LeVar Burton
Known for
Born in 1957 in Landstuhl, Germany, on a US military base, LeVar Burton became a household name at nineteen playing the young Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries Roots (1977). He then embodied Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge across seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and four subsequent feature films including Star Trek: First Contact (1996). For more than a quarter century he hosted the beloved children s series Reading Rainbow (1983-2006), earning a national reputation as a champion of literacy. Burton is considered one of the most influential Black television figures of his generation.
LeVar Burton
18 Movies
35 Series
Born in 1957 in Landstuhl, Germany, on a US military base, LeVar Burton became a household name at nineteen playing the young Kunta Kinte in the landmark miniseries Roots (1977). He then embodied Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge across seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and four subsequent feature films including Star Trek: First Contact (1996). For more than a quarter century he hosted the beloved children s series Reading Rainbow (1983-2006), earning a national reputation as a champion of literacy. Burton is considered one of the most influential Black television figures of his generation.
Movies
Plays Rick
One Night Only
2026
Plays Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: First Contact
1996
Plays Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Nemesis
2002
Plays Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998
Plays Black Lightning (voice)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009
Plays Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Generations
1994
Plays Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ali
2001
Plays Cap Jackson
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977
Plays Martin at Age 26 (voice)
Our Friend, Martin
1999
Plays Dr. Dan Halpern
Rise of the Zombies
2012
Plays LeVar Burton
Brentwood
2018
Plays Tommy Price
The Hunter
1980
Director
Blizzard
2003
Director
Smart House
1999
Plays Commodore Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023
Plays Pvt. Michael Osgood
The Supernaturals
1986
Director
The Tiger Woods Story
1998
Plays LeVar Burton
Definition Please
2020
Plays Glenn Scott
And the Children Shall Lead
1985
Director
Plays Nathanial
Reach for Me
2008
TV Shows
Director
Plays Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
Producer
Plays Self - Host
Reading Rainbow
1983
Plays Kwame (voice)
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
1990
Plays Doc Green (voice)
Transformers: Rescue Bots
2012
Director
Plays Paul Haley
Perception
2012
Plays Barclay (voice)
Tom Swift
2022
Director
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993
Director
Star Trek: Enterprise
2001
Director
NCIS: New Orleans
2014
Plays Daniel Scott
Christy
1994
Plays Commodore Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Picard
2020
Plays Dr. Negari
Weird City
2019
Director
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
2021
Plays LeVar Burton
The Big Bang Theory
2007
Director
Charmed
1998
Plays Kunta Kinte
Roots
1977
Plays Richard Jefferson
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
1980
Plays Flexspecs (voice)
Weather Hunters
2025
Plays Vern (voice)
Family Guy
1999
Plays LeVar Burton
Community
2009
Plays Undead Thordak (voice)
The Legend of Vox Machina
2022
Plays Suit AI (voice)
INVINCIBLE
2021
Plays Mr. Metcalf
Deadly Games
1995
Plays Jason Evans
Houston Knights
1987
Plays Reporter Dave Robinson
Murder, She Wrote
1984
Plays Marvin Lloyd
Boomtown
2002
Director
Plays Captain Geordi La Forge
Star Trek: Voyager
1995
Plays Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
Gargoyles
1994
Plays Hayden Sloane (voice)
Batman: The Animated Series
1992
Plays Darnell Hall
The Love Boat
1977
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
One Night Only
Full Filmography
One Night Only
Rick
2026
Film
Strip Law
(voice) · 1 episode
2026–
TV
Weather Hunters
Flexspecs (voice) · 2 episodes
2025–
TV
Carol & the End of the World
(voice) · 1 episode
2023–
TV
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
Commodore Geordi La Forge
2023
Film
Tom Swift
Barclay (voice) · 10 episodes
2022–
TV
The Legend of Vox Machina
Undead Thordak (voice) · 2 episodes
2022–
TV
NCIS: Hawaiʻi
Director
2021–
TV
Leverage: Redemption
Mr. Blanche · 1 episode
2021–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is LeVar Burton and where are they from?
LeVar Burton is 69 years old, born on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany.
What are the most famous roles of LeVar Burton?
LeVar Burton is best known for roles in Star Trek: First Contact, Ali, Star Trek: Nemesis.
How many movies has LeVar Burton been in?
Over a 50-year career (since 1976), LeVar Burton has appeared in 18 movies and 34 TV shows.
What was LeVar Burton's first movie?
The career of LeVar Burton began with Almos' a Man (1976).
What is LeVar Burton's most recent movie or series?
LeVar Burton's most recent release is One Night Only, which premiered on August 6, 2026.
What TV shows has LeVar Burton appeared in?
On television, LeVar Burton has appeared in The Big Bang Theory, INVINCIBLE, Family Guy, Futurama.
LeVar Burton
1957-02-16 · Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
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.