LeVar Burton, born February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, West Germany, is an American actor, director, and television host best known for portraying Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Kunta Kinte in Roots, and hosting Reading Rainbow for 23 years.

     Burton grew up in Sacramento, California, raised by his mother, Erma Gene, a social worker and educator. His father, Levardis Burton Sr., was a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. As a teenager, Burton entered St. Pius X Minor Seminary intending to become a Catholic priest, but later shifted his focus to acting. He attended the University of Southern California, where he studied drama.

     His breakthrough came in 1977 when he starred as Kunta Kinte in Roots, earning an Emmy nomination. He later appeared in Dummy (1979), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), and Ali (2001), where he portrayed Martin Luther King Jr.. In 1983, he became the host of Reading Rainbow, an educational series that ran for 23 years, winning 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.

     Burton was cast as Geordi La Forge, the blind chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-D, in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994). He reprised the role in four Star Trek films and Star Trek: Picard (2023). Beyond Star Trek, he directed episodes of Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, and starred in The Hunter (1980) and The Christmas Hope (2009).

     Burton has been married to Stephanie Cozart Burton since 1992, and they have two children, including Mica Burton, an actress and cosplayer. He continues to advocate for literacy and education, hosting the podcast LeVar Burton Reads and appearing as the host of Trivial Pursuit in 2024.