SHARI BELAFONTE BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Shari Belafonte was born on September 22nd, 1954 in New York City, New York. Her father was actor and singer, Harry Belafonte and her mother, Marguerite worked as a psychologist. After completing high school, she went on to study at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and then transferred to Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she earned a BA in drama in 1977.
Her career in entertainment first began working as a model and working on a number of commercials, most popular being for, Calvin Klein Jeans. By 1982 she broke into the film industry with her film debut on, “Time Walker” and “If You Could See What I Hear” (both 1982).
Belafonte then took a brief break from acting to gain some experience on the east coast as a production assistant and assistant director in public television. She then moved to Hollywood and continued to work as a model, appear in commercials and gained more experience as personal assistant to the publicist for Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Soon she also began appearing on such television series as, “Hotel” (1983), “The Love Boat” (1984) and the films, “Speed Zone”, “The Midnight Hour” and “Fire, Ice and "Dynamite”. She was most well known for her theatrical talent and beauty that she possessed.
Her stage debut was actually in a production of, “Tamara” in Los Angeles, California. Another role she became very well known for was for the two year run on the series, “Beyond Reality” where she portrayed Dr. Laura Wingate.
Along with her credits as a television and film actress she also started a music career with Metronome Records and a number of her records were released over in Europe. She has also been involved in a variety of voice over projects for, “Sonic the Hedgehog”, “Hey Arnold!” and “The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest”.
She is involved in a number of charitable causes for animal, environmental and children’s rights. She is a spokesperson for Starlight Children’s Foundation as well as in the past been a spokesperson for Bally’s International Health and Fitness, Slim Fast and Diet System 6.
Throughout her lifetime she has married twice. Her first husband was Robert Harper whom she wed in 1977 and divorced in 1988. She then married Sam Behrens on December 31st, 1989 and they remain together today.
In the year 2000, she posed nude for Playboy magazine and continues to work as an actress in the industry today. Some of her more recent appearances have been as a host on a travel program called "Travels In Mexico And The Caribbean, With Shari Belafonte" on NYCTV, “Nip/Tuck” and in 2010 she appeared in the film, “Miami Medical”.
Filmography
2010 Miami Medical
2008 Nip/Tuck
2001 The District
2001 Loving Evangeline
1998 Babylon 5: Thirdspace
1996-1997 Hey Arnold!
1997 Mars
1997 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
1995 The Heidi Chronicles
1994 Sonic the Hedgehog
1994 French Silk
1991-1993 Beyond Reality
1990 Gravedale High
1990 Fire, Ice & Dynamite
1990 Murder by Numbers
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin
1989 The Women of Brewster Place
1983-1988 Hotel
1988 Speed Zone!
1986 Kate's Secret
1985 The Midnight Hour
1985 Matt Houston
1984 Overnight Sensation
1984 Velvet
1984 The Love Boat
1983 Hotel
1982 Time Walker
1982 Diff'rent Strokes
1982 Trapper John, M.D.
1982 If You Could See What I Hear
1981 Hart to Hart
1981 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
1981 ABC Weekend Specials
