LeVar Burton is a famous man.
He acts on TV. He also reads books on TV. He loves to help kids learn. He says we should read to be good. Do you like to read books?
LeVar Burton is a famous actor.
He acted on a show called Star Trek. He also played a part in a show called Roots.
He hosted a show called Reading Rainbow. He helped kids love books for many years. He even made a new app for tablets.
Now he tells stories on a podcast. He reads short stories for people to hear. He says we should read to be better people.
He is a very busy storyteller.
LeVar Burton is a famous actor and host.
He was born in 1957 in Germany. He grew up in California. He became a star in a show called Roots.
In that show, he played a boy named Kunta Kinte.
Many people know him from Reading Rainbow. He hosted this show for 23 years. It helped children learn to love books. He even made a new app for tablets. This app is called Skybrary. He wants schools to use his work for free.
He also acted on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played Geordi La Forge. This character wears a VISOR, which is a tool to help him see.
He also directed some episodes of Star Trek.
Today, he tells stories in a podcast. It is called LeVar Burton Reads. He reads short stories to adults. He won a Webby Award for his podcast. In his speech, he said, "Be a better person. Read." He also hosts a game show called Trivial Pursuit.
LeVar Burton is a famous American actor, director, and television host.
He is loved by many for his work in books and on screen. He spent 23 years hosting the PBS Kids series Reading Rainbow. This show helped many children discover the joy of reading. He also won 12 Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on that series. He even received a Peabody Award for being a host and producer. People know him as a person who values learning and storytelling.
Burton has many different ways of sharing stories with the world. He can act in a movie or host a show for kids. He can also read short stories on a podcast for adults. His podcast is called LeVar Burton Reads. It has won a Webby Award for being a great art and culture podcast. In his speech for the award, he said, "Be a better person. Read." He even started a new podcast for children called Sound Detectives. He is also a host for the game show Trivial Pursuit.
His journey started a long time ago in Landstuhl, West Germany. He was born there on February 16, 1957. His father was a photographer for the U.S. Army. Burton grew up mostly in Sacramento, California. He lived in places like Glen Elder and West Sacramento. When he was a teenager, he went to a seminary in Galt, California. He once thought about becoming a priest. However, at age 17, he decided to try acting instead.
Burton became a star through several very important roles. In 1977, he played Kunta Kinte in the miniseries Roots. This role was a huge breakthrough for his career. He also played Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Geordi is a character who is blind but uses a device called a VISOR to see. Burton played this character in many films and even in the series Picard. He also played Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2001 film Ali. He even won a Grammy Award for reading a book about Martin Luther King Jr.
Reading and stories connect everything Burton does. He wants to make sure children have access to books everywhere. He helped create a tablet app called Skybrary to help kids learn. He also started a project to bring Reading Rainbow to schools for free. His work shows how stories can change how people see the world. He believes that reading is a way to grow and be better. This idea links his acting, his hosting, and his podcasts together.
LeVar Burton is a prominent American actor, director, and television host.
He is widely recognized for his diverse contributions to media, ranging from science fiction to children's education. Throughout his career, Burton has utilized storytelling to connect with audiences of all ages. He has earned numerous prestigious honors for his work. These include 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for his work on the educational series Reading Rainbow. He also received a Grammy Award for his narration of a book about Martin Luther King Jr. His impact on television was officially recognized in 1990 when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Burton's early life involved several moves between Germany and California. He was born Levardis Robert Burton Jr. on February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, West Germany. His father worked as a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Burton spent much of his childhood in Sacramento, California. He attended St. Anne's Elementary and lived in areas like West Sacramento and South Sacramento. As a teenager, he attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Galt, California. He originally intended to become a priest through the Catholic Church. However, at age 17, he changed his career path to acting.
His professional breakthrough occurred in 1977 with the ABC miniseries Roots. In this production, he played the role of the young Kunta Kinte. This performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor. Burton noted that the series helped expand the consciousness of people. He suggested that it helped viewers see each other as human beings rather than stereotypes. Following this success, he took on many other roles in film and television. He played characters in movies like Looking for Mr. Goodbar and The Hunter. His performance in The Hunter earned him an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
One of his most iconic roles began in 1986 in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played Lieutenant Junior Grade Geordi La Forge. The character is blind but uses a prosthetic device called a VISOR to see.
La Forge served as the helmsman and later as the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise. Burton portrayed this character in several feature films and later in the series Picard. He also worked behind the camera, directing episodes of various Star Trek series. This role helped establish him as a major figure in science fiction television.
Burton's commitment to literacy is most evident through his work with Reading Rainbow. He served as the host and executive producer of the series for 23 seasons, from 1983 to 2006.
After the show ended, he helped form a media company to continue the brand. He helped create an iPad application called Skybrary, which became a top educational app. In 2014, he launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring Reading Rainbow to web-based formats. This campaign raised more than $5 million, reaching its goal in only three days. His goal is to provide free access to these resources for schools in need.
In recent years, Burton has expanded into the world of digital audio. In 2017, he launched the podcast LeVar Burton Reads. Each episode lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. He reads short fiction and shares his personal thoughts on the stories. The podcast has won a 2023 Webby Award for Best Art and Culture Podcast. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he even held live readings on Twitter for various age groups. He also launched Sound Detectives, a podcast designed specifically for children.
Burton's career demonstrates how different forms of media can work together to share ideas. His work connects acting, hosting, and narration to promote learning. He has even hosted the game show Trivial Pursuit on The CW as of 2024. Whether through a television screen, a podcast, or a book, his message remains consistent. When he accepted his Webby Award, he summarized his philosophy in five words: "Be a better person. Read."
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (3)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.