LeVar Burton, an American actor, author, director, producer, and presenter, has a net worth of $6 million. He gained widespread recognition with his acting debut in 1977, portraying Kunta Kinte in the popular ABC drama series “Roots.” This role, which was his first professional acting audition, earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Burton is also well-known for his work on the PBS program “Reading Rainbow,” which he hosted and executive produced from 1983 to 2006, winning over 2000 awards, including 26 Emmys. Additionally, Burton starred as Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and has directed numerous television episodes. He serves on the board of directors for the AIDS Research Alliance.
| LeVar Burton Net Worth | $6 Million |
| Date of Birth | February 16, 1957 |
| Place of Birth | Landstuhl, West Germany |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, Author, Director, Producer, Presenter |
Early Life
LeVar Burton was born as Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. on February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, West Germany. His father was stationed in Landstuhl as a photographer for the US Army Signal Corps, while his mother was a social worker and educator. Raised in Sacramento, California, with his two sisters, Burton was brought up Roman Catholic and attended St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Galt, initially aiming to become a priest. However, he shifted his career goals to acting at 17 due to his skepticism of the Catholic faith and subsequently enrolled at the University of Southern California.
Roots
Burton made his feature film acting debut in 1976’s “Almos’ a Man.” His breakthrough came in the 1977 ABC miniseries “Roots,” where he played the young Kunta Kinte, earning an Emmy Award nomination. That same year, he appeared in “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, and Tuesday Weld. In 1978, Burton starred in “One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story,” portraying Ron LeFlore, a troubled youth who rose to play for the Detroit Tigers in the MLB. In 1979, he starred in “Dummy,” playing Donald Lang, a deaf black man accused of murder. The film was honored with a Peabody Award and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.
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In the early 1980s, Burton appeared in the television miniseries “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones” and episodes of “Trapper John, M.D.” and “Fantasy Island.” He starred in the crime thriller “The Hunter” (1980) and had a supporting role in the television film “Grambling’s White Tiger” (1981), based on the true story of quarterback Jim Gregory.
Reading Rainbow and Star Trek
In 1983, Burton began his long-running role as host and executive producer of the PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow.” The program, which ran for 23 seasons, earned Burton numerous accolades, including 24 Daytime Emmy Award nominations and 12 wins. He also received multiple NAACP Image Awards and a Peabody Award in 1992. After “Reading Rainbow” concluded in 2006, Burton and his business partner Mark Wolfe launched RRKIDZ, a new children’s media company.
In 1986, Burton was offered the role of Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” by creator Gene Roddenberry. Burton starred in all 178 episodes of the series and directed two episodes. He reprised his role in four feature films based on the series: “Star Trek Generations,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “Star Trek: Nemesis.” He also directed episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager.”
Other Television and Film Roles
In the 1980s, Burton appeared in “The Jesse Owens Story,” “The Midnight Hour,” “The Love Boat,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Houston Knights.” He starred in the zombie horror film “The Supernaturals” and reprised his role as Kunta Kinte in “Roots: The Gift” (1988). From 1990 to 1996, he voiced Kwame on the animated superhero series “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.” Burton’s 1990s credits include appearances in “Christy,” “Deadly Games,” “Pinky and the Brain,” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
In the early 2000s, Burton portrayed Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in “Ali” (2001). He appeared in episodes of “Becker,” “Boomtown,” “The Jensen Project,” “Community,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Transformers: Rescue Bots,” “Perception,” and “Weird City.” In 2021, Burton was chosen as a guest host on “Jeopardy!” following the passing of Alex Trebek.
Directing Career
Burton has directed several episodes of “Star Trek” and television films such as “The Tiger Woods Story” and “Smart House.” He made his feature film directorial debut with “Blizzard” (2003), a Christmas family film in which he also appeared. Burton 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, Eian and Michaela. Burton joined the AIDS Research Alliance’s board of directors in 2012. In 2016, he was honored on the Sacramento Walk of Stars, and in 2019, a park near his childhood home was named in his honor.
Real Estate
In 1996, LeVar and Stephanie purchased a home in Sherman Oaks, California, for $1.475 million. They listed the home for sale in 2009 for $1.85 million.
LeVar Burton Net Worth
LeVar Burton net worth is $6 million.