Coco may be littered with nods to other Pixar movies, but it also contains a bountiful offering of references to Mexican culture that may not be as obvious to a non-Mexican audience. A standout cameo comes when a horde of skeletons are waiting in line to attend Ernesto de la Cruz's (Benjamin Bratt) pre-sunrise performance party. Viewers see the bouncer giddily ask a party guest for a photo, popping off his skull to snap the photo with the silver-masked skeleton. This is a clear nod to the famous Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, best known by his stage name El Santo. He was never seen in public without his signature mask, and was often called "el Enmascarado de Plata," or "The Silver-Masked One." It's only fitting that El Santo would sport the same look in the afterlife. Mexican singers and actors Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, considered luminaries of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, also appear at de la Cruz's shindig.
In another scene, de la Cruz, Negrete, and Infante are seen singing with Mexican comic film actor Cantinflas, Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata, and Mexican film actress and singer María Félix. How's that for a star-studded performance?
