Shari Belafonte (born September 22, 1954, in New York) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of Harry Belafonte and psychologist Marguerite Byrd. She studied drama at Hampshire College and earned a B.A. in acting from Carnegie Mellon University. She had a successful modeling career, appearing on over 300 magazine covers, and began acting in films in 1982. She also worked as a production and assistant director in television before moving to Los Angeles to work as an assistant at the animation company Hanna-Barbera.
Belafonte gained recognition as receptionist Julie Gilette in Aaron Spelling's series Hotel (1983–1985). She received a Bambi award in 1985 and started a singing career mainly in Europe. She made her theater debut as Tamara in Los Angeles. In 1991, she played Prof. Laura Wingate in the TV series Beyond Reality. From 1994, she co-hosted a lifestyle magazine show and from 2006 hosted travel programs. She supports children’s, animal, and environmental causes and is a spokeswoman for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. She was ranked among the top ten celebrity endorsers by the Wall Street Journal. Belafonte was married to Robert Harper from 1977 to 1988 and has been married to actor Sam Behrens since 1989. In 2000, she appeared in the September issue of the US Playboy.
United States
