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.
66 movies · 59 shows
To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
2024·0.0
Butterfly in the Sky
2024·8.3
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023·7.7
Secrets of Sacred Architecture
2022·7.0
Definition Please
2020·3.2
Brentwood
2018·8.0
Transformers: Rescue Bots - Rescue Family
2017·10.0
School of the Future
2016·7.0
Lennon or McCartney
2014·5.3
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
2014·0.0
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
2014·2.0
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
2014·0.0
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2013·0.0
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
2013·0.0
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013·7.2
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012·7.0
Rise of the Zombies
2012·4.2
Stardate Revisited - The Origin of Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012·5.5
And They're Off
2011·4.1
The Jensen Project
2010·5.5
Taken in Broad Daylight
2009·5.2
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
2009·7.1
Reach for Me
2008·2.8
40 Years of Star Trek
2006·3.8
Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool
2005·5.9
Blizzard
2003·6.0
Star Trek: Nemesis
2002·6.3
Remembering Roots
2002·0.0
Ali
2001·6.8
Our Friend, Martin
1999·7.1
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998·6.5
Trekkies
1997·6.3
Star Trek: First Contact
1996·7.3
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996·5.6
Yesterday's Target
1996·4.0
Star Trek: Generations
1994·6.5
Parallel Lives
1994·5.7
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
1994·7.0
Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland
1993·5.3
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993·4.0
Star Trek: Federation Science
1992·1.0
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991·5.9
Central Park
1990·7.5
Roots: The Gift
1988·7.3
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988·2.5
A Special Friendship
1987·9.0
Liberty
1986·6.0
The Supernaturals
1986·4.2
The Midnight Hour
1985·5.9
And the Children Shall Lead
1985·9.0
Booker
1984·8.0
The Jesse Owens Story
1984·8.1
Emergency Room
1983·9.0
I Love Liberty
1982·0.0
Grambling's White Tiger
1981·7.0
The Acorn People
1981·3.7
The Hunter
1980·5.9
Dummy
1979·8.8
The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979·6.2
Mickey's 50
1978·9.0
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
1978·6.1
Battered
1978·9.0
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977·6.3
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977·8.0
US Against the World
1977·0.0
Almos' a Man
1976·10.0