Biography
Who is LeVar Burton?
Early life and family history
LeVar Burton was born Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. On February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, United States. His father worked as a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, while his mother, Erma Gene, was an educator and administrator. He grew up in Sacramento, California, alongside his two sisters. His paternal grandparents worked as teachers in Arkansas. His great-great-grandfather, Hal B. Burton, served as an African-American state legislator in Arkansas during the 1880s.
He was raised Catholic and attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Galt, California, as a teenager. His initial goal was to become a priest. At age 17, he began questioning his religious path and changed his career focus toward acting. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Southern California to study dramatic arts. Upon his confirmation in the church, he added Martyn to his name and stopped using the junior designation.
Acting career and breakthrough roles
His professional acting debut occurred in 1977 with the television film Almos' a Man. That same year, he gained significant fame for his portrayal of Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries Roots. This breakthrough performance earned him an Emmy nomination. He continued his television career with roles in One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story and the cult drama Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.
He also appeared in several feature films during the 1970s and 1980s. These credits include Looking for Mr. Goodbar, The Hunter, and The Jesse Owens Story. His performance in The Hunter resulted in an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. In 1986, he made a cameo appearance in the music video for the song Word Up! By the funk group Cameo.
Star Trek and directorial work
In 1986, LeVar Burton accepted the role of Lieutenant Junior Grade Geordi La Forge in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character served as the helmsman and later the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise. To simulate sight, the character wore a prosthetic device called a VISOR. He reprised this role in several feature films, including Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis.
He also returned to play La Forge in the final season of Star Trek: Picard in 2023. Beyond his on-screen duties, he directed multiple episodes for the franchise. His directorial credits include episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. In 1990, the entertainment industry honored his television contributions with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hosting and educational media
LeVar Burton served as the host and executive producer of the educational series Reading Rainbow starting in 1983. The show aired on PBS for 23 seasons. Following the series, he co-founded a media company to manage the brand. In 2014, he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to create a web-based version of the program for elementary school classrooms.
He expanded his hosting career into audio media with the podcast LeVar Burton Reads, which launched in 2017. Each episode features him reading short fiction. The project won a Webby Award in 2023. He also launched a children-focused podcast called Sound Detectives in 2023. In October 2024, he began hosting a revival of the game show Trivial Pursuit on The CW network.
Birthday and age
LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957, which makes LeVar 69 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. LeVar shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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