Painter, sculptor and actor Waldo Díaz-Balart, 93, died in Madrid on Feb. 5. Born in Cuba, the son of a mayor, Díaz-Balart specialized in brightly colored, geometric paintings, and the occasional realistic/absurdist sculptures. A friend of Andy Warhol, he acted in The Life of Juanita Castro and The Loves of Ondine (as much as anyone ever “acted” in a Warhol film). He exhibited, lectured all over the world, and his works are seen in major museums. Díaz-Balart’s sister Mirta married Fidel Castro in 1948 (they divorced in 1955), and his nephews include congressmen Mario Díaz-Balart and Lincoln Díaz-Balart, and NBC News anchor José Díaz-Balart. “I was friends with Andy Warhol, as much as being friends with him was possible,” Díaz-Balart said. “Andy even suggested we do some paintings together –like he did with Basquiat – but I didn’t feel we had enough in common to do that.” He was also not close to his brother-in-law: “If you adored Castro, then you were his friend. Fidel was always an authoritarian guy.”
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