Renee Victor: Movies & Box Office

Renée Victor (July 25, 1938 – May 30, 2025) was a prolific American actress, dance instructor, and singer whose career spanned over four decades. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Victor showed an early passion for rhythm and performance, eventually relocating to Los Angeles in the 1960s where she sang with legendary Latin bandleaders such as Xavier Cugat and Pérez Prado, helping to popularize Latin music across the United States. In addition to her vocal talents, she taught salsa and tango, earning a reputation as a skilled dance educator and meeting her future husband during a class; together they performed as the internationally touring act “Ray & Renée,” affectionately dubbed the Latin Sonny & Cher, from 1963 to 1973. Victor’s on‑screen breakthrough came with her memorable recurring role as Lupita on the dark comedy series Weeds, which showcased her comedic timing and authentic representation of Hispanic characters. She also lent her voice to the female Argonians in Bethesda’s acclaimed video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), and later voiced Elena, Miguel’s stern grandmother, in Disney‑Pixar’s award‑winning animated film Coco (2017). Her filmography includes appearances in Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), a guest spot on ER (2004), and a role in the TNT series Snowpiercer (2020‑2021) alongside actors such as Daveed Diggs. Throughout her career, Victor remained devoted to dance, often integrating choreography into her performances and continuing to teach well into her later years. She passed away from lymphoma at her Los Angeles home in Sherman Oaks on May 30, 2025, leaving a legacy of artistic versatility and cultural advocacy.