LeVar Burton Net Worth

What is LeVar Burton's net worth?

LeVar Burton is an American actor, author, director, producer, and presenter with a net worth of $6 million. He made his acting debut in 1977, playing Kunta Kinte in the ABC drama series "Roots," earning an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Burton is also known for hosting and executive producing the PBS program "Reading Rainbow," a role he held for 23 seasons. The show won over 2000 awards, including 26 Emmys. Additionally, he is recognized for his portrayal of Geordi La Forge on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." He has directed episodes of various TV shows, including Star Trek, Charmed, and JAG, and serves on the board of directors for AIDS Research Alliance.

Early Life and Education

LeVar Burton was born as Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. in 1957, in Landstuhl, West Germany. His father was a US Army Signal Corps photographer, and his mother was a social worker and educator. Raised in Sacramento, California, Burton attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary with the intention of becoming a priest. However, he shifted his career goals to acting at age 17 and later enrolled at the University of Southern California.

Roots and Early Screen Career

Burton made his feature film debut in 1976 with "Almos' a Man" and gained significant recognition for his role as Kunta Kinte in the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots." Burton earned an Emmy Award nomination for this role. He also appeared in the crime drama "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" alongside Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, and Tuesday Weld.

In the late 1970s, Burton starred in two biographical TV films: "One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story" in 1978, and "Dummy" in 1979, which was honored with a Peabody Award and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie. He continued to act in various TV series and films throughout the early 1980s, including "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones," "Trapper John, M.D.," "Fantasy Island," "The Hunter," and "Grambling's White Tiger."

Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation

In 1983, Burton began hosting and executive producing the PBS children's series "Reading Rainbow," which ran for 23 seasons and earned numerous awards, including 24 Daytime Emmys and a Peabody Award in 1992. Burton later co-founded RRKIDZ, a children's media company. In 1986, he was cast as Geordi La Forge in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." He starred in all 178 episodes and directed two episodes. He reprised his role in four feature films based on the series and directed episodes of later "Star Trek" series.

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Other Television and Film Roles

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Burton appeared in a variety of TV films and series. Notable projects include "The Jesse Owens Story," "The Midnight Hour," "The Love Boat," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Houston Knights." In 1988, he reprised his role as Kunta Kinte in "Roots: The Gift." From 1990 to 1996, Burton voiced Kwame in the animated series "Captain Planet and the Planeteers." In the following years, he made guest appearances on shows like "Christy," "Deadly Games," "Pinky and the Brain," and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

In the 2000s, Burton portrayed Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in the biopic "Ali." He appeared in episodes of "Becker" and "Boomtown," and played roles in "The Jensen Project," "Community," "The Big Bang Theory," "Transformers: Rescue Bots," "Perception," and "Weird City." In 2021, he was a guest host on "Jeopardy!" following the passing of Alex Trebek.

Directing Career

Aside from acting, Burton directed episodes of "Star Trek" and TV films such as "The Tiger Woods Story" and "Smart House." He made his feature film directorial debut in 2003 with "Blizzard." He has also directed episodes of "JAG," "Miracle's Boys," "Las Vegas," and "NCIS: New Orleans." In 2008, he directed "Reach for Me," which won an AARP Movies for Grownups award.

Personal Life

In 1992, Burton married makeup artist Stephanie Cozart. They have two children, son Eian and daughter Michaela. Burton joined the board of directors for AIDS Research Alliance in 2012 and was honored on the Sacramento Walk of Stars in 2016. In 2019, a park in Sacramento was named in his honor.