LeVar Burton
Born: 1957-02-16 in Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
2024
- To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager as Self
- Butterfly in the Sky as Self
- Trivial Pursuit as Self - Host
2023
- Carol & the End of the World as (voice)
- 100 Years of Warner Bros. as Self
- Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event as Commodore Geordi La Forge
- The Right to Read ... (Executive Producer)
2022
- The Legend of Vox Machina as Undead Thordak (voice)
- The Shuttlepod Show as Self
- Tom Swift as Barclay (voice)
- Secrets of Sacred Architecture as Narrator (voice)
2021
- NCIS: Hawaiʻi ... (Director)
- Leverage: Redemption as Mr. Blanche
- The Problem with Jon Stewart as Self
2020
- Star Trek: Picard as Commodore Geordi La Forge
- Definition Please as LeVar Burton
- Beyond the Spotlight
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- The Ready Room as Self
- Weird City as Dr. Negari
2016
- Roots as Ephraim
- School of the Future
2014
- Scorpion ... (Director)
- NCIS: New Orleans ... (Director)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
- Lennon or McCartney as Self
- A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con as Self
2013
- PBS News Weekend as Himself (voice)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2012
- Perception as Paul Haley
- Finding Your Roots
- Transformers: Rescue Bots as Doc Green (voice)
- The Eric Andre Show as Self
- Rise of the Zombies as Dr. Dan Halpern
- Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation as Self
- Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Self
2011
- And They're Off as Self
2010
- Adventure Time as Bubble (voice)
- The Jensen Project as Kendrick
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Community as LeVar Burton
- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies as Black Lightning (voice)
- Taken in Broad Daylight as Mike Timbrook
2008
- Reach for Me as Nathanial
- Shatner's Raw Nerve as Self
2007
- The Big Bang Theory as LeVar Burton
- Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! as Self
2006
- 40 Years of Star Trek as Self
2005
- Hell's Kitchen as Self - Restaurant Patron
- Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool as Self
- Miracle's Boys ... (Director)
2002
- Star Trek: Nemesis as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
- Boomtown as Marvin Lloyd
2001
- Star Trek: Enterprise ... (Director)
- Ali as Martin Luther King, Jr.
2000
- Soul Food ... (Director)
1999
- Family Guy as Vern (voice)
- Futurama as Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
- Smart House ... (Director)
- Our Friend, Martin as Martin at Age 26 (voice) (as Levar Burton)
1998
- Charmed ... (Director)
- Becker as Mr. Haller
- Star Trek: Insurrection as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
- The Tiger Woods Story ... (Director)
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Star Trek: First Contact as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
- Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond as Self
- Yesterday's Target as Winstrom
1995
- JAG ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Geordi La Forge
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as The Monk (voice)
- Deadly Games as Mr. Metcalf
- MADtv as Self
1994
- Gargoyles as Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
- Star Trek: Generations as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
- Christy as Daniel Scott
- Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Self
- Parallel Lives as Dr. Franklin Carter
1993
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ... (Director)
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes as Geordi La Forge
- Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland as Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
1992
- Batman: The Animated Series as Hayden Sloane (voice)
- Star Trek: Federation Science
1991
1990
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers as Kwame (voice)
- Central Park as Self
1988
- Roots: The Gift as Kunta Kinte
- The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next as Self
1987
- Star Trek: The Next Generation as Geordi La Forge
- Houston Knights as Jason Evans
- A Special Friendship as Ben Sumner
1986
- The Supernaturals as Pvt. Michael Osgood
- Liberty as Robert Johnson
1985
- The Midnight Hour as Vinnie Davis
- And the Children Shall Lead as Glenn Scott
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Reporter Dave Robinson
- Jeopardy! as Self - Host
- Booker as Davis
- The Jesse Owens Story as Professor Preston
1983
- Emergency Room as Ray Walden
- Reading Rainbow as Self - Host
1982
- I Love Liberty as Self
1981
- Grambling's White Tiger as Charles 'Tank' Smith
- The Acorn People as Rodney
1980
- The Hunter as Tommy Price
- Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones as Richard Jefferson
1979
- Trapper John, M.D.
- Dummy as Donald Lang
- The Muppets Go Hollywood as Self
1978
- Mickey's 50 as Self
- One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story as Ron LeFlore
- Battered as Andrew Sinclair
1977
- The Love Boat as Darnell Hall
- Roots as Kunta Kinte
- Looking for Mr. Goodbar as Cap Jackson
- US Against the World as Self
- Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid as Billy Peoples
1976
- The Captain and Tennille as Self
- Almos' a Man as Dave