Harry Belafonte
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- March 1, 1927 in New York City, New York, USA
- Died
- April 25, 2023 (aged 96)
- Active Years
- 1953–2018 (66 Years)
- Total Credits
- 165 credits in database
Acting Born Mar 1, 1927 Died Apr 25, 2023 New York City, New York, USA 165 credits
Biography
Harry Belafonte, born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1, 1927, was an American singer, actor, and activist. He gained international recognition in the 1950s for popularizing calypso music. His breakthrough came with the 1956 album Calypso, which became the first LP by a single artist to sell one million copies. Belafonte is noted for his recordings of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora), Jamaica Farewell, and Mary's Boy Child. Throughout his career, he performed and recorded in various genres, including blues. He is among the few performers to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, though his Oscar was awarded in a non-competitive category. Belafonte died on April 25, 2023.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
CIRILO, A Legacy Untold
Hollywood BlackJim Henson Idea ManFollowing HarryThe Greatest Night in Pop
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed SullivanMax Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction CeremonySidneyIs That Black Enough for You?!?Harry Belafonte: Between Calypso and Justice
The One and Only Dick Gregory
TV Story SuperstarDom Salvador & The AbolitionThe Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight ShowNana Mouskouri, Momente ihres Lebens
The Man Behind the White Guitar
BlacKkKlansmanBobby Kennedy for PresidentMr. SOUL!King in the WildernessRise Up: The Movement that Changed America
The Madding CrowdLorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling HeartJFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
Jackie RobinsonÅret var 1966
Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity
Life's Essentials with Ruby DeeNat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark
Sternstunde MusikWhoopi Goldberg Presents Moms MableyMartin Luther King and the March on WashingtonJFK: The Private President
Hava Nagila: The MovieSing Your SongTony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Hamburg JournalMama AfricaThe Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975Rise Like LionsThe University of Sing Sing
Motherland
Anecdotes about FidelAmerican Renegade: Confessions of a Radical Humanist
BobbyWhen the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four ActsBest Ever Muppet MomentsMo & Me
The Colbert ReportThe Peace!Legenden: Audrey HepburnPictoplasma: Characters in Motion, Vol. 1 · Music
KulturplatzTanner on TannerThe World of Nat King ColeOutfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on JournalismMuppet Music Moments
Menschen bei Maischberger
Gero von Boehm begegnet...Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Altman on His Own Terms
Swing VotePaul Robeson: Here I Stand
Vivement dimancheSabine ChristiansenPB&J OtterScandalize My Name: Stories from the BlacklistScandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist · Thanks
Jazz '34Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady
The Rosie O'Donnell ShowKansas City
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildWhite Man's BurdenWillemsens WocheThe Affair · Executive Producer
The World of Jim HensonPrêt-à-Porter
The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years
Full Filmography
165 titles- CIRILO, A Legacy Untold (2025)
- Hollywood Black (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- Jim Henson Idea Man (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- Following Harry (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (2023) as Self
- Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (2023) as Self
- 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (2022) as Self - Inductee (archive footage)
- Sidney (2022) as Self
- Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022) as Self
- Harry Belafonte: Between Calypso and Justice (2022) as Self - Subject (archive footage)
- The One and Only Dick Gregory (2021) as Self
- TV Story Superstar (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Dom Salvador & The Abolition (2020) as Self
- The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show (2020) as Self
- Nana Mouskouri, Momente ihres Lebens (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- The Man Behind the White Guitar (2019) as Self
- BlacKkKlansman (2018) as Jerome Turner
- Bobby Kennedy for President (2018) as Self
- Mr. SOUL! (2018) as Self
- King in the Wilderness (2018) as Self
- Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America (2018) as Self
- Martin Luther King by Trevor Mcdonald (2018) as Self - Singer
- The Madding Crowd (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes / Feeling Heart (2017) as Self
- JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala (2017) as Self
- Jackie Robinson (2016) as Self
- Året var 1966 (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Marsha Hunt's Sweet Adversity (2015) as Self
- Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee (2014) as Self
- Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (2014) as Self
- Sternstunde Musik (2013) as Self
- Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley (2013) as Self
- Martin Luther King and the March on Washington (2013) as Self
- JFK: The Private President (2013) as Self
- Hava Nagila: The Movie (2012) as Self
- Sing Your Song (2012) as Self
- Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom (2012) as Self
- Hamburg Journal (2011) as self
- Mama Africa (2011) as Self (archive footage)
- The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) as Self (voice)
- Rise Like Lions (2011) as Self
- The University of Sing Sing (2011) as Self
- Motherland (2010) as Self
- Anecdotes about Fidel (2009)
- American Renegade: Confessions of a Radical Humanist (2009) as Self
- Bobby (2006) as Nelson
- When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) as Self
- Best Ever Muppet Moments (2006) as Self
- Mo & Me (2006)
- The Colbert Report (2005) as Self - Guest
- The Peace! (2005) as Self
- Legenden: Audrey Hepburn (2005) as Self
- Pictoplasma: Characters in Motion, Vol. 1 (2005) Music
- Kulturplatz (2004) as Self
- Tanner on Tanner (2004) as Self
- The World of Nat King Cole (2004) as Self
- Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Muppet Music Moments (2004) as Self
- Donald McKayle: Heartbeats of a DanceMaker (2004) as self
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Sesame Street: Elmo's World: The Street We Live On! (2004) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Legendary Nat King Cole (2004) as Self
- Menschen bei Maischberger (2003) as Self
- Gero von Boehm begegnet... (2002) as Self
- Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002) as Self (uncredited)
- Altman on His Own Terms (2000) as Self
- Swing Vote (1999) as Will Dunn
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999) as Self
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Sabine Christiansen (1998) as Self
- PB&J Otter (1998) as The Ice Moose (voice)
- Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998) as Self
- Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998) Thanks
- Jazz '34 (1997) as Self - Narrator
- Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady (1997) as Self
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996) as Self
- Kansas City (1996) as Seldom Seen
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995) as Magic Man (voice)
- White Man's Burden (1995) as Thaddeus Thomas
- Willemsens Woche (1995) as Self
- The Affair (1995) Executive Producer
- The World of Jim Henson (1994) as Self
- Prêt-à-Porter (1994) as Self
- The Best Of Danny Kaye - The Television Years (1993) as Self (archive footage)
- The Player (1992) as Harry Belafonte
- DAS! (1991) as Self
- Musik liegt in der Luft (1991) as Self - Singer
- The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990) as Self
- We Shall Overcome (1989) as Self - Narrator
- The Unforgettable Nat King Cole (1989) as Self
- Flitterabend (1988) as Self - Singer
- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1988)
- Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute (1988) as Self
- The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert (1988) as Self
- Sacrée soirée (1987) as Self
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986) as Self (archive footage)
- We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song (1985) as Self
- The Muppet Revue (1985) as Self
- Goldene Kamera (1984) as Self - Laudatio
- Beat Street (1984) Original Music Composer
- Bei Bio (1983) as Self
- Champs-Elysées (1982) as Self
- Night of 100 Stars (1982) as Self
- Wetten, dass..? (1981) as Self
- Grambling's White Tiger (1981) as Coach Eddie Robinson
- Heut' abend (1980) as Self
- CBS News Sunday Morning (1979) as Self
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1978) as Self
- Auf los geht's los (1977) as Self
- The Royal Variety Performance 1977 (1977) as Self
- The Tallest Tree in Our Forest (1977) as Self
- The Muppet Show (1976) as Self - Special Guest Star
- Club 2 (1976) as Self
- Numéro un (1975) as Self
- Free to Be… You and Me (1974) as Self
- Uptown Saturday Night (1974) as Geechie Dan Beauford
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... (1973) as Self
- Le Grand Échiquier (1972) as Self
- The Julie Andrews Hour (1972) as Self
- Nationtime: Gary (1972) as Self
- Buck and the Preacher (1972) as Preacher
- Buck and the Preacher (1972) Producer
- Great Performances (1971) as Self
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- The Flip Wilson Show (1970) as Self
- King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) as Self (archive footage)
- The Angel Levine (1970) as Alexander Levine
- The Angel Levine (1970) Producer
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1968) as Self (uncredited)
- Petula (1968) as Self
- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967) as Self
- The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967) as Self - Cameo
- ABC Stage 67 (1966) as Self
- ABC Stage 67 (1966) Executive Producer
- The Strolling '20s (1966) as Self
- The Day of the Oath (1965) as Self
- The Danny Kaye Show (1963) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self - Guest Host
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Harry Belafonte in Concert (1960) as Self
- The Bell Telephone Hour (1959) as Self
- Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) as Johnny Ingram
- Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) Co-Producer
- The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) as Ralph Burton
- The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959) Producer
- Aktuelle Schaubude (1957) as Self
- Island in the Sun (1957) as David Boyeur
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Singer
- Was bin ich? (1955) as Self
- Carmen Jones (1954) as Joe
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Vince
- Bright Road (1953) as Mr. Williams - School Principal
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- King Leopold’s Ghost Producer
- Haiti: Killing the Dream Producer
- Nat King Cole & Friends Unforgettable Hits as Self (archive footage)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Harry Belafonte best known for?
Harry Belafonte is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Sidney (2022), BlacKkKlansman (2018), La Menace (1977), A Quiet Place to Kill (1970).
When and where was Harry Belafonte born?
Harry Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927 in New York City, New York, USA. They passed away on April 25, 2023.
How many credits does Harry Belafonte have?
Harry Belafonte has 165 film and television credits listed on archytele, with work dated between 1953 and 2018.
What is Harry Belafonte's background in cinema and television?
Harry Belafonte, born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr. on March 1, 1927, was an American singer, actor, and activist. He gained international recognition in the 1950s for popularizing calypso music. His breakthrough came with the 1956 album Calypso, which became the first LP by a single artist to sell one million copies. ...
Harry Belafonte by the numbers
165credits
103films
62TV series
1948–2025active years
Age in their best-rated roles
- Sabine Christiansen (1998) as Self — aged about 71
- Club 2 (1976) as Self — aged about 49
- Auf los geht's los (1977) as Self — aged about 50
- The Muppet Show (1976) as Self - Special Guest Star — aged about 49
- Le Grand Échiquier (1972) as Self — aged about 45
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self — aged about 44
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