LeVar Burton

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

122

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.

Known For

  • Family Guy

    Family Guy

  • Family Guy

    Family Guy

  • The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  • Adventure Time

    Adventure Time

  • Futurama

    Futurama

  • The Kelly Clarkson Show

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Star Trek: The Next Generation

  • The Big Bang Theory

    The Big Bang Theory

  • Murder, She Wrote

    Murder, She Wrote

  • Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

    Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

  • Star Trek: Voyager

    Star Trek: Voyager

  • Jeopardy!

    Jeopardy!

  • Jeopardy!

    Jeopardy!

  • The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

  • Community

    Community

  • Hell's Kitchen

    Hell's Kitchen

  • Batman: The Animated Series

    Batman: The Animated Series

  • The View

    The View

  • Becker

    Becker

  • Star Trek: Picard

    Star Trek: Picard

  • Tamron Hall

    Tamron Hall

  • The Legend of Vox Machina

    The Legend of Vox Machina

  • Perception

    Perception

  • Gargoyles

    Gargoyles

  • Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation

  • Finding Your Roots

    Finding Your Roots

  • Leverage: Redemption

    Leverage: Redemption

  • Trapper John, M.D.

    Trapper John, M.D.

  • Explained

    Explained

  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers

    Captain Planet and the Planeteers

  • Roots

    Roots

  • The Eric Andre Show

    The Eric Andre Show

  • Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

    Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

  • Transformers: Rescue Bots

    Transformers: Rescue Bots

  • OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

    OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

    Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

  • Ali

    Ali

  • Reading Rainbow

    Reading Rainbow

  • Roots

    Roots

  • Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation

  • To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager

    To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager

  • The Ready Room

    The Ready Room

  • Carol & the End of the World

    Carol & the End of the World

  • Boomtown

    Boomtown

  • Definition Please

    Definition Please

  • Star Trek: Nemesis

    Star Trek: Nemesis

  • Liberty

    Liberty

  • Star Trek: First Contact

    Star Trek: First Contact

  • The Hunter

    The Hunter

  • Blizzard

    Blizzard

  • The Supernaturals

    The Supernaturals

  • 40 Years of Star Trek

    40 Years of Star Trek

  • 100 Years of Warner Bros.

    100 Years of Warner Bros.

  • Dummy

    Dummy

  • Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

    Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

  • PBS News Weekend

    PBS News Weekend

  • Shatner's Raw Nerve

    Shatner's Raw Nerve

  • Looking for Mr. Goodbar

    Looking for Mr. Goodbar

  • Deadly Games

    Deadly Games

  • The Captain and Tennille

    The Captain and Tennille

  • Rise of the Zombies

    Rise of the Zombies

  • Christy

    Christy

  • Houston Knights

    Houston Knights

  • Booker

    Booker

  • Star Trek: Insurrection

    Star Trek: Insurrection

  • The Jesse Owens Story

    The Jesse Owens Story

  • The Problem with Jon Stewart

    The Problem with Jon Stewart

  • Mickey's 50

    Mickey's 50

  • The Shuttlepod Show

    The Shuttlepod Show

  • Star Trek: Generations

    Star Trek: Generations

  • Weird City

    Weird City

  • The Muppets Go Hollywood

    The Muppets Go Hollywood

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command

    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command

  • Tom Swift

    Tom Swift

  • Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

    Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds

    Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds

  • Emergency Room

    Emergency Room

  • Our Friend, Martin

    Our Friend, Martin

  • Reach for Me

    Reach for Me

  • Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond

    Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond

  • I Love Liberty

    I Love Liberty

  • Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special

    Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special

  • The Midnight Hour

    The Midnight Hour

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes

  • Butterfly in the Sky

    Butterfly in the Sky

  • And the Children Shall Lead

    And the Children Shall Lead

  • MADtv

    MADtv

  • And They're Off

    And They're Off

  • Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event

    Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event

  • The Jensen Project

    The Jensen Project

  • Lennon or McCartney

    Lennon or McCartney

  • Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool

    Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool

  • Yesterday's Target

    Yesterday's Target

  • Grambling's White Tiger

    Grambling's White Tiger

  • The Acorn People

    The Acorn People

  • Beyond the Spotlight

    Beyond the Spotlight

  • Trekkies

    Trekkies

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption

    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption

  • Roots: The Gift

    Roots: The Gift

  • One Night Only

    One Night Only

  • Central Park

    Central Park

  • Trivial Pursuit

    Trivial Pursuit

  • Scripps National Spelling Bee

    Scripps National Spelling Bee

  • Almos' a Man

    Almos' a Man

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification

    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification

  • Taken in Broad Daylight

    Taken in Broad Daylight

  • A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con

    A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con

  • The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next

    The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next

  • Battered

    Battered

  • Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation

  • Parallel Lives

    Parallel Lives

  • US Against the World

    US Against the World

  • One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story

    One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story

  • Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid

    Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid

  • A Special Friendship

    A Special Friendship

  • Secrets of Sacred Architecture

    Secrets of Sacred Architecture

  • Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family

    Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family

  • Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland

    Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland

  • Brentwood

    Brentwood

  • School of the Future

    School of the Future

  • Star Trek: Federation Science

    Star Trek: Federation Science