LeVar Burton
ActingAlso 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.
Movies
(69 total)
Star Trek: First Contact
as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
Ali
as Martin Luther King, Jr.
Star Trek: Nemesis
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Generations
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Insurrection
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
as Black Lightning (voice)
The Hunter
as Tommy Price
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
as Cap Jackson
Rise of the Zombies
as Dr. Dan Halpern
Blizzard
as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
Trekkies
as Self
The Midnight Hour
as Vinnie Davis
Taken in Broad Daylight
as Mike Timbrook
Lennon or McCartney
as Self
The Supernaturals
as Pvt. Michael Osgood
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
The Jensen Project
as Kendrick
Our Friend, Martin
as Martin at Age 26 (voice)
Roots: The Gift
as Kunta Kinte
TV Shows
(61 total)
The Big Bang Theory
as LeVar Burton
Family Guy
as Vern (voice)
Family Guy
as LeVar Burton (voice)
Futurama
as Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
Adventure Time
as Bubble (voice)
Community
as LeVar Burton
Star Trek: Picard
as Commodore Geordi La Forge
Batman: The Animated Series
as Hayden Sloane (voice)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
as Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Voyager
as Captain Geordi La Forge
Pinky and the Brain
as Murray (voice)
The Daily Show
as Self
The Legend of Vox Machina
as Undead Thordak (voice)
Gargoyles
as Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
Murder, She Wrote
as Reporter Dave Robinson
Hell's Kitchen
as Self - Restaurant Patron
Perception
as Paul Haley
Roots
as Kunta Kinte
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
as Kwame (voice)
The Love Boat
as Darnell Hall