever be loved, cherished, and missed. Paalam po, Lola.” Her obituary has a tribute wall where her family and friends left emotional messages while remembering her. A tribute from Hector Aparra read, “Tita Mary, as my mentor and colleague, you will be missed tremendously. My deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go out to the Rivera family during this difficult time.”
