History Creator / LeVarBurton

He lent his voice to ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'' as Doc Greene and ''WesternAnimation/MilesFromTomorrowland'' as Dr. Consilium. He's also dabbled in writing with the racial thriller ''Aftermath'' and the childrens book ''The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm''.

* IAmNotLeonardNimoy[=/=]IAmNotSpock: ZigZagged. To many people, he will always be Geordi La Forge, but even before TNG, he was extremely noteworthy, having starred in ''Roots'' and hosting ''Reading Rainbow''. In fact, when TNG first premiered, ''he'' was the biggest name in the cast (at least in the US. In the UK, Creator/PatrickStewart was the biggest name).

* DoingItForTheArt: He spent ''26 years'' on ''Reading Rainbow'', and after the show was canceled he fought savagely to own the rights, because he genuinely believes in the ReadingIsCoolAesop. [[http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/levar-burton-reading-rainbow-kickstarter?mbid=social_fbshare And then he fought to bring it back.]]

[[caption-width-right:347: Creator/LanceReddick [[Series/TheEricAndreShow wished he was this guy]].]]

However, then [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/reading-rainbow-owner-accuses-levar-burton-theft-extortion-lawsuit-1027372 the TV station that previously produced Reading Rainbow came and sued LeVar]], claiming that they themselves are working on a revival of the series, and that [=LeVar=] was mistaken -- that they didn't sell the entire franchise to him lock, stock and barrel, but just licensed it to him. While [=LeVar=] lost the lawsuit, the worst that happened was that his project was just rebranded. In the meantime, time will tell if [=WNED=]'s action would result in backlash against the relaunched show (like what happened after the producers of ''The Lone Ranger'' [[TheRemake remake]] in TheEighties tried to pull trademark violation on Clayton Moore), when and if it happens -- one thing that is clear, though: [[FalseReassurance the so-called retool]] is stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.

* DoingItForTheArt:
** He has stated in interviews that his VISOR [[note]] Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement [[/note]] on TNG was so uncomfortable he pretty much had a seven-year headache. ''That'' takes commitment to a role. It's also a case of extreme MethodActing as it's stated the visor also gives Geordi extreme headaches. Amusingly, going even further, after the second season, producers planned to establish that Geordi had undergone an experimental medical procedure to permanently restore his natural eye sight and eliminate use of his visor. Burton, however, firmly rejected the idea, claiming it to be a major disservice to blind people in real life. He did finally get rid of it in time for the second TNG movie - Film/StarTrekFirstContact - in favour of ocular implants which served the same function, but did manage to power through seven seasons and a movie before switching over.
** He spent ''26 years'' on ''Reading Rainbow'', and after the show was canceled he fought savagely to own the rights, because he genuinely believes in the ReadingIsCoolAesop. [[http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/levar-burton-reading-rainbow-kickstarter?mbid=social_fbshare And then he fought to bring it back.]]

[[caption-width-right:347: Creator/LanceReddick [[Series/TheEricAndreShow wishes he was this guy]].]]

Burton also launched the podcast "[=LeVar=] Burton Reads" in 2018, which is... ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. In each episode, he reads a piece of short fiction accompanied by sound effects and music. The podcast has fairly been called "Reading Rainbow for adults", although [=WNED=] got tacky about him describing it that way himself, as well as for using his {{Catch Phrase}}s "you don't have to take my word for it" and "I'll see you next time." (The settlement for the lawsuit allowed him to keep saying them on the podcast.) Typically, the stories featured are some form of SpeculativeFiction, whether it's fantasy, scifi, or fantastic realism, but other genres are sprinkled in too, and range in tone from heartbreaking to hilarious.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (1987-94) - Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

* Burton's full first name is "Levardis". Someone on the reasonably well known baby names forum "Baby's Named a Bad Bad Thing'' said that Levardis "sounds like a medication" but that "he could [[NWordPrivileges always tell people that Levardis was his slave name]]".

** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' - "Flashback" (1998), also directed.

However, then [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/reading-rainbow-owner-accuses-levar-burton-theft-extortion-lawsuit-1027372 the TV station that previously produced Reading Rainbow came and sued LeVar]], claiming that they themselves are working on a revival of the series, and that [=LeVar=] was mistaken -- that they didn't sell the entire franchise to him lock, stock and barrel, but just licensed it to him. While [=LeVar=] lost the lawsuit, the worst that happened was that his project was just rebranded. In the meantime, time will tell if [=WNED=]'s action would result in backlash against the relaunched show (like what happened after the producers of ''The Lone Ranger'' [[The Remake remake]] in TheEighties tried to pull trademark violation on Clayton Moore), when and if it happens -- one thing that is clear, though: [[FalseReassurance the so-called retool]] is stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.

However, then [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/reading-rainbow-owner-accuses-levar-burton-theft-extortion-lawsuit-1027372 the TV station that previously produced Reading Rainbow came and sued LeVar]], claiming that they themselves are working on a revival of the series, and that [=LeVar=] was mistaken -- that they didn't sell the entire franchise to him lock, stock and barrel, but just licensed it to him. While [=LeVar=] lost the lawsuit, the worst that happened was that his project was just rebranded. In the meantime, time will tell if [=WNED=]'s action would result in backlash against the relaunched show (like what happened after the producers of ''The Lone Ranger'' RemakeMovie in TheEighties tried to pull trademark violation on Clayton Moore), when and if it happens -- one thing that is clear, though: [[FalseReassurance the so-called retool]] is stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.

However, then [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/reading-rainbow-owner-accuses-levar-burton-theft-extortion-lawsuit-1027372 the TV station that previously produced Reading Rainbow came and sued LeVar]], claiming that they themselves are working on a revival of the series, and that [=LeVar=] was mistaken -- that they didn't sell the entire franchise to him lock, stock and barrel, but just licensed it to him. While [=LeVar=] lost the lawsuit, the worst that happened was that his project was just rebranded. In the meantime, time will tell if [=WNED=]'s action would result in backlash against the relaunched show, when and if it happens -- one thing that is clear, though: the so-called retool is stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (1987-94) - Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (including a cameo on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'')

After Creator/AlexTrebek passed away in 2020, there was a concerted fan campaign to have him become the new host of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' in 2021. While Burton did guest host, he did not get the job. He had previously competed on "Celebrity ''Jeopardy!''" in 1995, winning $14,500 for the Somalia Foundation.

However, then [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/reading-rainbow-owner-accuses-levar-burton-theft-extortion-lawsuit-1027372 the TV station that previously produced Reading Rainbow came and sued LeVar]], claiming that they themselves are working on a revival of the series, and that [=LeVar=] was mistaken- that they didn't sell the entire franchise to him lock, stock and barrel, but just licensed it to him. While [=LeVar=] lost the lawsuit, the worst that happened was that his project was just rebranded. In the meantime, time will tell if [=WNED=]'s action would result in backlash against the relaunched show, when and if it happens- one thing that is clear tho, is that the so-called retool is stuck in DevelopmentHell as of 2019.

He lent his voice to ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'' as Doc Greene and ''WesternAnimation/MilesFromTomorrowland'' as Dr. Consilium. He's also dabbled in writing with the racial thriller ''Aftermath'' and the childrens book ''The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm''. There was also a concerted fan campaign to have him become the new host of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' in 2021. While Burton did guest host, he did not get the job.

He lent his voice to ''WesternAnimation/TransformersRescueBots'' as Doc Greene and ''WesternAnimation/MilesFromTomorrowland'' as Dr. Consilium.