LeVar Burton (Photo courtesy The Hodges Partnership)
Early in his career, LeVar Burton was cast as the iconic Kunta Kinte in the 1977 miniseries “Roots,” a role he reveres as the show’s impact continues to be felt today. He inspired creativity and imagination in generations of children as host and executive producer of the PBS series “Reading Rainbow,” which aired for 21 seasons and is the third longest-running children’s show after “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” In 1987, Burton would take on the role of Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the VISOR-wearing engineer who was always quick to offer a solution whenever the starship Enterprise-D was in peril (which was often). Today, fans can listen to Burton read some of his favorite short fiction during his weekly podcast, “LeVar Burton Reads,” currently in its sixth season.
Burton will appear at GalaxyCon Richmond, Feb. 28-March 1 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. He’ll be available for autographs and photos over the weekend, and on Sunday, March 1, at 3 p.m. he’ll host a Q&A session. Single-day, weekend and VIP tickets cost $30 to $250.
Richmond magazine: It’s been more than 30 years since you first played Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge —
LeVar Burton: Are you serious?
RM: Yes. You know that.
Burton: Well, I don’t think about it in those terms, thank you very much, Nicole Cohen [laughs]. When you say it aloud like that, it seems pretty alarming, a little arresting, but you’re right, and your point would be [laughs]?
RM: Well, because of streaming services and syndication, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” really continues to live on, it’s never really left the public eye.
Burton: No, it didn’t. It won’t go away, will it?
RM: Nope.
Burton: Yeah, which for me makes the series “Picard” even more sweet, because when I hear strains of “The Next Gen” theme on “Picard,” I weep. I weep because it’s those chords — dun, duh duh dun, duh duh dun — they’re like in my DNA now, you know what I’m saying? It’s been 30 years and it’s still alive, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon, and that’s not a bad thing. I think everybody involved with “Next Gen” from every level, bottom to top, is extremely proud of the stories that we told.
RM: It’s my understanding Geordi is not going to be making an appearance in the first season of “Picard,” correct?
Burton: That is true. That is absolutely true. I can confirm that.
RM: So we’ll leave it as a surprise whether Geordi will make an appearance in the next season?
Burton: Well, I didn’t say that. We all want to create this reality, it’s a tremendous opportunity through this new series to see some of our old friends again, and we will this season, and I’m assured that we will next season as well. So everybody should just chill out [laughs] and be willing to be surprised.
RM: What about directing future episodes of “Picard?” You’ve directed episodes on “TNG” and other series before. Is that something you would be open to?
Burton: I’m absolutely open to it. Right now I’m only directing one show a year on “NCIS: NOLA.” I’ve had a long relationship with Scott Bakula, and I love the city, and I go to New Orleans twice a year to direct this show.
In fact, my next [episode] comes up in middle of March, which is a show that the producers wrote so that I might direct it. It’s a Black Lives Matter episode. The idea was inspired by conversations that we had in 2019 when I was there shooting one of the last episodes, the penultimate episode, actually, of the character Lasalle. They, in just a stunning move I challenged them to write an episode about Black Lives Matter, and they did, and it’s rare to get a chance to tell a story like that on network television, and I’m very proud of the way it turned out.
But to answer your question more directly, I’m open to it, but right now I’m only doing one [a year], and here’s the thing, I’m a storyteller and I do that through my acting, my writing, directing, producing, public speaking, podcasting … so, yeah, I don’t make my living just doing one thing, and I never have. So if they asked, I would obviously find the time for it because, No. 1, it would be an opportunity to work with Patrick [Stewart], and he’s just killing it in this series. I’ve only seen up until episode three so I have two more to watch, and I’m savoring them.
[Burton mentions he'll be avoiding physical contact with fans at GalaxyCon because of coronavirus concerns.]
RM: People will still be able to meet and greet with you, though?
Burton: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely! And I’ll sign things, and I’ll use a lot of hand sanitizer. Yes, please do come say goodbye and hello and all of that, but there will be no hugging this weekend, no touching this weekend.
RM: I also wanted to ask you about the YouTube Original “Weird City,” because it’s also in the science fiction universe.
Burton: Oh, I love that you brought up “Weird City”! I’m so sad that we didn’t get a chance to do a season two because Charlie [Sanders, who co-created the show] had great ideas. I had such a great time playing that character [of Dr. Negari], and I was looking forward to more fun, so selfishly I’m wrecked that YouTube didn’t pick us up.
RM: Since it’s also science fiction, did you draw on any of your past experience with the genre to bring out your character?
Burton: I don’t know, I suppose he’s an amalgam of every mad scientist I’ve ever been exposed to in literature and television. He’s quixotic as well as quirky, and you just don’t know about that guy. It’s like, what the freak is up with this guy? He was just a lot of fun, and I was really excited about exploring him, and you know, people don’t think Kunta can be funny, but I can tell you I have a good sense of humor, and I think I do comedy passively well, so it was just fun, it was a great joy.
RM: On your podcast, “LeVar Burton Reads,” how often are you releasing a new narration?
Burton: Every Tuesday we release a new episode except for in the hiatus. I just got a text from my producer, we are cleared for a Toni Morrison short story this season. Yeah, I’m so excited.
RM: In the introduction to your podcast, you do say this is some of the best short fiction that you’ve read and handpicked yourself, so how do you decide what story you will read on the podcast next?
Burton: My producer and I — Julia Marie Smith, the best in the business — we talk about what the goals are for the season, and then we go after it, and this is a very curated list of authors and stories. I’ve read many authors that most of the audience has never heard of before, and I’m really proud of that. Again, still sharing stories with the generation that grew up on “Reading Rainbow,” still giving them recommendations for what they should be reading or listening to, and really feeding the imagination and encouraging you guys to spend some time in your imaginations again, and everybody loves to be read to, right?
RM: There was a lot of media attention when you were championing a reboot of “Reading Rainbow” and the subsequent lawsuit over ownership of the intellectual property. Even through all of that, do you ever foresee a revival of “Reading Rainbow?”
Burton: It’s out of my hands; I gave the brand back to WNED [the Buffalo, New York, public broadcasting station].
RM: That’s really sad to hear.
Burton: Yeah, I mean, seriously. Look, it was a brand ultimately that I would never own, so it didn’t make sense for me to represent a brand that I would never own. I’m still doing the same thing I’ve always done, but I’m just doing it as an [intellectual property] that bears my name and that I own, simple as that.
RM: No LeVar Burton interview would be complete without mentioning your iconic role as Kunta Kinte in “Roots.”
Burton: Yes, it is Black History Month.
RM: Yes, and that miniseries has had such a lasting impact. How does it continue to affect your own life, even today?
Burton: It was 43 years ago, and it continues to impact my life in the sense that with each passing year, that work that we did back in 1977 continues to stand the test of time as a real milestone, a marker in the history of America and specifically in terms of America coming to terms with its slaveholding past. This was an important and essential step on that journey, and that journey is by no stretch of the imagination over, and it feels as though the gains we have made like the election of a black president of the United States have given way to a whole lot of retrenchment, but that doesn’t mean the journey is over, so “Roots” is a cultural linchpin, and I’m good with that.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
