Which musician portrayed Andy Warhol in the 1996 film Basquiat?

David Bowie portrayed Andy Warhol in the 1996 film Basquiat.

Basquiat, directed by Julian Schnabel, dramatizes the life and career of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Bowie plays Warhol, who had become an important figure in New York’s art world and had a significant professional relationship with Basquiat.

Bowie’s casting carried an additional cultural connection: he was already a major musician whose work had intersected with avant-garde fashion, performance, and visual art. His performance presents Warhol as a reserved but influential presence within the downtown art scene.

The film also features Jeffrey Wright as Basquiat and includes other real-life art-world figures in fictionalized or dramatized form. Because several famous musicians were connected to Warhol’s circle, viewers sometimes guess Lou Reed or Iggy Pop, but Bowie is the actor credited with playing Warhol.