
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
