Offscreen Notes
Harry Belafonte (RIP)
One of the most handsome actors to ever grace the big screen, Harry Belafonte, passed away on April 25, 2023 at the age of 96. Belafonte was the epitome of cinema royalty, a figure of commitment and grace both on and off the screen. Although his on-screen legacy is huge, for some he will be best remembered for his political activism and dedication to social causes, long before it was common among actors. He stood against racism and racial inequalities throughout his lifetime, including refusing to perform in the South to protest racist laws and segregation. His last big screen appearance was a riveting performance in Spike Lee’s The BlackKklansman (2018), where he recounted a harrowing lynching to a rapt audience of young activists (which Lee cleverly intercut with a KKK recruitment meeting). A true screen legend.
