LeVar Burton
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.
Born: 16 February 1957
Played In
One Night Only
Strip Law
(voice)
Weather Hunters
Flexspecs (voice)
Weather Hunters
Great Grandpa Wallace (voice)
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
Self
Trivial Pursuit
Self - Host
Butterfly in the Sky
Self
Carol & the End of the World
(voice)
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Self
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
Commodore Geordi La Forge
Tom Swift
Barclay (voice)
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
Narrator (voice)
The Shuttlepod Show
Self
The Legend of Vox Machina
Undead Thordak (voice)
The Problem with Jon Stewart
Self
Leverage: Redemption
Mr. Blanche
INVINCIBLE
Suit AI (voice)
Beyond the Spotlight
Definition Please
LeVar Burton
Star Trek: Picard
Commodore Geordi La Forge
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
Weird City
Dr. Negari
The Ready Room
Self
Brentwood
LeVar Burton
Explained
Narrator (voice)
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Kwame
Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
School of the Future
Roots
Ephraim
Lennon or McCartney
Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
PBS News Weekend
Himself (voice)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
Self
Rise of the Zombies
Dr. Dan Halpern
Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Self
Perception
Paul Haley
The Eric Andre Show
Self
Finding Your Roots
Transformers: Rescue Bots
Doc Green (voice)
And They're Off
Self
The Jensen Project
Kendrick
Adventure Time
Bubble (voice)
Taken in Broad Daylight
Mike Timbrook
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Black Lightning (voice)
Community
LeVar Burton
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
Shatner's Raw Nerve
Self
Reach for Me
Nathanial
The Big Bang Theory
LeVar Burton
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Self
40 Years of Star Trek
Self
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
Self
Hell's Kitchen
Self - Restaurant Patron
Blizzard
Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
Star Trek: Nemesis
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Boomtown
Marvin Lloyd
Remembering Roots
Self
Ali
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Futurama
Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
Family Guy
Vern (voice)
Family Guy
LeVar Burton (voice)
Our Friend, Martin
Martin at Age 26 (voice)
Star Trek: Insurrection
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Becker
Mr. Haller
Trekkies
Self
The View
Self - Guest
The View
Self
Star Trek: First Contact
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Self
The Daily Show
Self
Yesterday's Target
Winstrom
MADtv
Self
Pinky and the Brain
Murray (voice)
Deadly Games
Mr. Metcalf
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
The Monk (voice)
Star Trek: Voyager
Captain Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Generations
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Gargoyles
Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
Parallel Lives
Dr. Franklin Carter
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Self
Christy
Daniel Scott
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
Geordi La Forge
Batman: The Animated Series
Hayden Sloane (voice)
Star Trek: Federation Science
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
Self
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Kwame (voice)
Central Park
Self
Roots: The Gift
Kunta Kinte
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Geordi La Forge
A Special Friendship
Ben Sumner
Houston Knights
Jason Evans
Liberty
Robert Johnson
The Supernaturals
Pvt. Michael Osgood
The Midnight Hour
Vinnie Davis
And the Children Shall Lead
Glenn Scott
Booker
Davis
Murder, She Wrote
Reporter Dave Robinson
Jeopardy!
Self - Host
Jeopardy!
Self
The Jesse Owens Story
Professor Preston
Emergency Room
Ray Walden
Reading Rainbow
Self - Host
I Love Liberty
Self
Grambling's White Tiger
Charles 'Tank' Smith
The Acorn People
Rodney
The Hunter
Tommy Price
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
Richard Jefferson
Trapper John, M.D.
Dummy
Donald Lang
The Muppets Go Hollywood
Self
Mickey's 50
Self
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
Ron LeFlore
Battered
Andrew Sinclair
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Cap Jackson
The Love Boat
Darnell Hall
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
Billy Peoples
US Against the World
Self
Roots
Kunta Kinte
Roots: The Complete Miniseries
Kunta Kinte
The Captain and Tennille
Self
Almos' a Man
Dave
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
Scripps National Spelling Bee
Self - Host