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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000996
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312570
Facebook: https://facebook.com/levarburton
Instagram: No data
Filmography (Movies)
One Night Only
Character:
Release Date:06/08/2026
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
Character:Self
Release Date:07/11/2024
Butterfly in the Sky
Character:Self
Release Date:17/03/2024
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
Character:Commodore Geordi La Forge
Release Date:19/04/2023
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:02/04/2022
Definition Please
Character:LeVar Burton
Release Date:10/08/2020
Brentwood
Character:LeVar Burton
Release Date:02/08/2018
Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
Character:
Release Date:20/06/2017
School of the Future
Character:
Release Date:14/09/2016
Lennon or McCartney
Character:Self
Release Date:12/12/2014
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
Character:Self
Release Date:01/11/2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
Character:
Release Date:24/06/2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
Character:
Release Date:19/11/2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
Character:Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
Release Date:30/07/2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
Character:Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
Release Date:25/04/2013
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character:Self
Release Date:04/11/2012
Rise of the Zombies
Character:Dr. Dan Halpern
Release Date:27/10/2012
Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character:Self
Release Date:23/07/2012
And They're Off
Character:Self
Release Date:28/10/2011
The Jensen Project
Character:Kendrick
Release Date:16/07/2010
Taken in Broad Daylight
Character:Mike Timbrook
Release Date:10/11/2009
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Character:Black Lightning (voice)
Release Date:29/09/2009
Reach for Me
Character:Nathanial
Release Date:01/10/2008
40 Years of Star Trek
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2006
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
Character:Self
Release Date:01/06/2005
Blizzard
Character:Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
Release Date:15/05/2003
Star Trek: Nemesis
Character:Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Release Date:13/12/2002
Ali
Character:Martin Luther King, Jr.
Release Date:10/12/2001
Our Friend, Martin
Character:Martin at Age 26 (voice) (as Levar Burton)
Release Date:12/01/1999
Star Trek: Insurrection
Character:Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Release Date:11/12/1998
Trekkies
Character:Self
Release Date:18/10/1997
Star Trek: First Contact
Character:Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
Release Date:22/11/1996
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Character:Self
Release Date:06/10/1996
Yesterday's Target
Character:Winstrom
Release Date:22/04/1996
Star Trek: Generations
Character:Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Release Date:18/11/1994
Parallel Lives
Character:Dr. Franklin Carter
Release Date:04/08/1994
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character:Self
Release Date:15/05/1994
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
Character:Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
Release Date:07/02/1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
Character:Geordi La Forge
Release Date:04/01/1993
Star Trek: Federation Science
Character:
Release Date:25/01/1992
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/1991
Central Park
Character:Self
Release Date:01/04/1990
Roots: The Gift
Character:Kunta Kinte
Release Date:11/12/1988
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
Character:Self
Release Date:03/10/1988
A Special Friendship
Character:Ben Sumner
Release Date:31/03/1987
Liberty
Character:Robert Johnson
Release Date:23/06/1986
The Supernaturals
Character:Pvt. Michael Osgood
Release Date:09/05/1986
The Midnight Hour
Character:Vinnie Davis
Release Date:01/11/1985
And the Children Shall Lead
Character:Glenn Scott
Release Date:01/01/1985
Booker
Character:Davis
Release Date:01/10/1984
The Jesse Owens Story
Character:Professor Preston
Release Date:09/07/1984
Emergency Room
Character:Ray Walden
Release Date:18/07/1983
I Love Liberty
Character:Self
Release Date:21/03/1982
Grambling's White Tiger
Character:Charles 'Tank' Smith
Release Date:04/10/1981
The Acorn People
Character:Rodney
Release Date:02/03/1981
The Hunter
Character:Tommy Price
Release Date:01/08/1980
Dummy
Character:Donald Lang
Release Date:27/05/1979
The Muppets Go Hollywood
Character:Self
Release Date:16/05/1979
Mickey's 50
Character:Self
Release Date:19/11/1978
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
Character:Ron LeFlore
Release Date:26/09/1978
Battered
Character:Andrew Sinclair
Release Date:26/09/1978
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Character:Cap Jackson
Release Date:19/10/1977
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
Character:Billy Peoples
Release Date:12/09/1977
US Against the World
Character:Self
Release Date:07/09/1977
Almos' a Man
Character:Dave
Release Date:05/04/1976
Television Appearances
Trivial Pursuit
Character:Self - Host
Carol & the End of the World
Character:(voice)
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Character:Self
Tom Swift
Character:Barclay (voice)
The Shuttlepod Show
Character:Self
The Legend of Vox Machina
Character:Undead Thordak (voice)
The Problem with Jon Stewart
Character:Self
Leverage: Redemption
Character:Mr. Blanche
Beyond the Spotlight
Character:
Star Trek: Picard
Character:Commodore Geordi La Forge
Tamron Hall
Character:Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character:Self
Weird City
Character:Dr. Negari
The Ready Room
Character:Self
Explained
Character:Narrator (voice)
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Character:Kwame
Roots
Character:Ephraim
PBS News Weekend
Character:Himself (voice)
Perception
Character:Paul Haley
The Eric Andre Show
Character:Self
Finding Your Roots
Character:
Transformers: Rescue Bots
Character:Doc Green (voice)
Adventure Time
Character:Bubble (voice)
Community
Character:LeVar Burton
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
Shatner's Raw Nerve
Character:Self
The Big Bang Theory
Character:LeVar Burton
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
Character:Self
Hell's Kitchen
Character:Self - Restaurant Patron
Boomtown
Character:Marvin Lloyd
Futurama
Character:Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
Family Guy
Character:Vern (voice)
Family Guy
Character:LeVar Burton (voice)
Becker
Character:Mr. Haller
The View
Character:Self - Guest
The Daily Show
Character:Self
MADtv
Character:Self
Deadly Games
Character:Mr. Metcalf
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character:The Monk (voice)
Star Trek: Voyager
Character:Captain Geordi La Forge
Gargoyles
Character:Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
Christy
Character:Daniel Scott
Batman: The Animated Series
Character:Hayden Sloane (voice)
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Character:Kwame (voice)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character:Geordi La Forge
Houston Knights
Character:Jason Evans
Murder, She Wrote
Character:Reporter Dave Robinson
Jeopardy!
Character:Self - Host
Jeopardy!
Character:Self
Reading Rainbow
Character:Self - Host
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
Character:Richard Jefferson
Trapper John, M.D.
Character:
The Love Boat
Character:Darnell Hall
Roots
Character:Kunta Kinte
The Captain and Tennille
Character:Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self
Images
