LB
Photo of LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton

Actor, Director, Producer, Additional CreditsBorn February 16, 1957 (68 years)
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. 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.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Rise of the Zombies
  • Finding Your Roots
  • Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
  • Transformers: Rescue Bots
  • The Supernaturals
  • The Jesse Owens Story
  • Grambling's White Tiger
  • Almos' a Man

Known For

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Star Trek: First Contact
  • Star Trek: Generations
  • Star Trek: Nemesis
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • Star Trek: Enterprise
  • Roots (2016)
  • Roots
  • Star Trek: Voyager
  • Smart House
  • Star Trek: Insurrection
  • NCIS: New Orleans
  • Reading Rainbow
  • Perception
  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers
  • Charmed
  • Scorpion
  • NCIS: Hawai'i
  • Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2025
    Weather Hunters (TV Series) · as Wallace Hunter
    2023
    The Imaginary · as The Old Dog
    2023
    Carol & the End of the World (TV Series) · as (voice)
    2022
    Good Night Oppy · as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
    2022
    Tom Swift (TV Series) · as Barclay (voice)
    2022
    The Legend of Vox Machina (TV Series) · as Undead Thordak (voice)
    2022
    Secrets of Sacred Architecture · as Narrator (voice)
    2021
    Leverage: Redemption (TV Series) · as Mr. Blanche
    2021
    Blindspotting (TV Series) · as Marvin Sulaiman
    2020
    2020
    Star Trek: Picard (TV Series) · as Commodore Geordi La Forge
    2019
    Nancy Drew (2019) (TV Series) · as Barclay
    2019
    Weird City (TV Series) · as Dr. Negari
    2018
    Explained (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice)
    2017
    2017
    OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (TV Series) · as Kwame
    2016
    2016
    Roots (2016) (TV Series) · as Ephraim
    2015
    Mission Force One (TV Series) · as Dr. Consilium
    2014
    NCIS: New Orleans (TV Series) · as Rufus Nero
    2014
    2013
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive Footage)
    2012
    Rise of the Zombies · as Dr. Dan Halpern
    2012
    Perception (TV Series) · as Paul Haley
    2012
    2012
    Honest Trailers (TV Series) · as Geordi Laforge (archive Footage)
    2011
    Transformers: Rescue Bots (TV Series) · as Doc Green (voice)
    2010
    The Jensen Project · as Kendrick
    2010
    Adventure Time (TV Series) · as Bubble (voice)
    2010
    2009
    Superman/Batman: Public Enemies · as Black Lightning (voice)
    2009
    The Super Hero Squad Show (TV Series) · as War Machine
    2009
    Taken in Broad Daylight · as Mike Timbrook
    2008
    Reach for Me · as Nathanial
    2005
    How William Shatner Changed the World · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
    2004
    2003
    Blizzard · as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
    2002
    Star Trek: Nemesis · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
    2002
    Boomtown (TV Series) · as Marvin Lloyd
    2001
    Ali · as Martin Luther King, Jr.
    1999
    Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
    1999
    Futurama (TV Series) · as Unlicensed Hologram Of Levar Burton (voice)
    1999
    Family Guy (TV Series) · as Levar Burton (voice)
    1999
    Our Friend, Martin · as Martin At Age 26 (voice) (as Levar Burton)
    1998
    Star Trek: Insurrection · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
    1998
    Becker (TV Series) · as Mr. Haller
    1996
    Star Trek: First Contact · as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
    1996
    Yesterday's Target · as Winstrom
    1995
    Pinky and the Brain (TV Series) · as Murray
    1995
    Deadly Games (TV Series) · as Mr. Metcalf
    1995
    Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV Series) · as The Monk (voice)
    1995
    Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series) · as Captain Geordi La Forge
    1994
    Star Trek: Generations · as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
    1994
    Gargoyles (TV Series) · as Anansi/poacher 2 (voice)
    1994
    Parallel Lives · as Dr. Franklin Carter
    1994
    Christy (TV Series) · as Daniel Scott
    1994
    Comic Relief VI · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
    1993
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive Footage)
    1993
    1993
    1993
    Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland · as Fire Chief J. Allan Mather
    1993
    1992
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive Footage)
    1992
    Batman: The Animated Series (TV Series) · as Hayden Sloane (voice)
    1992
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Time's Arrow · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi Laforge (archive Footage)
    1991
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification · as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive Footage)
    1991
    Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption · as Geordi Laforge (archive Footage)
    1990
    Captain Planet and the Planeteers (TV Series) · as Kwame (voice)
    1988
    Roots: The Gift · as Kunta Kinte
    1987
    Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) · as Geordi La Forge
    1987
    Houston Knights (TV Series) · as Jason Evans
    1986
    Liberty · as Robert Johnson
    1986
    The Supernaturals · as Pvt. Michael Osgood
    1985
    The Midnight Hour · as Vinnie Davis
    1985
    And the Children Shall Lead · as Glenn Scott
    1984
    Booker · as Davis
    1984
    Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) · as Reporter Dave Robinson
    1984
    The Jesse Owens Story · as Professor Preston
    1981
    Grambling's White Tiger · as Charles 'tank' Smith
    1981
    The Acorn People · as Rodney
    1980
    1980
    The Hunter · as Tommy Price
    1980
    Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (TV Series) · as Richard Jefferson
    1979
    Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series)
    1979
    Dummy · as Donald Lang
    1978
    1978
    Battered · as Andrew Sinclair
    1977
    Looking for Mr. Goodbar · as Cap Jackson
    1977
    1977
    The Love Boat (TV Series) · as Darnell Hall
    1977
    1977
    Roots (TV Series) · as Kunta Kinte
    1977
    Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as Edward Ross, Jr.
    1974
    NOVA (TV Series) · as Narrator

    Take Plex everywhere

    Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
    See the full list of supported devices