Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Germany), professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an African-American actor and director who first came to prominence playing Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award winning television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley (see 1977 in television).

Burton is a graduate of University of Southern California's School of Theatre. He has a daughter, Michaela, born in 1994, with his wife Stephanie, and a son, born in 1980 after great difficulty, owing to LeVar's infertility.

Burton played the role of Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in the The Next Generation television series and the series' movies. He has directed numerous episodes of the series, as well as episodes of Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. He is also the host, executive producer and creator of the long-running and highly praised children's television show Reading Rainbow (1983 –) on PBS, which extolls the virtues of literacy. He also played the voice of a character named Kwame in the cartoon series Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990 – 1993) and The New Adventures of Captain Planet (1993 – 1996). At one point in his career before Star Trek he appeared on a music video called "Word Up!" by R&B band Cameo.

Burton got his start in television from 1976 – 1979, as the host of Rebop. In the 2001 film Ali, he played Martin Luther King, Jr..

In 1990, Burton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is an avid poker player (just like the LaForge character), playing in the World Poker Tour.^*

Currently residing in Nova Scotia, he and his wife Stephanie have worked to raise the awareness of treatments for infertility.

Star Trek directorial credits

Star Trek: The Next Generation

• "Second Chances"
• "The Pegasus"

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

• "The Sword of Kahless"
• "Bar Association"
• "Rules of Engagement"
• "To the Death"
• "Things Past"
• "Soldiers of the Empire"
• "Behind the Lines"
• "Resurrection"
• "The Emperor's New Cloak"

Star Trek: Voyager

• "Ex Post Facto"
• "Dreadnought"
• "The Raven"
• "Timeless"
• "Live Fast and Prosper"
• "Nightingale"
• "Q2"
• "Homestead"

Star Trek: Enterprise

• "Terra Nova"
• "Fortunate Son"
• "Cogenitor"
• "First Flight"
• "Extinction"
• "Similitude"
• "The Forgotten"
• "The Augments"
• "Demons"

Books

Fiction

• Aftermath, 2001, ISBN 0446679607

External links

• Reading Rainbow: Kids Want to Know Q&A with LeVar
• Profile of LeVar Burton

1957 births | African-American actors | African-American/Black film directors | American film actors | American television actors | American television directors | American voice actors | Batman actors | Daytime Emmy Award winners | Gargoyles voice actors | Family Guy actors | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Living people | Roman Catholic entertainers | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actors | Star Trek: The Next Generation actors | Star Trek: Voyager actors | Star Trek film actors | University of Southern California alumni

LeVar Burton | LeVar Burton | LeVar Burton | レヴァー・バートン | LeVar Burton