Several Cuban artists have reacted to the death this Saturday of the actor Mario Balmaseda, an emblematic figure of Cuban theater, film and television.
The popular artist, the only Cuban actor to have received all three awards: the National Theater Award (2006), the National Television Award (2019) and the National Film Award (2021), died in the city of Havana at 81 years old.
One of the first to react to the sad news was actor Héctor Noas, who stated that despite knowing his delicate state of health, the final departure of Balmaceda It surprised him.
"Perhaps for the youngest, it does not mean what was a paradigm for my generation. Thank you, Mario, for everything you taught and for that acting legacy that you left us. My ISA Gold Title bears your signature. It is the best autograph that I have ever received. The rest remains in my heart. Rest in Peace, Maestrazo!", he expressed.
The actor Roberto San Martin For his part, he noted that "it has given him great sadness to learn of Mario's death. Partner of my mother [Susana Pérez] in fiction forever. A great actor and an excellent person. E.P.D.," he commented.
In an emotional post the actor Mijail Mulkay He highlighted that Balmaseda was a great friend. "An endless number of stories over the years unite us forever, imitating you at every party, calling your house and having Rosa or your daughters mistake me for you was one of my favorite and most fun pastimes, acting in He has stolen directed by you on television and theater will forever be in my heart, like the memory of one of my most beloved acting jobs," said Mulkay.
"Mario, I will miss you (...). I have the consolation of knowing that wonderful people are waiting for you on the other side, Rosa Elena, my father, Abraham Rodríguez, Bertolt Brecht, just to name a few of your preference. Fly high, pure, I carry you in my heart forever and ever, the theater and cinema party in heaven today!", he stressed.
Cuban comedian Alexis Valdés also reacted, stating that "a great thing has gone away from us. One of the greatest. A colossus of acting and also of direction".
"The first work that had an impact on me in my entire life had been directed to him and was called He has stolen. That day I fell in love with THEATER. That is to say, what I do today has a seed that was nourished or germinated in the fertile soil of my work. In fact in Officially Gay I wrote a scene that was a tribute to that montage of his He has stolen. The first time I saw him on stage was doing Bertold Bretch's bakery. And I was fascinated. I didn't know someone could act like that. Then I saw him in The amazing Benedetti, from that fabulous theater group called El Buscón, and where he coincided with another monument of Cuban interpretation, the great Jose Antonio Rodríguez," he recalled.
Valdés continued: "And I remember that Mario at the end of a scene, (In the story of the coffee cups) did something with his eyes that I don't know how he did it and that impacted me tremendously. And of course we all saw it in in cinema and on television always shining. He was a monster of talent, charisma and wisdom. Even in a very small time he was my father-in-law and I felt so proud. And he even gave me a poster of one of my favorite Argentine films. "I will always remember him as a genius of acting and a master of the stage."
"One of the greats says goodbye. Unforgettable. Irreplaceable. My generation that was formed and grew up with the luck of witnessing his immense talent, his impressive interpretive power and the diversity of characters he built with that enormous magnetism, we owe him his giant legacy, which remains tattooed on us. I was lucky to share with him as a friend and I will never forget his nobility, his passion and the grace of every moment shared. Rest in Peace my dear Mario, and thank you for so much," said Beatriz. Valdes.
Mario Federico Balmaseda Maurisco was born on January 19, 1941 in Havana. His arrival on the small screen was through the Adventures of Juan Quinquín and the series In silence it had to be, where he gave life to agent Reinier, from State Security, direct contact of David, played by Sergio Corrieri.
In 1971 he came to the cinema with The days of water, by director Manuel Octavio Gómez and, since then, appeared in multiple Cuban films for decades.
Among them he is remembered for The man of Maisinicú, historical film released in 1973 and directed by Manuel Pérez, based on real events that occurred in the Escambray region in the early 1960s; and Exchange, a comedy directed by the recently deceased Juan Carlos Tabío, in 1983, and which featured the stellar performances of Rosita Fornés and Isabel Santos.
Cubans also remember him from the movie Baraguá, where you can see one of Mario Balmaseda's most emblematic characters, Antonio Maceo in this 1985 film, directed by José Massip.
Likewise, he was part of the cast of between cyclones, comedia directed by the director Enrique Colina, released in 2003, in which he shared the lead role with Mijail Mulkay.
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