Image of Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte

Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. (originally Belafonete; born March 1, 1927) is an American of Jamaican and Martiniquan descent who is a singer, actor, and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Belafonte has starred in several films. His first film role was in Bright Road (1953), in which he appeared alongside Dorothy Dandridge. The two subsequently starred in Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954). In 1957's Island in the Sun, there are hints of an affair between Belafonte's character and Joan Fontaine. The film also starred James Mason, Dandridge, Joan Collins, Michael Rennie, and John Justin. In 1959, he starred in and produced Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow, in which he played a bank robber. He also co–starred with Inger Stevens in The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Belafonte was offered the role of Porgy in Preminger's Porgy and Bess, where he would have once again starred opposite Dandridge, but he refused the role because he objected to its racial stereotyping. Dissatisfied with the film roles available to him, he returned to music during the 1960s. But in the early 1970s Belafonte appeared in more films among which are two with Poitier: Buck and the Preacher (1972) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). In 1984, Belafonte produced and scored the musical film Beat Street, dealing with the rise of hip–hop culture. Belafonte next starred in a major film again in the mid-1990s, appearing with John Travolta in the race–reverse drama White Man's Burden (1995); and in Robert Altman's jazz age drama Kansas City (1996), the latter of which garnered him the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the TV drama Swing Vote (1999). In late 2006, Belafonte appeared in the role of Nelson, a friend of an employee of the Ambassador Hotel played by Anthony Hopkins, in Bobby, Emilio Estevez's ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Belafonte's success did not protect him from racial discrimination, particularly in the American South. Belafonte refused to perform there from 1954 until 1961. In 1960, he appeared in a campaign commercial for Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. Kennedy later named Belafonte cultural advisor to the Peace Corps. At the ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration In December 2007, Belafonte gave the keynote address and was awarded the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival featured the documentary film "Sing Your Song", a biographical film focusing on Belafonte's contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and his endeavors to promote social justice globally. Belafonte and Marguerite Byrd were married from 1948 to 1957. They have two daughters: Adrienne and Shari. Shari Belafonte, married to Sam Behrens, is a photographer, model, singer and actor. On March 8, 1957, Belafonte married second wife Julie Robinson. They have two children, David and Gina Belafonte. David Belafonte (a former model and actor) is an Emmy–winning producer and the executive director of the family–held company Belafonte Enterprises Inc. He married Danish model, singer and TV personality Malena Belafonte, born Mathiesen, who won silver in Dancing with the Stars in Denmark in 2009. In April 2008, Belafonte married Pamela Frank.


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Born:
Mar 1, 1927 In Jamaica
Movie/TV Credits:
78
First Appeared:
In the series The Ed Sullivan Show 1948-06-20
Latest Project:
Movie 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2022-11-19
Known For
Poster of King in the Wilderness
Poster of When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
Poster of Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Poster of Heut' abend
Filmography
Movie 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Self - Inductee (archive footage) 2022-11-19
Movie Sidney Self 2022-09-10
Movie Is That Black Enough for You?!? Self 2022-10-09
Movie The One and Only Dick Gregory Self 2021-06-19
Movie The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show Self 2020-04-15
Movie Dom Salvador & The Abolition Self 2020-09-09
Movie Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America Self 2018-04-04
Movie Martin Luther King by Trevor Mcdonald Self - Singer 2018-03-22
Movie King in the Wilderness Self 2018-01-22
Movie Mr. SOUL! Self 2018-04-27
Series Bobby Kennedy for President Self 2018-04-27
Movie BlacKkKlansman Jerome Turner 2018-08-09
Movie The Madding Crowd Self (archive footage) 2017-02-01
Movie I Am Not Your Negro Self (archive footage) 2017-02-03
Movie Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart Self 2017-10-14
Series Jackie Robinson Self 2016-04-11
Movie Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity Self 2015-09-13
Movie Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark Self 2014-05-13
Movie Selma self (archive footage) 2014-12-25
Movie JFK: The Private President Self 2013-01-01
Movie Martin Luther King and the March on Washington Self 2013-01-01
Movie Moms Mabley Self 2013-04-20
Movie Sing Your Song Self 2012-01-13
Movie Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom Self 2012-03-20
Movie Hava Nagila: The Movie Self 2012-07-19
Movie The University of Sing Sing Self 2011-04-01
Movie The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 Self (voice) 2011-04-01
Movie Mama Africa Self (archive footage) 2011-08-12
Movie Best Ever Muppet Moments Self 2006-03-11
Movie Bobby Nelson 2006-09-05
Series When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts Self 2006-08-21
Movie The Peace! Self 2005-09-20
Series The Colbert Report Unknown 2005-10-17
Movie TV in Black: The First Fifty Years Self (archive footage) 2004-01-01
Movie The World of Nat King Cole Self 2004-06-15
Movie Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism Self (archive footage) 2004-07-14
Movie Muppet Music Moments Self 2004-11-20
Series Menschen bei Maischberger Unknown 2003-09-02
Movie Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Self (uncredited) 2002-12-04
Movie Swing Vote Will Dunn 1999-04-19
Movie Jazz '34 Self - Narrator 1997-01-29
Movie Kansas City Seldom Seen 1996-08-16
Movie White Man's Burden Thaddeus Thomas 1995-12-01
Movie The World of Jim Henson Self 1994-11-23
Movie Ready to Wear Self 1994-12-23
Movie The Player Harry Belafonte 1992-04-03
Movie The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson Self 1990-11-21
Movie Beetlejuice The Balladeer (voice) (uncredited) 1988-03-30
Movie We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song Self 1985-01-28
Movie Night of 100 Stars Self 1982-03-08
Series Wetten, dass..? Unknown 1981-02-14
Movie Grambling's White Tiger Coach Eddie Robinson 1981-10-04
Series Heut' abend Unknown 1980-02-03
Series CBS News Sunday Morning Unknown 1979-01-28
Series The Kennedy Center Honors Unknown 1978-12-28
Series The Muppet Show Unknown 1976-09-05
Movie Free to Be… You and Me Self 1974-03-11
Movie Uptown Saturday Night Geechie Dan Beauford 1974-07-26
Series The American Film Institute Salute to ... Unknown 1973-04-02
Movie Nationtime Self 1972-11-01
Movie Buck and the Preacher Preacher 1972-03-17
Movie The Angel Levine Alexander Levine 1970-07-28
Movie King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis Self (archive footage) 1970-03-24
Series The Flip Wilson Show Unknown 1970-09-17
Movie Petula Self 1968-04-02
Series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Unknown 1967-09-09
Series ABC Stage 67 Unknown 1966-09-14
Movie The Strolling '20s Self 1966-02-04
Movie The World, the Flesh and the Devil Ralph Burton 1959-05-01
Movie Odds Against Tomorrow Johnny Ingram 1959-10-15
Movie Island in the Sun David Boyeur 1957-06-12
Series The Steve Allen Show Unknown 1956-06-24
Movie Carmen Jones Joe 1954-10-28
Series General Electric Theater Unknown 1953-02-01
Movie Bright Road Mr. Williams - School Principal 1953-04-17
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Series The Colgate Comedy Hour 1950-09-10
Series The Ed Sullivan Show Unknown 1948-06-20