Rebekah Del Rio, the singer and actress featured in one of "Mulholland Drive's" most iconic scenes, has died. She was 57 years old. Her death was confirmed by the Los Angeles Coroner's office, with no further details revealed.
Del Rio was born in 1967, in Chula Vista, California, and started her career as a singer with performances in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles.
She was featured in one of the key scenes in "Mulholland Drive," one of David Lynch's most beloved films. She was cast in the project in the '90s, after meeting Lynch through their shared agent. The scene where Del Rio stars features her performing at Club Silencio, with the lead stars Naomi Watts and Laura Harring watching her perform from the stands.
The club scene shows the women deeply moved by Del Rio's performance and voice, with the reveal at the end of the sequence that Del Rio had been lip-synching all along.
“There were many takes. And with every take, I sang along, because I felt I had to produce that same feeling with the vibrato in my throat so the audience could see it,” said Del Rio in an interview with Indiewire. "I also wanted the beautiful girls on the balcony, Laura Harring and Naomi Watts, to experience it live. They were present while I was doing my scene, so I sang to them.”
While the film features her lip-synching, the song that plays in the background was recorded by her. It's called "Llorando."
Shortly after Lynch's death, Eva Mendes shared a tribute on Instagram, naming Del Rio's performance as one of her favorite parts of the movie and Lynch's oeuvre. "My favorite scene, my favorite song, from one of my favorite films by the best, David Lynch. I suck at words, so I’ll express myself through the incredible perfomances of Rebekah Del Rio, Naomi Watts and Laura Harring. Love you," she wrote.
Del Rio's career after her stunning "Mulholland Drive" turn
Following her involvement in "Mulholland Drive," Del Rio has been featured in different films and continued to collaborate with Lynch. She was featured in Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales" and in the soundtrack of films like "Sin City." She appeared alongside Moby in Lynch's "Twin Peaks: The Return."
Del Rio had a son, Phillip C. DeMars, in 1986. He died in 2009, when he was 23 years old.