Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer, and author. Burton first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley. He is also well known for his role as Lt. Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as the host of the PBS children's program Reading Rainbow. Burton was born to American parents at the U.S. Army Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in West Germany. His mother, Erma Jean , was a social worker, administrator,... and educator. His father, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, was a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, and at the time was stationed at Landstuhl. Burton and his two sisters were raised by his mother in Sacramento, California. Burton was raised Catholic and, at the age of thirteen, entered St. Pius X seminary in Galt, California to become a priest. He attended Christian Brothers High School and graduated in the class of 1974. He is a graduate of University of Southern California's School of Theatre.
more
| Birthdate: | February 16, 1957 |
| Birthplace: | Landstuhl |
| Age: | 55 |
| Height: | 5' 7" |
| Education: | University of Southern California |
| Also known as: | Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr., Levar Burton, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. |