Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What I admire most about LeVar Burton isn't the Emmy or the Walk of Fame star, though Geordi La Forge and Kunta Kinte alone would secure his legacy. It's that he spent 23 years hosting Reading Rainbow and never stopped championing literacy, later reviving that mission with his podcast. Plenty of actors chase prestige roles; few devote a career to making kids fall in love with books. Born on a military base in Germany, he became one of America's gentlest cultural educators. To me he's proof that a great performer can also be a great storyteller off-screen.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- LeVar Burton
- Name (Japanese)
- レヴァー・バートン
- Reading
- れゔぁー・ばーとん
- Born
- February 16, 1957 (age 69)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film director / writer / voice actor / television presenter / television director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Christian Brothers High School
- University
- University of Southern California
Awards & achievements
- Daytime Emmy Award
- 1980 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
- 2002 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special
- 1999 Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
- 1994 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special
- 1999 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special
- 2003 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | LeVar Burton Reads | — | |
| Notable work | Reading Rainbow | — | |
| Notable work | Star Trek: The Next Generation | — | |
| Notable work | Roots | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was LeVar Burton born?
Born February 16, 1957 (age 69).
Where is LeVar Burton from?
LeVar Burton is from Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
What does LeVar Burton do?
LeVar Burton works as film director, writer, voice actor, television presenter, television director.
What is LeVar Burton known for?
Notable works include LeVar Burton Reads, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Film director — see all → · Writer — see all → · More people from Germany →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-16
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.