LeVar Burton
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 (64)
One Night Only
2026
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
2024
Butterfly in the Sky
2024
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
2022
Definition Please
2020
Brentwood
2018
Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
2017
School of the Future
2016
Lennon or McCartney
2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
2014
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012
Rise of the Zombies
2012
And They're Off
2011
The Jensen Project
2010
Taken in Broad Daylight
2009
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009
Reach for Me
2008
40 Years of Star Trek
2006
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
2005
Blizzard
2003
Star Trek: Nemesis
2002
Remembering Roots
2002
Ali
2001
Our Friend, Martin
1999
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998
Trekkies
1997
Star Trek: First Contact
1996
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996
Yesterday's Target
1996
Star Trek: Generations
1994
Parallel Lives
1994
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
1994
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993
Star Trek: Federation Science
1992
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991
Central Park
1990
Roots: The Gift
1988
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988
A Special Friendship
1987
Liberty
1986
The Supernaturals
1986
The Midnight Hour
1985
And the Children Shall Lead
1985
The Jesse Owens Story
1984
Emergency Room
1983
I Love Liberty
1982
The Acorn People
1981
The Hunter
1980
Dummy
1979
The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979
Mickey's 50
1978
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
1978
Battered
1978
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977
US Against the World
1977
Almos' a Man
1976
TV Shows (63)
Strip Law
2026
Weather Hunters
2025
Weather Hunters
2025
Trivial Pursuit
2024
Carol & the End of the World
2023
100 Years of Warner Bros.
2023
Tom Swift
2022
The Shuttlepod Show
2022
The Legend of Vox Machina
2022
The Problem with Jon Stewart
2021
Leverage: Redemption
2021
INVINCIBLE
2021
Beyond the Spotlight
2020
Star Trek: Picard
2020
Tamron Hall
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
Weird City
2019
The Ready Room
2019
Explained
2018
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
2017
Roots
2016
PBS News Weekend
2013
Perception
2012
The Eric Andre Show
2012
Finding Your Roots
2012
Transformers: Rescue Bots
2012
Adventure Time
2010
Community
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
Shatner's Raw Nerve
2008
The Big Bang Theory
2007
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
2007
Hell's Kitchen
2005
Boomtown
2002
Futurama
1999
Family Guy
1999
Family Guy
1999
Becker
1998
The View
1997
The View
1997
The Daily Show
1996
MADtv
1995
Pinky and the Brain
1995
Deadly Games
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
Star Trek: Voyager
1995
Gargoyles
1994
Christy
1994
Batman: The Animated Series
1992
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
1990
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
Houston Knights
1987
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Jeopardy!
1984
Jeopardy!
1984
Reading Rainbow
1983
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
1980
Trapper John, M.D.
1979
The Love Boat
1977
Roots
1977
The Captain and Tennille
1976
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
