LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton (also credited as Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr.) is an American screen artist and storyteller whose career spans landmark television, film, and education. Born on February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Burton became a familiar face to multiple generations through performances that blend charisma with cultural impact.

He first broke through with the acclaimed miniseries Roots (1977), portraying Kunta Kinte, and later became a defining presence in science fiction as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He reprised the role across the franchise’s feature films, including Star Trek: Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis, and reflected on the series legacy in Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Beyond acting, Burton shaped children’s television as the longtime host and executive producer of PBS’s Reading Rainbow (1983–2006), earning numerous Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody. His work also includes The Hunter (as Tommy Price) and voice acting such as Black Lightning in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Honors followed across mediums: a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, a Grammy for spoken-word narration, and continued popularity through LeVar Burton Reads (2017–2024) and his later turn as a game-show host on Trivial Pursuit in 2024.