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LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton

Highest Rated: 100% Butterfly in the Sky (2022)

Lowest Rated: 38% Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Birthday: Feb 16, 1957

Birthplace: Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

At the age of 19, actor LeVar Burton was catapulted to stardom as the lead in the monumental television miniseries "Roots" (ABC, 1977), only to be confronted by a dearth of satisfying roles for over a decade. That is, until he took on the iconic character of Geordi La Forge in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (syndicated, 1987-1994). In the few years that followed the airing of "Roots" - a landmark in television history and American culture - the young actor found himself blessed with several starring roles in telepics such as "Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid" (CBS, 1977) and "One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story" (CBS, 1978). However, by the early 1980s those choice parts had all but disappeared, and Burton was forced to reconcile himself with series guest spots and supporting roles in television movies. Although his lengthy commitment to the children's educational program "Reading Rainbow" (PBS, 1982-2005) provided personal satisfaction, it was not until he landed the integral role of the U.S.S. Enterprise's Lt. Commander La Forge on "The Next Generation" that Burton truly made his pop culture comeback. In an industry known for its paucity of affirming characters for African-Americans, and in which landing one, much less two, career-making roles was all but unheard of, Burton's talent, diversity and perseverance served him exceptionally well in Hollywood.

Highest rated movies

95% 71% Definition Please 93% 89% Star Trek: First Contact 68% 65% Ali
61% 74% Looking for Mr. Goodbar
55% 44% Star Trek: Insurrection 48% 57% Star Trek Generations 46% 49% The Hunter 38% 49% Star Trek: Nemesis

Filmography

Movies

Credit
91% 75% The Imaginary The Old Dog (Voice) - 2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Right to Read Executive Producer - 2023
100% 90% Butterfly in the Sky Self - 2022
95% 71% Definition Please Unknown (Character) - 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Brentwood Unknown (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet 15% Rise of the Zombies Dr. Dan Halpern (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 24% And They're Off... Self - 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jensen Project Kendrick (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet 35% Taken in Broad Daylight Mike Timbrook (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 81% Reach for Me Nathaniel (Character),
Director
- 2008
67% 52% Blizzard Director - 2003
38% 49% Star Trek: Nemesis Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge (Character) $500.0K 2002
68% 65% Ali Martin Luther King, Jr. (Character) $58.2M 2001
No Score Yet 73% Dancing in September Self - 2000
No Score Yet 53% Smart House Director - 1999
No Score Yet 66% Our Friend, Martin Martin at age 26 (Voice) - 1999
55% 44% Star Trek: Insurrection Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (Character) $70.2M 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Tiger Woods Story Director - 1998
No Score Yet 0% Yesterday's Target Winstrom (Character) - 1996
93% 89% Star Trek: First Contact Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (Character) $92.0M 1996
48% 57% Star Trek Generations Geordi (Character) $74.6M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland Fire Chief J. Allan Mather (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 78% Roots: The Gift Kunta Kinte (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet 29% The Supernaturals Pvt. Michael Osgood (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Special Friendship Ben Sumner (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Liberty Robert Johnson (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 69% The Midnight Hour Vinnie Davis (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet 60% The Jesse Owens Story Professor Preston (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Emergency Room Ray Walden (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Grambling's White Tiger Charles "Tank" Smith (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Acorn People Rodney (Character) - 1981
46% 49% The Hunter Tommy Price (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dummy Donald Lang (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Battered Andrew Sinclair (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet 80% Roots: One Year Later Unknown (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story Ron LeFlore (Character) - 1978
61% 74% Looking for Mr. Goodbar Cap Jackson (Character) - 1977
No Score Yet No Score Yet Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid Billy Peoples (Character) - 1977

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trivial Pursuit Host 2024
No Score Yet 12% The View Guest 2021-2024
88% 60% Clipped LeVar Burton (Character) 2024
No Score Yet 72% NCIS: Hawai'i Director 2022-2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Finding Your Roots Guest 2024
89% 57% Star Trek: Picard Geordi LaForge (Character) 2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet To Dine For With Kate Sullivan Guest 2023
No Score Yet 62% The Kelly Clarkson Show Guest 2022
60% 25% Tom Swift Barclay (Voice) 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rachael Ray Guest 2021
93% 89% Leverage: Redemption Robert Blanche (Character) 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jeopardy! Host 2021
No Score Yet 64% NCIS: New Orleans Nero (Guest Star),
Director
2017-2021
No Score Yet 86% Explained Narrator 2018
61% 79% Scorpion Director 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Miles From Tomorrowland Dr. Consilium (Guest Voice) 2016-2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2012 2016
100% 29% The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore Guest 2016
81% 84% The Big Bang Theory LeVar Burton (Guest Star) 2011-2012 2014
No Score Yet 85% Perception Paul Haley (Character),
Unknown (Guest Star)
2012 2014
88% 88% Community Himself (Guest Star) 2011 2014
100% 94% Adventure Time Bubble (Guest Voice) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Larry King Now Guest 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2012-2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Guest 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Face Off Guest 2012
No Score Yet 64% Family Guy Vern (Guest Voice) 2005 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Reading Rainbow Host 1983-1998 2000-2002 2004-2006
No Score Yet 90% Charmed Director 2005-2006
56% 79% Star Trek: Enterprise Director 2001 2003-2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Miracle's Boys Director 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet JAG Director 2003
76% 79% Star Trek: Voyager Capt. Geordi LaForge (Guest Star),
Director
1995-1998 2000-2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Soul Food Director 2000-2001
No Score Yet 97% Becker Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
91% 89% Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Director 1995-1997 1999
No Score Yet 78% The New Adventures of Captain Planet Kwame (Voice) 1990-1996
50% No Score Yet Deadly Games Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
82% No Score Yet Christy Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
92% 90% Star Trek: The Next Generation Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (Character),
Director
1987-1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Houston Knights Unknown (Guest Star) 1987
No Score Yet 89% Murder, She Wrote Reporter Dave Robinson (Guest Star) 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fantasy Island Unknown (Guest Star) 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trapper John, M.D. Unknown (Guest Star) 1982
76% 65% Roots Kunta Kinte / Toby (Character) 1977