Acting · Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany · Born February 16, 1957
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.
MovieOne Night Only
2026
TVStrip Law
2026
as (voice)
TVWeather Hunters
2025
as Flexspecs (voice)
MovieTo the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
2024
as Self
TVTrivial Pursuit
2024
as Self - Host
MovieButterfly in the Sky
2024
as Self
TVCarol & the End of the World
2023
as (voice)
TV100 Years of Warner Bros.
2023
as Self
MovieStar Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023
as Commodore Geordi La Forge
TVTom Swift
2022
as Barclay (voice)
MovieSecrets of Sacred Architecture
2022
as Narrator (voice)
TVThe Shuttlepod Show
2022
as Self
TVThe Legend of Vox Machina
2022
as Undead Thordak (voice)
TVThe Problem with Jon Stewart
2021
as Self
TVLeverage: Redemption
2021
as Mr. Blanche
TVINVINCIBLE
2021
as Suit AI (voice)
TVBeyond the Spotlight
2020
MovieDefinition Please
2020
as LeVar Burton
TVStar Trek: Picard
2020
as Commodore Geordi La Forge
TVTamron Hall
2019
as Self - Guest
TVThe Kelly Clarkson Show
2019
as Self
TVWeird City
2019
as Dr. Negari
TVThe Ready Room
2019
as Self
MovieBrentwood
2018
as LeVar Burton
TVExplained
2018
as Narrator (voice)
TVOK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
2017
as Kwame
MovieTransformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
2017
MovieSchool of the Future
2016
TVRoots
2016
as Ephraim
MovieLennon or McCartney
2014
as Self
MovieStar Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
2014
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
MovieA Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
2014
as Self
MovieStar Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
2014
MovieStar Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2013
TVPBS News Weekend
2013
as Himself (voice)
MovieStar Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
2013
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
MovieStar Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013
as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)
MovieReunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012
as Self
MovieRise of the Zombies
2012
as Dr. Dan Halpern
Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012
as Self
TVPerception
2012
as Paul Haley
TVThe Eric Andre Show
2012
as Self
TVFinding Your Roots
2012
TVTransformers: Rescue Bots
2012
as Doc Green (voice)
MovieAnd They're Off
2011
as Self
MovieThe Jensen Project
2010
as Kendrick
TVAdventure Time
2010
as Bubble (voice)
MovieTaken in Broad Daylight
2009
as Mike Timbrook
MovieSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009
as Black Lightning (voice)
TVCommunity
2009
as LeVar Burton
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
TVShatner's Raw Nerve
2008
as Self
MovieReach for Me
2008
as Nathanial
TVThe Big Bang Theory
2007
as LeVar Burton
TVTim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
2007
as Self
Movie40 Years of Star Trek
2006
as Self
MovieSteve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
2005
as Self
TVHell's Kitchen
2005
as Self - Restaurant Patron
MovieBlizzard
2003
as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
MovieStar Trek: Nemesis
2002
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
TVBoomtown
2002
as Marvin Lloyd
MovieRemembering Roots
2002
as Self
MovieAli
2001
as Martin Luther King, Jr.
TVFuturama
1999
as Unlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)
TVFamily Guy
1999
as Vern (voice)
MovieOur Friend, Martin
1999
as Martin at Age 26 (voice)
MovieStar Trek: Insurrection
1998
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
TVBecker
1998
as Mr. Haller
MovieTrekkies
1997
as Self
TVThe View
1997
as Self - Guest
MovieStar Trek: First Contact
1996
as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
MovieStar Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996
as Self
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self
MovieYesterday's Target
1996
as Winstrom
TVMADtv
1995
as Self
TVPinky and the Brain
1995
as Murray (voice)
TVDeadly Games
1995
as Mr. Metcalf
TVHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as The Monk (voice)
TVStar Trek: Voyager
1995
as Captain Geordi La Forge
MovieStar Trek: Generations
1994
as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
TVGargoyles
1994
as Anansi/Poacher 2 (voice)
MovieParallel Lives
1994
as Dr. Franklin Carter
MovieJourney's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
1994
as Self
TVChristy
1994
as Daniel Scott
MovieFirestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
1993
as Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
MovieStar Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993
as Geordi La Forge
TVBatman: The Animated Series
1992
as Hayden Sloane (voice)
MovieStar Trek: Federation Science
1992
MovieStar Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991
as Self
TVCaptain Planet and the Planeteers
1990
as Kwame (voice)
MovieCentral Park
1990
as Self
MovieRoots: The Gift
1988
as Kunta Kinte
MovieThe Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988
as Self
TVStar Trek: The Next Generation
1987
as Geordi La Forge
MovieA Special Friendship
1987
as Ben Sumner
TVHouston Knights
1987
as Jason Evans
MovieLiberty
1986
as Robert Johnson
MovieThe Supernaturals
1986
as Pvt. Michael Osgood
MovieThe Midnight Hour
1985
as Vinnie Davis
MovieAnd the Children Shall Lead
1985
as Glenn Scott
Booker
1984
as Davis
TVMurder, She Wrote
1984
as Reporter Dave Robinson
TVJeopardy!
1984
as Self - Host
MovieThe Jesse Owens Story
1984
as Professor Preston
MovieEmergency Room
1983
as Ray Walden
TVReading Rainbow
1983
as Self - Host
MovieI Love Liberty
1982
as Self
Grambling's White Tiger
1981
as Charles 'Tank' Smith
MovieThe Acorn People
1981
as Rodney
MovieThe Hunter
1980
as Tommy Price
TVGuyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
1980
as Richard Jefferson
TVTrapper John, M.D.
1979
MovieDummy
1979
as Donald Lang
MovieThe Muppets Go Hollywood
1979
as Self
MovieMickey's 50
1978
as Self
MovieOne in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
1978
as Ron LeFlore
MovieBattered
1978
as Andrew Sinclair
MovieLooking for Mr. Goodbar
1977
as Cap Jackson
TVThe Love Boat
1977
as Darnell Hall
MovieBilly: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977
as Billy Peoples
MovieUS Against the World
1977
as Self
TVRoots
1977
as Kunta Kinte
Roots: The Complete Miniseries
1977
as Kunta Kinte
TVThe Captain and Tennille
1976
as Self
MovieAlmos' a Man
1976
as Dave
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVScripps National Spelling Bee
as Self - Host
