Acting

LeVar Burton

Born 1957-02-16 · Landstuhl, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany59 series111 films

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 bro…

LeVar Burton's films on Charmy Movies →

Acting

2026Strip Law(voice)1 ep.
2025Weather HuntersFlexspecs (voice)2 ep.
2024Trivial PursuitSelf - Host43 ep.
2023Carol & the End of the World(voice)1 ep.
2023100 Years of Warner Bros.Self3 ep.
2022Tom SwiftBarclay (voice)10 ep.
2022The Shuttlepod ShowSelf1 ep.
2022The Legend of Vox MachinaUndead Thordak (voice)2 ep.
2021The Problem with Jon StewartSelf1 ep.
2021Leverage: RedemptionMr. Blanche1 ep.
2021INVINCIBLESuit AI (voice)2 ep.
2020Beyond the Spotlight1 ep.
2020Star Trek: PicardCommodore Geordi La Forge5 ep.
2019Weird CityDr. Negari4 ep.
2019The Ready RoomSelf2 ep.
2018ExplainedNarrator (voice)1 ep.
2017OK K.O.! Let's Be HeroesKwame1 ep.
2016RootsEphraim4 ep.
2013PBS News WeekendHimself (voice)1 ep.
2012PerceptionPaul Haley35 ep.
2012The Eric Andre ShowSelf1 ep.
2012Finding Your Roots1 ep.
2012Transformers: Rescue BotsDoc Green (voice)104 ep.
2010Adventure TimeBubble (voice)1 ep.
2009CommunityLeVar Burton2 ep.
2008Shatner's Raw NerveSelf1 ep.
2007The Big Bang TheoryLeVar Burton3 ep.
2005Hell's KitchenSelf - Restaurant Patron1 ep.
2002BoomtownMarvin Lloyd1 ep.
1999FuturamaUnlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)1 ep.
1998BeckerMr. Haller1 ep.
1995Pinky and the BrainMurray (voice)1 ep.
1995Deadly GamesMr. Metcalf1 ep.
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildThe Monk (voice)1 ep.
1995Star Trek: VoyagerCaptain Geordi La Forge8 ep.
1994GargoylesAnansi/Poacher 2 (voice)1 ep.
1994ChristyDaniel Scott7 ep.
1992Batman: The Animated SeriesHayden Sloane (voice)1 ep.
1990Captain Planet and the PlaneteersKwame (voice)113 ep.
1987Star Trek: The Next GenerationGeordi La Forge176 ep.
1987Houston KnightsJason Evans1 ep.
1984Jeopardy!Self - Host6 ep.
1983Reading RainbowSelf - Host155 ep.
1980Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim JonesRichard Jefferson2 ep.
1979Trapper John, M.D.1 ep.
1977Roots: The Complete MiniseriesKunta Kinte1 ep.
1977RootsKunta Kinte2 ep.
1976The Captain and TennilleSelf1 ep.
—Scripps National Spelling BeeSelf - Host4 ep.

Behind the camera

2021NCIS: HawaiʻiDirector4 ep.
2016RootsCo-Executive Producer4 ep.
2014NCIS: New OrleansDirector9 ep.
2014ScorpionDirector1 ep.
2012PerceptionDirector35 ep.
2005Miracle's BoysDirector1 ep.
2003Las VegasDirector1 ep.
2001Star Trek: EnterpriseDirector9 ep.
2000Soul FoodDirector1 ep.
1998CharmedDirector3 ep.
1995JAGDirector1 ep.
1995Star Trek: VoyagerDirector8 ep.
1993Star Trek: Deep Space NineDirector10 ep.
1987Star Trek: The Next GenerationDirector176 ep.
1983Reading RainbowExecutive Producer155 ep.

Guest appearances

2021The ViewSelf, Self - Guest3 ep.
2026INVINCIBLESuit AI (voice)2 ep.
2026Strip Law(voice)1 ep.
2025Weather HuntersFlexspecs (voice), Great Grandpa Wallace (voice)2 ep.
2024The Legend of Vox MachinaUndead Thordak (voice)2 ep.
2024FuturamaUnlicensed Hologram of LeVar Burton (voice)1 ep.
2024Finding Your Roots1 ep.
2023Carol & the End of the World(voice)1 ep.
2023100 Years of Warner Bros.Self3 ep.
2023The Shuttlepod ShowSelf1 ep.
2023Star Trek: PicardCommodore Geordi La Forge5 ep.
2023The Ready RoomSelf2 ep.
2022The Problem with Jon StewartSelf1 ep.
2022The Kelly Clarkson ShowSelf1 ep.
2022PBS News WeekendHimself (voice)1 ep.
2021Leverage: RedemptionMr. Blanche1 ep.
2021The Daily ShowSelf1 ep.
1995Jeopardy!Self, Self - Host6 ep.
2021The Tamron Hall ShowSelf - Guest1 ep.
2020Beyond the Spotlight1 ep.
2020The Eric Andre ShowSelf1 ep.
2019Weird CityDr. Negari4 ep.
2018ExplainedNarrator (voice)1 ep.
2017OK K.O.! Let's Be HeroesKwame1 ep.
2016RootsEphraim1 ep.
2014Hell's KitchenSelf - Restaurant Patron1 ep.
2011The Big Bang TheoryLeVar Burton3 ep.
2011CommunityLeVar Burton2 ep.
2013Adventure TimeBubble (voice)1 ep.
2012PerceptionPaul Haley6 ep.
2012Watch What Happens Live with Andy CohenSelf - Guest1 ep.
2011Shatner's Raw NerveSelf1 ep.
2010Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!Self1 ep.
2005Family GuyLeVar Burton (voice), Vern (voice)2 ep.
2003BoomtownMarvin Lloyd1 ep.
2003MADtvSelf1 ep.
2000BeckerMr. Haller1 ep.
1998Star Trek: VoyagerCaptain Geordi La Forge1 ep.
1997Pinky and the BrainMurray (voice)1 ep.
1996GargoylesAnansi/Poacher 2 (voice)1 ep.
1995Deadly GamesMr. Metcalf1 ep.
1995ChristyDaniel Scott7 ep.
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildThe Monk (voice)1 ep.
1994Star Trek: The Next GenerationSelf1 ep.
1993Batman: The Animated SeriesHayden Sloane (voice)1 ep.
1987Houston KnightsJason Evans1 ep.
1987Murder, She WroteReporter Dave Robinson1 ep.
1984The Love BoatDarnell Hall1 ep.
1982Trapper John, M.D.1 ep.
1977The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf1 ep.
1977The Captain and TennilleSelf1 ep.
1977RootsKunta Kinte2 ep.
—Star Trek: EnterpriseHimself1 ep.

Also known as: Levar Burton · Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr.