LeVar Burton
Date of birth: 1957-02-16
Place of birth: Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Levar Burton, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr.
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.
Movie Credits
Star Trek: Generations
1994-11-18
Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves at odds with the renegade s
Star Trek: Nemesis
2002-12-13
En route to the honeymoon of William Riker to Deanna Troi on her home planet of Betazed, Captain Jea
Star Trek: First Contact
1996-11-22
The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay a
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998-12-11
When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerativ
Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012-07-23
Feature-length documentary offering the definitive look at the making of the iconic science fiction
The Hunter
1980-08-01
During his long career, bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson has caught over 5,000 criminals. Now, whi
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009-09-29
United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite meteor to frame Supe
The Midnight Hour
1985-11-01
Phil, Melissa, Mitch, Mary, and Vinnie are high school friends, who unwittingly raise the dead on Ha
I Love Liberty
1982-03-21
An all-star variety special saluting America.
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
2022-04-02
For most of America's history, sacred buildings represented our greatest feats of innovative enginee
The Jensen Project
2010-07-16
After a sixteen-year absence, married scientists Claire and Matt Thompson reunite with The Jensen Pr
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977-10-19
A short, unhappy affair with a married man leads a dedicated schoolteacher into the alcohol-and-drug
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023-04-19
Get ready to send off Jean-Luc Picard and his crew in style! On Wednesday, April 19, experience the
Trekkies
1997-10-18
Denise Crosby takes a first look at the huge fans of "Star Trek" from around America and how the ser
Butterfly in the Sky
2024-03-17
Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or ‘90s
The Supernaturals
1986-05-09
Nichelle Nichols is an army sergeant who leads her platoon into the woods of the deep south on a tra
Taken in Broad Daylight
2009-11-10
Every 24 hrs. after a child's been kidnapped by a stranger, chances of finding them alive diminishes
Reach for Me
2008-10-01
Old and bitter, Alvin just wants some peace and quiet in his last days. His wish, however, is not gr
Star Trek: Federation Science
1992-01-25
Produced by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (lead writer, Mark Bourne), the exhibit was or
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
1994-05-15
Your destination: the 24th century. Your mission: to voyage where few have gone before--behind the s
Roots: The Gift
1988-12-11
On Christmas Eve 1770, a young African warrior, who three years prior had been captured and sold int
US Against the World
1977-09-07
This NBC Special from 1977 pitted celebrities from the worlds of film and TV in the United States ag
Rise of the Zombies
2012-10-27
When zombies overrun San Francisco, a desperate group survives by locking themselves inside Alcatraz
Our Friend, Martin
1999-01-12
Two teens are sent back in time to meet Martin Luther King Jr. at several points during his life.
The Jesse Owens Story
1984-07-09
The Jesse Owens Story is a biographical film about the black athlete Jesse Owens. Dorian Harewood pl
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977-09-12
A young ghetto kid despairs of ever getting out of that environment and making something of himself,
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
1978-09-26
The true story of baseball star Ron LeFlore, from his days as a street-corner punk with no future to
Dummy
1979-05-27
The real-life account of an illiterate, deaf-and-mute, black youth who was accused of murdering a pr
The Acorn People
1981-03-02
An unemployed teacher becomes a counselor at a summer camp for severely disabled children.
Emergency Room
1983-07-18
An ER doctor divides her time between saving lives, playing hospital politics, and juggling a love a
Yesterday's Target
1996-04-22
Memory loss, separation and assassins threaten three time-travelers with special powers who are stuc
Parallel Lives
1994-08-04
A college reunion turns into a tangled web of passion, romance and intrigue as old friends and enemi
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993-01-04
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Behind the Scenes was a fifty minute documentary hosted by Terry Farrel
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
2005-06-01
Friends, family, co-stars and admirers of actor Steve McQueen talk about his life and his movie care
Almos' a Man
1976-04-05
Although Dave (LeVar Burton) and his family are poor sharecroppers in the Deep South in the 1930s, t
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
2014-11-01
This fast-paced Documentary was filmed inside America's biggest Comics/Film Convention and includes
Booker
1984-10-01
Booker tells the true story of Booker T. Washington, who, as a young slave, dreams of learning to re
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
1993-02-07
Based on the actual events of the 1991 brush fires that swept across Northern California which left
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996-10-06
A star-studded tribute to Star Trek on its 30th anniversary, hosted by many of the stars and guest s
Lennon or McCartney
2014-12-12
550 artists were interviewed over ten years. At some point during those interviews, they were asked
Ali
2001-12-10
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene:
Grambling's White Tiger
1981-10-04
A young white man goes to a historically black college for the chance to be the starting quarterback
A Special Friendship
1987-03-31
During the American Civil War, two women, a wealthy white woman and a freed black slave, join forces
Battered
1978-09-26
Gritty drama of three interweaving stories of three women of various backgrounds and ages whose marr
School of the Future
2016-09-14
Researchers and educators highlight the gaps in the U.S. education system and share their visions fo
Central Park
1990-04-01
CENTRAL PARK is a film about the famous New York City landmark and the variety of ways in which peop
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991-09-28
This documentary is hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and they take us through the history
40 Years of Star Trek
2006-01-01
The Space Channel celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original STAR TREK. Produced by Mark Askwit
And the Children Shall Lead
1985-01-01
Mississippi in the early '60s is the setting for this story of a 12-year-old African-American girl w
Brentwood
2018-08-02
A running feud between Star Trek actors Brent Spiner and Levar Burton is the basis for this TV comed
Mickey's 50
1978-11-19
"Mickey's 50" is a 90-minute special that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on November 19, 197
Blizzard
2003-05-15
A young girl's aunt tells her the tale of a young ice skater and an enchanted reindeer.
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988-10-03
This special is hosted by Patrick Stewart and traced the history of Star Trek from its inception wit
Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
2017-06-20
The Rescue Bots (Chase, Heatwave, Blades and Boulder) along with their human counterparts, the Burns
Liberty
1986-06-23
Drama about how the Statue of Liberty came to be erected in New York Harbor in the early 1880s and t
Definition Please
2020-08-10
The story of Monica Chowdry, a National Spelling Bee champ…from 15 years ago. Life hasn’t quite pann
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013-04-25
The Enterprise has a deadly encounter with the Borg, resulting in Picard's kidnap, while Commander R
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012-11-04
Reunification: 25 Years After Star Trek – The Next Generation is a 61-minute documentary celebrating
The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979-05-16
Kermit the Frog throws a glamorous party at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub to celebrate the premiere o
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
2024-11-07
The documentary explores the legacy of Star Trek: Voyager (1995).
And They're Off
2011-10-28
A comedy centered on a failed horse trainer who desperately wants to be back in the winner's circle.