Harry Belafonte

Biography

Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor and activist, who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s. Belafonte is one of the few performers to have received an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT), although he won the Oscar in a non-competitive category. He earned his career breakthrough with the album Calypso (1956), which was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. Belafonte was best known for his recordings of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)", "Jamaica Farewell", and "Mary's Boy Child". He recorded and performed in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. He also starred in films such as Carmen Jones (1954), Island in the Sun (1957), Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), Buck and the Preacher (1972), and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). He made his final screen appearance in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman (2018). Belafonte considered the actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson a mentor, and he was a close confidant of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations. Belafonte acted as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador for juvenile justice issues. Belafonte won three Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), an Emmy Award, and a Tony Award. In 1989, he received the Kennedy Center Honors. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994. In 2014, he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's 6th Annual Governors Awards and in 2022 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influence category. Description above from the Wikipedia article Harry Belafonte, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Mike Douglas Show

The Colbert Report

DAS!

Tony Awards

Great Performances

All Movies (92)

• CIRILO, A Legacy Untold2025
• Following Harry2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• Jim Henson Idea Man2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Greatest Night in Pop2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan2023 · as Self
• Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes2023 · as Self
• 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony2022 · as Self - Inductee (archive footage)
• Is That Black Enough for You?!?2022 · as Self
• Sidney2022 · as Self
• Harry Belafonte: Between Calypso and Justice2022 · as Self - Subject (archive footage)
• The One and Only Dick Gregory2021 · as Self
• Dom Salvador & The Abolition2020 · as Self
• The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show2020 · as Self
• Nana Mouskouri, Momente ihres Lebens2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Man Behind the White Guitar2019 · as Self
• BlacKkKlansman2018 · as Jerome Turner
• Mr. SOUL!2018 · as Self
• Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America2018 · as Self
• Martin Luther King by Trevor Mcdonald2018 · as Self - Singer
• King in the Wilderness2018 · as Self
• Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart2017 · as Self
• JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala2017 · as Self
• The Madding Crowd2017 · as Self (archive footage)
• Året var 19662016 · as Self (archive footage)
• Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity2015 · as Self
• Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee2014 · as Self
• Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark2014 · as Self
• Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley2013 · as Self
• Martin Luther King and the March on Washington2013 · as Self
• JFK: The Private President2013 · as Self
• Hava Nagila: The Movie2012 · as Self
• Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom2012 · as Self
• Sing Your Song2012 · as Self
• Rise Like Lions2011 · as Self
• Mama Africa2011 · as Self (archive footage)
• The University of Sing Sing2011 · as Self
• The Black Power Mixtape 1967-19752011 · as Self (voice)
• Motherland2010 · as Self
• Anecdotes about Fidel2009
• American Renegade: Confessions of a Radical Humanist2009 · as Self
• Bobby2006 · as Nelson
• Mo & Me2006
• Best Ever Muppet Moments2006 · as Self
• The Peace!2005 · as Self
• Legenden: Audrey Hepburn2005 · as Self
• Muppet Music Moments2004 · as Self
• The Legendary Nat King Cole2004 · as Self
• Donald McKayle: Heartbeats of a DanceMaker2004 · as self
• Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism2004 · as Self (archive footage)
• The World of Nat King Cole2004 · as Self
• TV in Black: The First Fifty Years2004 · as Self (archive footage)
• Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour2002 · as Self (uncredited)
• Altman on His Own Terms2000 · as Self
• Swing Vote1999 · as Will Dunn
• Paul Robeson: Here I Stand1999 · as Self
• Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist1998 · as Self
• Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady1997 · as Self
• Jazz '341997 · as Self - Narrator
• Kansas City1996 · as Seldom Seen
• White Man's Burden1995 · as Thaddeus Thomas
• Prêt-à-Porter1994 · as Self
• The World of Jim Henson1994 · as Self
• The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years1993 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Player1992 · as Harry Belafonte
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson1990 · as Self
• The Unforgettable Nat King Cole1989 · as Self
• We Shall Overcome1989 · as Self - Narrator
• Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute1988 · as Self
• The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert1988 · as Self
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years1986 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Muppet Revue1985 · as Self
• We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song1985 · as Self
• Night of 100 Stars1982 · as Self
• Grambling's White Tiger1981 · as Coach Eddie Robinson
• The Royal Variety Performance 19771977 · as Self
• The Tallest Tree in Our Forest1977 · as Self
• Uptown Saturday Night1974 · as Geechie Dan Beauford
• Free to Be… You and Me1974 · as Self
• Nationtime1972 · as Self
• Buck and the Preacher1972 · as Preacher
• The Angel Levine1970 · as Alexander Levine
• King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis1970 · as Self (archive footage)
• Petula1968 · as Self
• The Strolling '20s1966 · as Self
• The Day of the Oath1965 · as Self
• Harry Belafonte in Concert1960 · as Self
• Odds Against Tomorrow1959 · as Johnny Ingram
• The World, the Flesh and the Devil1959 · as Ralph Burton
• Island in the Sun1957 · as David Boyeur
• Carmen Jones1954 · as Joe
• Bright Road1953 · as Mr. Williams - School Principal
• Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits— · as Self (archive footage)

All TV Shows (61)

• Hollywood Black2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• TV Story Superstar2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• Bobby Kennedy for President2018 · as Self
• Jackie Robinson2016 · as Self
• Sternstunde Musik2013 · as Self
• Hamburg Journal2011 · as self
• When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts2006 · as Self
• The Colbert Report2005 · as Self - Guest
• Tanner on Tanner2004 · as Self
• Kulturplatz2004 · as Self
• Menschen bei Maischberger2003 · as Self
• Gero von Boehm begegnet...2002 · as Self
• Vivement dimanche1998 · as Self
• PB&J Otter1998 · as The Ice Moose (voice)
• Sabine Christiansen1998 · as Self
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as Magic Man (voice)
• Willemsens Woche1995 · as Self
• Musik liegt in der Luft1991 · as Self - Singer
• DAS!1991 · as Self
• Flitterabend1988 · as Self - Singer
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour1988
• Sacrée soirée1987 · as Self
• Goldene Kamera1984 · as Self - Laudatio
• Bei Bio1983 · as Self
• Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self
• Wetten, dass..?1981 · as Self
• Heut' abend1980 · as Self
• CBS News Sunday Morning1979 · as Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors1978 · as Self
• Auf los geht's los1977 · as Self
• Club 21976 · as Self
• The Muppet Show1976 · as Self - Special Guest Star
• Numéro un1975 · as Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
• The Julie Andrews Hour1972 · as Self
• Le Grand Échiquier1972 · as Self
• V.I.P. Schaukel1971 · as Self
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• The Flip Wilson Show1970 · as Self
• The Dick Cavett Show1968 · as Self - Guest
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self (uncredited)
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour1967 · as Self
• The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour1967 · as Self - Cameo
• ABC Stage 671966 · as Self
• The Danny Kaye Show1963 · as Self
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self - Guest Host
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• The Bell Telephone Hour1959 · as Self
• Aktuelle Schaubude1957 · as Self
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self - Singer
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• Was bin ich?1955 · as Self
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Vince
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self