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.

Known For

Family Guy

Family Guy

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Daily Show

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Murder, She Wrote

All Movies (67)

• One Night Only2026
• To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager2024 · as Self
• Butterfly in the Sky2024 · as Self
• Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event2023 · as Commodore Geordi La Forge
• Secrets of Sacred Architecture2022 · as Narrator (voice)
• Definition Please2020 · as LeVar Burton
• Brentwood2018 · as LeVar Burton
• Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family2017
• School of the Future2016
• Lennon or McCartney2014 · as Self
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...2014 · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con2014 · as Self
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command2014
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification2013
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption2013 · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds2013 · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
• Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation2012 · as Self
• Rise of the Zombies2012 · as Dr. Dan Halpern
• Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation2012 · as Self
• And They're Off2011 · as Self
• The Jensen Project2010 · as Kendrick
• Taken in Broad Daylight2009 · as Mike Timbrook
• Superman/Batman: Public Enemies2009 · as Black Lightning (voice)
• Reach for Me2008 · as Nathanial
• 40 Years of Star Trek2006 · as Self
• Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool2005 · as Self
• Blizzard2003 · as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
• Star Trek: Nemesis2002 · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
• Remembering Roots2002 · as Self
• Ali2001 · as Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Our Friend, Martin1999 · as Martin at Age 26 (voice)
• Star Trek: Insurrection1998 · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
• Trekkies1997 · as Self
• Star Trek: First Contact1996 · as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
• Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond1996 · as Self
• Yesterday's Target1996 · as Winstrom
• Star Trek: Generations1994 · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
• Parallel Lives1994 · as Dr. Franklin Carter
• Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation1994 · as Self
• Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland1993 · as Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes1993 · as Geordi La Forge
• Star Trek: Federation Science1992
• Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special1991 · as Self
• Central Park1990 · as Self
• Roots: The Gift1988 · as Kunta Kinte
• The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next1988 · as Self
• A Special Friendship1987 · as Ben Sumner
• Liberty1986 · as Robert Johnson
• The Supernaturals1986 · as Pvt. Michael Osgood
• The Midnight Hour1985 · as Vinnie Davis
• And the Children Shall Lead1985 · as Glenn Scott
• Booker1984 · as Davis
• The Jesse Owens Story1984 · as Professor Preston
• Emergency Room1983 · as Ray Walden
• I Love Liberty1982 · as Self
• Grambling's White Tiger1981 · as Charles 'Tank' Smith
• The Acorn People1981 · as Rodney
• The Hunter1980 · as Tommy Price
• Dummy1979 · as Donald Lang
• The Muppets Go Hollywood1979 · as Self
• Mickey's 501978 · as Self
• One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story1978 · as Ron LeFlore
• Battered1978 · as Andrew Sinclair
• Looking for Mr. Goodbar1977 · as Cap Jackson
• Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid1977 · as Billy Peoples
• US Against the World1977 · as Self
• Almos' a Man1976 · as Dave

All TV Shows (64)

• Strip Law2026 · as (voice)
• Weather Hunters2025 · as Flexspecs (voice)
• Weather Hunters2025 · as Great Grandpa Wallace (voice)
• Trivial Pursuit2024 · as Self - Host
• Carol & the End of the World2023 · as (voice)
• 100 Years of Warner Bros.2023 · as Self
• Tom Swift2022 · as Barclay (voice)
• The Shuttlepod Show2022 · as Self
• The Legend of Vox Machina2022 · as Undead Thordak (voice)
• The Problem with Jon Stewart2021 · as Self
• Leverage: Redemption2021 · as Mr. Blanche
• INVINCIBLE2021 · as Suit AI (voice)
• Beyond the Spotlight2020
• Star Trek: Picard2020 · as Commodore Geordi La Forge
• Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Weird City2019 · as Dr. Negari
• The Ready Room2019 · as Self
• Explained2018 · as Narrator (voice)
• OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes2017 · as Kwame
• Roots2016 · as Ephraim
• PBS News Weekend2013 · as Himself (voice)
• Perception2012 · as Paul Haley
• The Eric Andre Show2012 · as Self
• Finding Your Roots2012
• Transformers: Rescue Bots2012 · as Doc Green (voice)
• Adventure Time2010 · as Bubble (voice)
• Community2009 · as LeVar Burton
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• Shatner's Raw Nerve2008 · as Self
• The Big Bang Theory2007 · as LeVar Burton
• Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!2007 · as Self
• Hell's Kitchen2005 · as Self - Restaurant Patron
• Boomtown2002 · as Marvin Lloyd
• Futurama1999 · as Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
• Family Guy1999 · as Vern (voice)
• Family Guy1999 · as LeVar Burton (voice)
• Becker1998 · as Mr. Haller
• The View1997 · as Self - Guest
• The View1997 · as Self
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self
• MADtv1995 · as Self
• Pinky and the Brain1995 · as Murray (voice)
• Deadly Games1995 · as Mr. Metcalf
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as The Monk (voice)
• Star Trek: Voyager1995 · as Captain Geordi La Forge
• Gargoyles1994 · as Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
• Christy1994 · as Daniel Scott
• Batman: The Animated Series1992 · as Hayden Sloane (voice)
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers1990 · as Kwame (voice)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation1987 · as Geordi La Forge
• Houston Knights1987 · as Jason Evans
• Murder, She Wrote1984 · as Reporter Dave Robinson
• Jeopardy!1984 · as Self - Host
• Jeopardy!1984 · as Self
• Reading Rainbow1983 · as Self - Host
• Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones1980 · as Richard Jefferson
• Trapper John, M.D.1979
• The Love Boat1977 · as Darnell Hall
• Roots1977 · as Kunta Kinte
• Roots: The Complete Miniseries1977 · as Kunta Kinte
• The Captain and Tennille1976 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• Scripps National Spelling Bee— · as Self - Host