Harry Belafonte Was Friends With Everyone From Muhammad Ali to Marlon Brando

Belafonte and King were good friends, and King was a frequent guest at Belafonte's apartment in New York. Here, they're pictured with Sammy Davis Jr. at a Times Square benefit show called "Broadway Answers Selma" in 1965.

This photo from the 1969 To Be Young, Gifted, and Black Gala shows Tyson, Baldwin, Mitchell, and Belafonte embracing backstage.

Belafonte and Poitier pose together at the 1965 premiere of "The Greatest Story Ever Told," starring the latter. The duo were good friends and both were very much involved in the civil rights movement.

Both Belafonte and Poitier appeared in the 1974 comedy movie "Uptown Saturday Night," from which this still is taken.

Belafonte and Poitier both attended the 2012 NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles and posed for a photo together backstage.

Belafonte attended Davis's 1958 wedding to singer Lory White. Also pictured are comedian Joe E. Lewis and actor Donald O'Connor. Davis is holding his four-year-old sister Suzette in his arms.

Belafonte, Bennett, and Bennett's wife Susan Benedetto laughed together at Belafonte's 2007 birthday party. Back in 1965, Belafonte recruited Bennett to march in the Selma March. Belafonte told CNN in 2013 that King asked him to recruit artists to the civil rights movement, and that Bennett was one of his first calls.

"I said I'm not, I'm walking away from all this," Bennett remembered to the outlet at the time. "This is just insane, it's so ignorant and but then he told me what went down, what was going down how some blacks were burned, had gasoline thrown on them and they were burned. When I heard that I said 'I'll go with you.' You know I just realised that this is insanity."

In another picture from the March, Belafonte was photographed with Baldwin, Brandon, and Heston.

In 1965, the Supremes — Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson — headed to Los Angeles for TV appearances, but squeezed in time to meet Belafonte backstage.

Belafonte and Horne were photographed at an event to support Andrew Young's congressional campaign in 1970. Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement and served as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference before becoming a member of Congress in 1973.

Belafonte appeared with legendary singer Nat King Cole on an episode of "The Nat King Cole Show" in 1956.

Belafonte and his then-wife Julie met Attorney General Robert Kennedy in this photo from 1962.

Belafonte smiles in this snapshot with Moreno, taken at a 1966 afterparty for the film "The Sand Pebbles." Next to Moreno is her late husband, Leonard Gordon, and next to Belafonte is Julie.

Belafonte starred in 1957's "Island in the Sun" with star Joan Fontaine. The film received racist backlash because of a suggestion of a romance between their two characters, and the South Caroline legislature even tried to fine any theatre who showed it, per the New York Times.

Belafonte and Dandridge starred together in 1953's "Bright Road."

Belafonte and Andrews had a 1969 TV special together, "An Evening With Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte." In the NBC event, they performed musical numbers together with short comedy sketches.

Belafonte is photographed with Newman and Woodward in this picture from 1968.

Belafonte's famous friends included Goldberg. Here, they're pictured backstage at the Kennedy Centre in 2001, when she was awared the Mark Twin Prize for Humour. Chris Tucker is also pictured.

Belafonte and Glover embrace in this photo from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Belafonte has a strong relationship with filmmaker Spike Lee. In this photo from 1989, they both attended a rally for David Dinkins as he campaigned for mayor in New York City (an election Dinkins would win). Belafonte also appeared in Lee's 2018 film, "BlacKkKlansman."

In 2013, Belafonte was photographed with Lee and Usher at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Lee and Belafonte inducted Public Enemy into the hall that year. Belafonte was finally inducted himself in 2022 in the Hall's "early influence" category.