Here's What LeVar Burton's Net Worth Really Is
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LeVar Burton is an actor, producer, director, and children's TV personality whose net worth is $6 million, as noted by Celebrity Net Worth. He is best known for not one, not two, but three totally iconic performances: He played Kunta Kinte/Toby in the groundbreaking TV miniseries "Roots," he starred in the seminal sci-fi juggernaut "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge, and he charmed children's audiences as host of the literacy-promoting "Reading Rainbow" (via IMDb). Any one of those honors would be enough in and of themselves, but, with Burton, you have a man who really is talented enough to have mastered all three.
In addition to being a film and television powerhouse, Burton is known for his activism. For one, he is on the board of directors of the AIDS Research Alliance, as per a press release the organization issued in 2012. Burton is also an advocate for racial justice, a topic he posts about often on Instagram, and he's a longtime champion for children's literacy. Talk about a wholesome and worthy variety of causes to support! Here's what else you need to know about one of our favorite entertainment industry figures.
LeVar Burton spent his early life in California
A. Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. — the man we call LeVar Burton — was born on Feb. 16, 1957, in Landsthul, Germany, where his father was stationed in the Army (per Deseret News). After moving to the United States two years later (and a second trip to Germany in 1964), Burton spent his formative years in Northern California, according to Sactown Magazine. Burton's parents divorced during his father's second time abroad, so he, his mother, and his sisters eventually settled in South Sacramento. Still, it sounds like Burton's upbringing was solid, despite his parents' split and how that may have impacted his family's finances.
Of course, Burton had an appetite for reading from the very beginning. "Books and literature always played a huge role in my life," he recalled to Sactown Magazine. "My mother was an English teacher, so I grew up in a household where reading was emphasized." Burton also remembers the beloved bookmobile, which often made stops just outside of his home.
Once Burton became a teenager, he decided to enter seminary school, but, while attending, found that something other than religion called to him. "Once I decided not to become a priest, it was a matter of finding something [else] that I could do with my life," he continued. "We had a great theater tradition at St. Pius, and I became really passionate about acting." And the rest, as they say, is history.
LeVar Burton's career includes some incredible accomplishments
LeVar Burton was attending USC on a full scholarship (via the Los Angeles Times) when he decided that acting was his true calling. In fact, he was still in school when he was cast as Kunta Kinte in "Roots" alongside legends Maya Angelou and Cicely Tyson. "My life was changed forever," Burton told The Atlantic. "It was an extraordinary experience for a young person." We can imagine! Plus, it had to be nice to get a real paycheck for the first time.
After landing this epic break, Burton would go on to have an extraordinary career in entertainment. He shone as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and subsequent "Star Trek" films, which only made him more famous; Burton also hosted (and produced) the iconic children's series "Reading Rainbow" for over 20 years. The actor has also appeared in a variety of other successful films and television shows, such as "Ali," "Community," and "The Big Bang Theory." We're pretty sure each of those parts came with some sweet compensation, too.
Burton even hosted the iconic game show "Jeopardy!" in 2021, a dream-come-true – and nerve-wracking — gig for him, after fans petitioned to have him at the famous podium. "I really feel like, had I not done everything I could to get in the door, I would have regretted it," he confessed to Esquire. Talk about another high-paying job!
What is LeVar Burton's personal life like?
When it comes to LeVar Burton's personal life, you may be surprised to learn that he's been hitched for a long time, especially when it comes to Hollywood standards. Burton married Hollywood makeup artist Stephanie Cozart Burton back in 1992, according to a tweet LeVar posted in 2019. "27 years ago today I jumped the broom with @StephanieCozart the love of my life!" he wrote in the caption. Congrats, you two, for making it work!
Though it's hard to estimate what Stephanie is worth on her own, she appears to be quite successful, as noted by her website. She's applied foundation on the faces of A-listers like Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, Queen Latifah, and Busy Phillips to name just a few, so there's a good chance Stephanie makes a pretty penny herself.
Together, LeVar and Stephanie have two children: cosplayer Mica Burton and son Eian Burton (who has a different mother, as per The Washington Post). In fact, when LeVar learned that he had a son he never knew about, he filed documents to share custody and offered to pay $600 per month in child support — a significant chunk of change by 1983's standards. Burton is also a grandfather, too, as per a post on his Instagram page.
This is the real estate LeVar Burton owns
When it comes to the place where LeVar Burton hangs his hat, that would be Sherman Oaks, California, located just north of Bel Air. According to Variety, Burton lives in quite the nice home, too, with beautiful views of the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom estate is a sprawling 4,987 square feet in size and boasts a "grand entry" with "a chef's kitchen [with state-of-the-art] appliances," living room with fireplace, dining room for entertaining, office, stunning master bedroom suite, and, of course, swimming pool and spa. The Spanish-style property, which sits on a cul-de-sac, is fairly glam.
Burton purchased the Sherman Oaks abode back in June of 1996 for $1,475,000, a significant chunk of his estimated net worth. And while the host put the home on the market 13 years after he bought it, it appears that Burton decided against moving; you can see him in the house in an Instagram post that shows the same wall of awards as the listing. We get why Burton would want to stay put, especially if you know anything about California real estate.
LeVar Burton's many projects likely keep him afloat
In addition to being a film and TV actor and host, LeVar Burton has other endeavors that likely contribute to his income. For one, Burton is a book author at least two times over; he published the children's book "The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm" in 2014, as well as the sci-fi novel "Aftermath" in 1996 (republished in 2021). We're going to speculate that Burton got a nice advance for his books, and so he might even be enjoying royalties as well.
In addition to his literary career, Burton dabbles in a few other things: He's on YouTube, teaches a MasterClass on storytelling, hosts a podcast about reading, occasionally goes on tour, does audiobook readings, and founded a subscription-based educational brand called Skybrary. All of these ventures likely contributed some coins into Burton's coffers. Furthermore, Burton is a spokesman and paid partner for Aviation Gin. Finally, Burton does public appearances at conventions like Comic Con and charges a speaking fee between $30,000 and $50,000 (via Core Speakers Agency). Not bad for one appearance!