Levar Burton

LeVar Burton (American film, television actor, director, author Best known for his Star Trek: The Next Generation sci-fi series)
Born	February 16, 1957 Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Spouse	Stephanie Cozart Burton

LeVar Burton (born February 16, 1957) in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany as Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. Burton is an American actor, director, author, podcaster and television host, best known for his portrayal of Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) also directing a number of television episodes for various iterations of Star Trek, and as host of the PBS Kids educational television series Reading Rainbow for more than 23 years (1983–2006), for which he has received 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, and a Peabody Award as host and executive producer of the show. He has also portrayed the central character Kunta Kinte / Toby in the hit Emmy award wining miniseries Roots, first aired on ABC in January 1977. Burton has been nominated for 3 Prime time Emmy's first in 1977, then in 1996, and last in 2016. Another 22 wins & 27 nominations. In November 1990 Burton was awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of fame for his work in the field of television. LeVar Burton married Stephanie Cozart Burton, a professional make-up artist, on October 3, 1992. Burton has two children, son Eian Burton Smith and daughter Michaela "Mica" Jean Burton.

Early life and Education[edit]

Burton was born at the U.S. Army Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in West Germany. His mother, Erma Gene (née Christian), was a social worker, administrator, and educator. His father, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, was a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps at the time he was stationed at Landstuhl. Burton and his two sisters were raised by his mother in Sacramento, California.

Burton was raised Roman Catholic and, at the age of 13, entered St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Galt, California, to become a priest. At the age of 13, Burton entered a Catholic seminary to study for the priesthood but ultimately decided to pursue an acting career instead, graduating from the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Theater.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Television[edit]

LeVar Burton from the popular syndicated television series Star Trek: The Next Generation speaks at Shore Leave Con in Hunt Valley Maryland in August 2012

Other work[edit]

Director[edit]

External links[edit]

• LeVar Burton at the IMDb database
• Memory-alpha Fandom