LeVar Burton

(American film, television actor, director, author
Best known for his Star Trek: The Next Generation sci-fi series)

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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.

## Contents

* 1 Early life and Education
* 2 Filmography
* 2.1 Film
* 2.2 Television
* 2.3 Other work
* 2.4 Director
* 3 External links

## 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]

Year  | Film  | Role  | Note

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1976  |  Almos' a Man |  Dave  |  Alternative title: Richard Wright's Almos' a Man
1977  |  Looking for Mr. Goodbar |  Cap Jackson  |
1977  |  Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid |  Billy Peoples  |  Ghetto child
1978  |  One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story |  Ron LeFlore  |  Alternative title: The Man of Passion
1978  |  Battered |  Andrew Sinclair  |
1979  |  Dummy |  Donald Lang  |
1980  |  The Hunter |  Tommy Price  |
1981  |  The Acorn People |  Rodney  |
1981  |  Grambling's White Tiger |  Charles 'Tank' Smith  |
1983  |  Emergency Room |  Ray Walden  |
1984  |  Booker |  Davis  |
1985  |  And the Children Shall Lead |  Glenn Scott  |  Alternative title: PBS Wonderworks: And The Children Shall Lead
1985  |  The Midnight Hour |  Vinnie Davis  |  Alternative title: In The Midnight Hour
1986  |  The Supernaturals |  Private Michael Osgood  |
1986  |  Liberty |  Robert Johnson  |
1987  |  A Special Friendship |  Ben Summer  |
1988  |  Roots: The Gift |  Kunta Kinte  |  Alternative title: A Roots Christmas: Kunta Kinte's Gift
1993  |  Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland |  Fire Chief J. Alan Mathers  |  Alternative title: Firestorm: A Catastrophe In Oakland
1994  |  Parallel Lives |  Dr. Franklin Carter  |
1994  |  Star Trek Generations |  Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge |
1996  |  Yesterday's Target |  Winstrom  |
1996  |  Star Trek: First Contact |  Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge  |
1998  |  Star Trek: Insurrection |  Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge  |
1999  |  Our Friend, Martin |  Martin, Age 26 (voice)  |
2000  |  Dancing in September |  Himself  |
2001  |  Ali |  Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. |
2002  |  Star Trek: Nemesis |  Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge  |
2003  |  Blizzard |  Night Watchman Elf  |  Also director
2008  |  Reach for Me |  Nathaniel  |
2009  |  Taken in Broad Daylight |  Mike Timbrook  |
2009  |  Superman/Batman Public Enemies |  Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning (voice)  |
2011  |  And They're Off |  Himself  |
2015  |  Practice Makes Perfect |  Principal Healy  |
2018  |  In Saturn's Rings |  Narrator  |  Documentary

### Television[edit]

Year  | Work  | Role  | Note

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1976–1979  |  Rebop |  Host  |
1977  |  Roots |  Kunta Kinte |  TV miniseries
1978  |  California Jam II |  Himself  |  TV Special. Interviewed as guest attendee
1980  |  Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones |  Richard Jefferson  |  TV miniseries
1982  |  Trapper John, M.D. |  Luther Peacock  |  Episode: "A Piece of the Action"
1983  |  Fantasy Island |  Edward Ross Jr.  |  Episode: "Edward/The Extraordinary Miss Jones"
1983–2006  |  Reading Rainbow |  Host  |  155 episodes
1984  |  The Jesse Owens Story |  Professor Preston  |  Television movie
1984  |  The Love Boat |  Darnell  |  Episode: "Love is Blind"
1987  |  Murder, She Wrote |  Reporter Dave Robinson  |  Episode: "Death Take a Dive"
1987  |  Houston Knights |  Jason Evans  |  Episode: "Bad Girl"
1987–1994  |  Star Trek: The Next Generation |  Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge |  178 episodes
1990–1996  |  Captain Planet and the Planeteers |  Kwame (voice)  |  113 episodes
1993  |  Batman: The Animated Series |  Hayden Sloane/Hatter Henchman (voice)  |  Episode: "The Worry Men"
1993-1999  |  PTV |  Pernell (voice)  |  Leader of the P-Pals
1995  |  Christy |  Daniel Scott  |  7 episodes
1995  | Deadly Games |  Mr. Metcalf  |  Episode: "The Boss"
1995  |  Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child |  Monk (voice)  |  Episode: "The Frog Prince"
1996  |  Gargoyles |  Anansi  |  Episode: "Mark of the Panther"
1997  |  Pinky and the Brain |  Murray  |  Episode: "The Real Life"
1998  |  Star Trek: Voyager |  Captain Geordi LaForge  |  Episode: "Timeless"
1998  |  Mister Rogers' Neighborhood |  Himself  |  Episode: "1725 - Mister Rogers Talks About Giving and Receiving"
2000  |  Becker |  Mr. Haller  |  Episode: "Beckerethics"
2003  |  Boomtown |  Marvin Lloyd  |  Episode: "The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang"
2005  |  Family Guy |  Vern (voice), himself (voice)  |  2 episodes
2009  |  The Super Hero Squad Show |  War Machine (voice)  | Tales of Suspense"
2010  |  Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! |  Ghost of LeVar Burton  |  Episode: List of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job"
2010  |  The Jensen Project |  Kendrick James  |  Television film (brokered programming from Procter & Gamble/Wal-Mart)
2011, 2014  |  Community |  Himself  |  2 episodes
2011, 2012, 2014  | The Big Bang Theory |  Himself  |  3 episodes
2012  |  Face Off |  Himself  |  Episode: "Alien Interpreters"
2012  |  Rise of the Zombies |  Dr. Dan Halpern  |  Television movie
2012–2016  |  Transformers: Rescue Bots |  Doc Greene (voice)  |  26 episodes
2012–2015  |  Perception |  Paul Haley  |  30 episodes
2013  |  Adventure Time |  Bubble (voice)  |  Episode: "BMO Lost"
2014  |  Hell's Kitchen |  Himself  |  Episode: "5 Chefs Compete"
2016  |  Roots |  Ephraim  |  Episode: "Part 1"
2016  |  Miles from Tomorrowland |  Dr. Consilium  |  Episode: "The First Day of Galactic School/Miles Underwater"
2017  |  OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes |  Kwame (voice)  |  Episode: "The Power Is Yours"
2018  |  Explained |  Himself (narrator)  |  Episode: "Extraterrestrial Life"
2018  |  NCIS: New Orleans |  Rufus Nero  |  Episode: "X"
2019  |  Weird City |  Dr. Negari  |  Episode: "The One"
2020  | The Eric Andre Show | Himself  | Episode: "The ASAP Ferg Show"
2021  | Nancy Drew | Barclay (voice)  | Episode: "The Celestial Visitor"
2021  | Jeopardy! | Guest Host  | 5 episodes, Season 37
2022  | Tom Swift (TV series) | Barclay (voice)  | 9 episodes
2022  | Blindspotting (TV series) |  | 8 episodes
2023  | Star Trek: Picard | Geordi La Forge  | 10 episodes

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]

Year  | Work  | Role  | Note

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1986  |  "Word Up!"  |  Detective  |  Music video by the funk group Cameo

### Director[edit]

Year  | Work  | Note

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1987–1994  |  Star Trek: The Next Generation |  2 episodes
1993–1999  |  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine |  10 episodes
1995–2001  |  Star Trek: Voyager |  8 episodes
1998  |  The Tiger Woods Story |  Alternative title: Son, Hero, and Champion
1998–2006  |  Charmed |  3 episodes
1999  |  Smart House (film) |  Television movie
2000–2004  |  Soul Food (TV series) |  2 episodes
2001–2005  |  Star Trek: Enterprise |  9 episodes
2003  |  Blizzard |  Film
2003  |  JAG (TV series) |  Episode: "Pulse Rate"
2005  |  Miracle's Boys |  Episode: "Free Day"
2006  |  Las Vegas (TV series) |  Episode: "Meatball Montecito"
2008  |  Reach for Me |  Film
2014  |  Perception (U.S. TV series) |  2 episodes
2017–2020  |  NCIS: New Orleans |  8 episodes

## External links[edit]

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