In 1953 he was cast in John Murray Anderson's Broadway production of Almanac. His performance in the Broadway revue would earn him a Tony award for Best Supporting Actor that same year. He gained national recognition and stardom for his acting soon after with a leading role as Joe in the 1954 motion picture Carmen Jones. His co-star in the movie was Dorothy Dandridge.
After gaining national recognition as an actor Belafonte released Calypso in 1956. The album was a huge success in the US with its "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)" single selling more than 1 million records. It launched a calypso music craze that swept the country and introduced native songs from Trinidad and Jamaica to the American masses.
His acting and singing career continued throughout the 1960s and '70s but it would be his passion for the civil rights movement and humanitarian organizations that best defined Belafonte. He worked closely to further civil rights alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. up until his assassination in April of 1968. Belafonte's civil and human rights activism began in the 1960's but they were causes that he would champion for the rest of his life.
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