LeVar Burton
Acting
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
Acting127
tvStrip Law
2026
(voice)
tvWeather Hunters
2025
Flexspecs (voice) / Great Grandpa Wallace (voice)
tvTrivial Pursuit
2024
Self - Host
movieStar Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023
Commodore Geordi La Forge
tvTom Swift
2022
Barclay (voice)
movieSecrets of Sacred Architecture
2022
Narrator (voice)
tvThe Legend of Vox Machina
2022
Undead Thordak (voice)
tvLeverage: Redemption
2021
Mr. Blanche
tvINVINCIBLE
2021
Suit AI (voice)
movieDefinition Please
2020
LeVar Burton
tvStar Trek: Picard
2020
Commodore Geordi La Forge
tvTamron Hall
2019
Self - Guest
tvWeird City
2019
Dr. Negari
movieBrentwood
2018
LeVar Burton
tvExplained
2018
Narrator (voice)
tvRoots
2016
Ephraim
movieStar Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
2014
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
tvPBS News Weekend
2013
Himself (voice)
movieStar Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
2013
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
movieStar Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013
Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
movieRise of the Zombies
2012
Dr. Dan Halpern
tvPerception
2012
Paul Haley
tvTransformers: Rescue Bots
2012
Doc Green (voice)
movieThe Jensen Project
2010
Kendrick
tvAdventure Time
2010
Bubble (voice)
movieTaken in Broad Daylight
2009
Mike Timbrook
movieSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009
Black Lightning (voice)
tvCommunity
2009
LeVar Burton
tvWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
Self - Guest
movieReach for Me
2008
Nathanial
tvThe Big Bang Theory
2007
LeVar Burton
tvHell's Kitchen
2005
Self - Restaurant Patron
movieBlizzard
2003
Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
movieStar Trek: Nemesis
2002
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
tvBoomtown
2002
Marvin Lloyd
movieAli
2001
Martin Luther King, Jr.
tvFuturama
1999
Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
tvFamily Guy
1999
Vern (voice) / LeVar Burton (voice)
movieOur Friend, Martin
1999
Martin at Age 26 (voice)
movieStar Trek: Insurrection
1998
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
tvBecker
1998
Mr. Haller
tvThe View
1997
Self - Guest / Self
movieStar Trek: First Contact
1996
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
movieYesterday's Target
1996
Winstrom
tvMADtv
1995
Self
tvPinky and the Brain
1995
Murray (voice)
tvDeadly Games
1995
Mr. Metcalf
tvHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
The Monk (voice)
tvStar Trek: Voyager
1995
Captain Geordi La Forge
movieStar Trek: Generations
1994
Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
tvGargoyles
1994
Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
movieParallel Lives
1994
Dr. Franklin Carter
tvChristy
1994
Daniel Scott
movieFirestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
1993
Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
movieStar Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993
Geordi La Forge
tvBatman: The Animated Series
1992
Hayden Sloane (voice)
tvCaptain Planet and the Planeteers
1990
Kwame (voice)
movieRoots: The Gift
1988
Kunta Kinte
tvStar Trek: The Next Generation
1987
Geordi La Forge
movieA Special Friendship
1987
Ben Sumner
tvHouston Knights
1987
Jason Evans
movieLiberty
1986
Robert Johnson
movieThe Supernaturals
1986
Pvt. Michael Osgood
movieThe Midnight Hour
1985
Vinnie Davis
movieAnd the Children Shall Lead
1985
Glenn Scott
tvMurder, She Wrote
1984
Reporter Dave Robinson
tvJeopardy!
1984
Self - Host / Self
movieThe Jesse Owens Story
1984
Professor Preston
movieEmergency Room
1983
Ray Walden
tvReading Rainbow
1983
Self - Host
Grambling's White Tiger
1981
Charles 'Tank' Smith
movieThe Hunter
1980
Tommy Price
tvGuyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
1980
Richard Jefferson
movieDummy
1979
Donald Lang
movieBattered
1978
Andrew Sinclair
movieLooking for Mr. Goodbar
1977
Cap Jackson
tvThe Love Boat
1977
Darnell Hall
movieBilly: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977
Billy Peoples
tvRoots
1977
Kunta Kinte
tvScripps National Spelling Bee
Self - Host
Directing17
tvNCIS: Hawaiʻi
2021
Director
tvNCIS: New Orleans
2014
Director
tvScorpion
2014
Director
tvPerception
2012
Director
movieReach for Me
2008
Director
tvMiracle's Boys
2005
Director
tvLas Vegas
2003
Director
movieBlizzard
2003
Director
tvStar Trek: Enterprise
2001
Director
tvSoul Food
2000
Director
movieSmart House
1999
Director
tvCharmed
1998
Director
movieThe Tiger Woods Story
1998
Director
tvJAG
1995
Director
tvStar Trek: Voyager
1995
Director
tvStar Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993
Director
Production3
movieThe Right to Read
2023
Executive Producer
tvRoots
2016
Co-Executive Producer
tvReading Rainbow
1983
Executive Producer