LeVar Burton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LeVar Burton
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Burton at the 2023 GalaxyCon Raleigh
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| Born |
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr.
February 16, 1957 Landstuhl, West Germany
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| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actor, television host, director, author |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Stephanie Cozart
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2, including Mica |
| Awards | See Awards |
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is a famous American actor, director, and TV host. He is best known for three big roles. He played Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries Roots in 1977. He was also Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994. For 23 years, he hosted the popular educational TV show Reading Rainbow on PBS Kids.
Burton has won many awards for his work. This includes 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for Reading Rainbow. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Early life
LeVar Burton was born in Landstuhl, West Germany. His mother, Erma Gene, was a social worker and teacher. His father was a photographer for the U.S. Army. LeVar and his two sisters grew up in Sacramento, California. His mother raised them.
As a teenager, LeVar thought about becoming a priest. He even went to a seminary school. But at 17, he decided to become an actor instead. When he was 19, he got a main role in the 1977 TV series Roots. This was while he was still studying at the University of Southern California.
Career
Early work
Burton's first acting job was in 1976. It was a film called Almos' a Man. He starred alongside Madge Sinclair in this movie.
Roots
LeVar Burton became very famous for playing young Kunta Kinte. This was in the 1977 miniseries Roots. The show was based on a book by Alex Haley. Burton said that his first day playing Kunta Kinte was the start of his acting career. His performance was so good that he was nominated for an Emmy.
He played Kunta Kinte again in a 1988 TV movie called Roots: The Gift. Burton believes Roots helped people understand each other better. He said it helped people see each other as humans, not just stereotypes.
Reading Rainbow
LeVar Burton was the host and producer of Reading Rainbow. This show started in 1983 on PBS. It taught children about books and reading. The show ran for 23 seasons, until 2006.
After Reading Rainbow ended, Burton wanted to bring it back. He and his partner created a new company called RRKIDZ. In 2012, they launched a Reading Rainbow app for the iPad. It quickly became the top educational app.
In 2014, Burton started a Kickstarter campaign. He wanted to bring Reading Rainbow back as a web-based show. He hoped it could be used in elementary school classrooms for free. The campaign raised over $5 million, showing how much people loved the show.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
In 1986, LeVar Burton got the role of Lieutenant Junior Grade Geordi La Forge. This was for the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. Geordi is a blind character who can "see" using a special device called a VISOR. He started as the ship's helmsman. Later, he became the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise.
At the time, Burton was more famous than other actors on the show. This was because of his roles in Roots and Reading Rainbow. He also played Geordi La Forge in Star Trek movies. These included Star Trek Generations (1994) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). He also directed several episodes of Star Trek shows. In 2023, he returned as La Forge in Star Trek: Picard.
Podcast: LeVar Burton Reads
In 2017, Burton started a podcast called LeVar Burton Reads. In each episode, he reads a short story. He also shares his thoughts about it. Many people call it "Reading Rainbow for adults."
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he continued his podcast. He also did live readings on Twitter. These readings were for different age groups, including kids, teens, and adults. The podcast has won awards, like the 2023 Webby Award. In 2023, Burton also launched a new podcast for children called Sound Detectives.
Other appearances
Burton has appeared in many other TV shows and movies. He was a guest on Fantasy Island and The Love Boat. He also appeared on game shows like $25,000 and $100,000 Pyramids.
In 1986, he was in the music video for "Word Up!" by the group Cameo. He also played Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2001 film Ali.
Burton has lent his voice to many cartoons. He was Kwame in Captain Planet and the Planeteers. He also voiced characters in Family Guy and Batman: The Animated Series. He narrated audiobooks too, like The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963.
He has appeared as a funny version of himself on The Big Bang Theory. He also had a role as Dean Paul Haley on the TV series Perception. In 2014, he appeared on the YouTube channel SciShow to explain rainbows.
In 2021, LeVar Burton was a guest host on the game show Jeopardy!. Many fans had signed a petition asking for him to host.
Directing
LeVar Burton has directed many TV show episodes. He directed episodes for different Star Trek series. He has directed more Star Trek episodes than any other former cast member.
He has also directed episodes of other shows like Charmed and JAG. He directed the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House. His first movie as a director was Blizzard in 2003. For this film, he won an award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
In 2005, he was elected to the board of directors for the Directors Guild of America. In 2023, he received the Common Wealth Awards for his public service.
Personal life
LeVar Burton married Stephanie Cozart in 1992. She is a professional make-up artist. They have two children, Eian and Michaela "Mica" Jean Burton. The family lives in Sherman Oaks, California.
Burton has said he explores different beliefs. He does not follow one specific religion.
In 2012, Burton joined the board of the AIDS Research Alliance. This group works to find a cure for AIDS. In 2019, a park in Sacramento, California, was renamed LeVar Burton Park in his honor. This park is near where he grew up.
Awards and honors
Awards
LeVar Burton has won many awards for his work. Some of his notable wins include:
- 1990: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his TV achievements.
- 1992: Peabody Award for Reading Rainbow.
- 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003: Image Award for Reading Rainbow (as host and producer).
- 2000: Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for narrating The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr..
- 1990, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series for Reading Rainbow.
- 2001, 2002: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for Reading Rainbow.
- 2003: Television Critics Association Award for Reading Rainbow.
- 2004: "Best of Fest" award from the Chicago International Children's Film Festival for his film Blizzard.
- 2022: Children's and Family Emmys – Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2023: National Humanities Medal for his work promoting literacy.
- 2024: Saturn Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award (with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation).
Books
- Aftermath, 1997, ISBN: 0-446-67960-7
- The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, 2014, ISBN: 0-990-53950-4
- A Kids Book About Imagination, 2021, ISBN: 978-1-953955-44-9
Images for kids
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Burton at the Schlow Centre Region Library, January 29, 2007
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Burton in 2017
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See also
In Spanish: LeVar Burton para niños
