Shari Belafonte Biography

Shari Belafonte (born September 22, 1954) is an American actress, model, writer and singer. The raspy-voiced daughter of singer Harry Belafonte, she is known for her role as Julie Gilette on the 1980s television series Hotel and as a spokesperson for the diet supplement Slim-Fast during the 1990s.

Biography

Personal life

Shari Lynn Belafonte was born in New York City, the second daughter of Marguerite [née Byrd], a psychologist, and Harry Belafonte, a singer and actor. She attended Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts and Buxton School in Williamstown, Massachusetts, then Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts before transferring to Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama. She has been married twice: First to Robert Harper (May 21, 1977 – 1988). She has been married to Sam Behrens since December 30, 1989.

Career

Belafonte began her career as a model, becoming a successful cover girl model and appearing in commercials for Calvin Klein jeans. She made her feature film debut in 1982 in the movies Time Walker and If You Could See What I Hear. She then worked as a production assistant and assistant director in public television on the East Coast before moving to Los Angeles, where she became an assistant to the publicist at Hanna-Barbera productions. While getting her hands wet "behind the scenes", she has also received a number of modeling and commercial assignments, and has appeared on the cover of over 300 magazines.

Early in her career, Belafonte landed a role opposite The Beastmaster's Marc Singer in the feature film If You Could See What I Hear. Other feature films include The Time Walker, Speed Zone, The Midnight Hour and Fire, Ice and Dynamite. Well-known producer Aaron Spelling chose her as a finalist for Julie Rogers on Charlie's Angels, a role written with her specifically in mind, but the part went to Tanya Roberts. In 1983, he cast her in another pilot for the action-adventure series, Velvet, opposite Leah Ayres, Mary Margaret Humes and Sheree J. Wilson. Velvet did not get picked up for syndication and later aired as a TV movie. That same year, Spelling cast her as Julie Gilette in the ABC television series Hotel, in which she starred during the show's five-year run (1983–1988). It was during this time that Shari began her music career on Metronome Records, releasing two albums in Europe: "The Eyes of Night" (1987) and "Shari" (1989).

Belafonte made her theatrical debut in Tamara, playing the title role in the long-running Los Angeles production. Shortly thereafter, she starred as Dr. Laura Wingate in the USA Network's dramatic series Beyond Reality, which ran for two years. In addition, Shari also co-hosted the syndicated series Lifestyles with Robin Leach and Shari Belafonte, an updated version of Leach's signature show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. As of 2006 Shari can be seen hosting a travel program called "Travels In Mexico And The Caribbean With Shari Belafonte" on NYCTV.

Belafonte's multi-faceted career also includes moderating and voiceovers. She has producing credits for theater, public and network television, and feature films. In addition to her affiliation with numerous children's, animal, and environment causes, she has also become the international spokesman for the Starlight Children's Foundation. Named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top ten celebrity endorsers, Shari has been the spokesman for numerous corporations including Bally's International Health and Fitness, Slim-Fast, Diet System 6, and most recently, Estroven.

Belafonte also provided the voice of Lupé the leader of the Wolf Pack in Sonic the Hedgehog, Gerald's mother Mrs Johanssen in four episodes of Hey Arnold!, Diana Cruz in an episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and the undead Southern belle zombie Blanche in Gravedale High.

Belafonte posed nude for Playboy in the magazine's September, 2000 edition. She is an avid photographer.

Filmography

• ABC Weekend Specials (1981) TV Series (voice) (The Big Hex of Little Lulu)
• The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1981) TV Series (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Bank Teller
• Hart to Hart (1981) TV Series (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Cleo
• Time Walker (also known as Being from Another Planet) (1982) .... Linda Flores
• If You Could See What I Hear (1982) .... Heather Johnson
• Trapper John, M.D. (1982) TV Series (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Maggie
• Diff'rent Strokes (1982) TV Series (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Monique
• Overnight Sensation (1983) (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Daphne
• Hotel (1983) TV Series (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Julie Gillette (1983"1988)
• Family Feud (1983) TV Series .... Herself
• Velvet (1984) (TV) .... Julie Rhodes
• The Love Boat (1984) TV Series
• Battle of the Network Stars (1984) TV Series .... Host/ABC Team
• Matt Houston (1985) TV Series .... Joanna
• The Midnight Hour (1985) (TV) (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Melissa Cavender
• Kate's Secret (1986) (TV) (as Shari Belafonte-Harper) .... Gail
• Square One TV (1987) TV Series .... Herself
• The Late Show (1987) TV Series .... Herself
• The Women of Brewster Place (1989) (TV) (uncredited)
• Speed Zone! (1989) .... Margaret
• Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration (1989) (TV) .... Herself
• Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin (1989) (TV) .... Kathy Grant
• Murder by Numbers (1990) .... Lisa
• Gravedale High (1990) TV Series (voice) .... Blanche
• Fire, Ice and Dynamite (1990) .... Serena
• The Jaleel White Special (1991) .... Herself
• Beyond Reality (1991) TV Series .... Laura Wingate (1991"1993)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) TV Series (voice) .... Lupé
• French Silk (1994) (TV) .... Martine
• The Heidi Chronicles (1995) (TV) .... April Lambert
• Hey Arnold! (1996) TV Series (voice) .... Mrs. Johanssen (1996"1997)
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1997) TV Series (voice) .... Diana Cruz
• Harlequin's Loving Evangeline (1998) .... Ellen Beecham
• Mars (1997) .... Doc Halliday
• Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998) (TV) .... Elizabeth Trent
• Loving Evangeline (1998) (TV) .... Ellen Beecham
• The Octopus Show (2000) (TV) .... Narrator
• The District (2001) TV Series .... Esther Henderson
• It's Christopher Lowell (2003) TV Series .... Herself
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (2004) TV Series .... Herself
• Nip/Tuck (2008) TV Series .... Catherine Wicke
• Miami Medical (2010) TV Series .... Kimberly Davis

Discography

• Eyes Of Night (1987)
• Shari (1989)

Staff work

• The Big Empty (2003) - Still Photographer
• Betrunner (2004) - Still Photographer
• Betty's Treats (2004) - Still Photographer/Producer
• Lonesome Matador (2005) - Still Photographer