LeVar Burton
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1957-02-16 (68 years old)
Place of Birth
Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
LeVar Burton
Biography
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots (1977), and was the host of the PBS Kids educational television series Reading Rainbow for 23 years (1983–2006). Burton received 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award as host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow.
His other roles include Cap Jackson in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Donald Lang in Dummy (1979), Tommy Price in The Hunter (1980), which earned him an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, and Martin Luther King Jr. in Ali (2001). Burton received the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards for his narration of the book The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1990, he was honored for his accomplishments in television with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From 2017 until 2024, Burton created and hosted the podcast LeVar Burton Reads, often described as "Reading Rainbow for adults". In October 2024, Burton appeared as the host of the Trivial Pursuit television game show broadcast on The CW network and streaming online.
Description above from the Wikipedia article about LeVar Burton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Acting
(2024)
Butterfly in the Sky
as Self
(2023)
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
as Commodore Geordi La Forge
(2022)
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
as Narrator (voice)
(2020)
Definition Please
as LeVar Burton
(2018)
Brentwood
as LeVar Burton
(2017)
(2016)
(2014)
Lennon or McCartney
as Self
(2014)
(2013)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
(2012)
Rise of the Zombies
as Dr. Dan Halpern
(2012)
(2012)
(2010)
The Jensen Project
as Kendrick
(2009)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
as Black Lightning (voice)
(2009)
Taken in Broad Daylight
as Mike Timbrook
(2008)
Reach for Me
as Nathanial
(2006)
40 Years of Star Trek
as Self
(2005)
(2003)
Blizzard
as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
(2002)
Star Trek: Nemesis
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
(2001)
Ali
as Martin Luther King, Jr.
(1999)
Our Friend, Martin
as Martin at Age 26 (voice) (as Levar Burton)
(1998)
Star Trek: Insurrection
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
(1997)
Trekkies
as Self
(1996)
Star Trek: First Contact
as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
(1996)
Yesterday's Target
as Winstrom
(1996)
(1995)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
(1994)
Star Trek: Generations
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
(1994)
Parallel Lives
as Dr. Franklin Carter
(1994)
(1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
(1993)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Descent
as Geordi La Forge
(1993)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Birthright
as Geordi La Forge
(1993)
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
as Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
(1993)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
as Geordi La Forge
(1992)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
(1992)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Time's Arrow
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge (archive footage)
(1992)
(1991)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
(1991)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
as Geordi LaForge (archive footage)
(1991)
(1990)
Central Park
as Self
(1988)
Roots: The Gift
as Kunta Kinte
(1988)
(1987)
(1987)
A Special Friendship
as Ben Sumner
(1986)
The Supernaturals
as Pvt. Michael Osgood
(1986)
Liberty
as Robert Johnson
(1985)
The Midnight Hour
as Vinnie Davis
(1985)
And the Children Shall Lead
as Glenn Scott
(1984)
The Jesse Owens Story
as Professor Preston
(1984)
Booker
as Davis
(1983)
Emergency Room
as Ray Walden
(1982)
I Love Liberty
as Self
(1981)
Grambling's White Tiger
as Charles 'Tank' Smith
(1981)
The Acorn People
as Rodney
(1980)
The Hunter
as Tommy Price
(1979)
The Muppets Go Hollywood
as Self
(1979)
Dummy
as Donald Lang
(1978)
Mickey's 50
as Self
(1978)
Battered
as Andrew Sinclair
(1978)
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
as Ron LeFlore
(1977)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
as Cap Jackson
(1977)
US Against the World
as Self
(1977)
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
as Billy Peoples
(1976)
Almos' a Man
as Dave
Crew
(2023)
The Right to Read
Executive Producer
(2008)
Reach for Me
Director
(2003)
Blizzard
Director
(1999)
Smart House
Director
(1998)
The Tiger Woods Story
Director