LeVar Burton American actor Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/LeVar-Burton Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. Written by Fred Frommer Fred Frommer is a sports historian, author, and writer who has written for a host of national publications. Fred Frommer, Will Gosner Will Gosner is an associate editor covering general interest topics, including film, television, and sports. He has a B.A. from the University of Chicago. He joined Britannica in 2014. Will Gosner•All Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 19, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts In full: Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. (Show more) Born: February 16, 1957, Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is LeVar Burton best known for? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "He is best known for hosting the educational TV show Reading Rainbow and playing Kunta Kinte in Roots and Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " Where was LeVar Burton born and what was his early life like? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "LeVar Burton was born in West Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army Signal Corps. His family moved to the U.S. when he was about two, and he grew up in Sacramento, California. Burtonu2019s mother, a teacher, encouraged his love of reading." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What role did LeVar Burton play in the miniseries Roots? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "He played Kunta Kinte, a young Malinke man captured in The Gambia and sold into slavery in the U.S. The story follows the character and his descendantsu2019 struggles to endure enslavement." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was the format of the show Reading Rainbow? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Each episode featured a childrenu2019s book read by a narrator, followed by a segment in which Burton explored the booku2019s theme through interviews and trips. It ended with a child giving a book review." } } ] } Top Questions What is LeVar Burton best known for? He is best known for hosting the educational TV show Reading Rainbow and playing Kunta Kinte in Roots and Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

　　Where was LeVar Burton born and what was his early life like? LeVar Burton was born in West Germany while his father was stationed there with the U.S. Army Signal Corps. His family moved to the U.S. when he was about two, and he grew up in Sacramento, California. Burton’s mother, a teacher, encouraged his love of reading.

　　What role did LeVar Burton play in the miniseries Roots? He played Kunta Kinte, a young Malinke man captured in The Gambia and sold into slavery in the U.S. The story follows the character and his descendants’ struggles to endure enslavement.

　　What was the format of the show Reading Rainbow? Each episode featured a children’s book read by a narrator, followed by a segment in which Burton explored the book’s theme through interviews and trips. It ended with a child giving a book review.

　　LeVar Burton (born February 16, 1957, Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany) is an American actor best known for his long tenure hosting the popular educational TV show Reading Rainbow (1983–2006) and for playing Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries Roots (1977) and Lieut. Comdr. Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–94) and several Star Trek films. In 2023 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal “for his impact as an actor, a literacy advocate, and a storyteller.” Burton was born in West Germany, where his father, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, was stationed as a photographer with the U.S. ...(100 of 1089 words)

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