LeVar Burton was born on this day in 1957

by

LeVar Burton arrives at the premiere of the third and final season of "Star Trek: Picard" on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Reading Time: < 1 minute

LeVar Burton is an actor, director, and author, best known for his roles in the television series “Roots” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. He was born in West Germany, but grew up in Sacramento, California.

Burton’s career began in the late 1970s when he starred in the groundbreaking television miniseries “Roots,” which was based on the novel by Alex Haley. He played the role of Kunta Kinte, a young African man who is captured and sold into slavery.

In the 1980s, Burton became a household name as the host of the popular children’s show “Reading Rainbow,” which aired on PBS from 1983 to 2006. The show encouraged children to read by featuring books and literary adventures, and won numerous Emmy Awards over the years.

In recent years, Burton has continued to work as a director and actor, and has also become an author. He has written several books, including 2021’s “A Kids Book About Imagination.”


Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

advanced divider
advanced divider
Advertisement