Shari Belafonte

Shari Lynn Belafonte was born on September 22, 1954, in New York City, the second daughter of psychologist Marguerite (née Byrd) and internationally renowned singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte. Her parents separated during her mother’s pregnancy. She attended Georgetown Day School, Windsor Mountain School, and Buxton School before pursuing higher education. Belafonte earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Belafonte’s career began successfully in modeling, leading to her becoming a cover girl for over 300 magazines and appearing in commercials for brands like Calvin Klein jeans. She transitioned into acting with her feature film debut in 1982, appearing in “If You Could See What I Hear” and “Time Walker.” Her acting career gained significant traction when she was cast as Julie Gillette in the ABC drama series “Hotel,” a role she played from 1983 to 1988 for 115 episodes. During her time on “Hotel,” she also ventured into music, releasing two studio albums: “The Eyes of Night” in 1987 and “Shari” in 1989.

Her career expanded into the 1990s with a theatrical debut in “Tamara” and a main role as Dr. Laura Wingate in the USA Network series “Beyond Reality” from 1991 to 1993. She also co-hosted “Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte” and provided voice work for animated series like “Hey Arnold!” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.” More recently, Belafonte has had recurring roles in major television productions such as “The Morning Show” (2019–present) and “Sistas” (2019–present), and made guest appearances on “General Hospital” (2016–2017) and “Station 19” (2023). Beyond entertainment, she is recognized for her advocacy work for children’s, animal, and environmental causes, and served as the international spokesperson for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. She has also engaged in health education, notably partnering with VIVUS Inc. in 2014 to promote medical weight loss management awareness.