Shari Lynn Belafonte was born in New York City to psychologist Marguerite and the singer and actor Harry Belafonte. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

She moved to Los Angeles and became an assistant to the publicist at Hanna-Barbera Productions while modeling and acting. She became very successful in print and commercials for Calvin Klein jeans and made her feature film debut in 1982 in two films – “Time Walker” and “If You Could See What I Hear.”

Her big break happened when Aaron Spelling tapped her to play Julie Gillette on “Hotel” in 1983, a role she played for five years. In addition to acting and modeling, over the years she added moderating and voiceover acting to her resume, and her voice can be heard in “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Hey Arnold!” and “The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest.”

In 2016 Belafonte added soap opera actress to her list of accomplishments, taking over the role of Mayor Janice Lomax on “General Hospital.”

General Hospital - Mayor Janice Lomax (January 19, 2016 - present)
Nip/Tuck - Catherine Wicke (2008)
Beyond Reality - Laura Wingate (1991 - 1993)
Gravedale High - Blanche (1990)
Hotel - Julie Gillette (1983 - 1985)