LeVar Burton is best known for his role in the global phenomenon Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sharing screen space with actors like Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, Burton played the role of the chief engineer Geordie La Forge. The show was the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the franchise which has lasted decades.
While Burton starred in the spinoff show, he was reportedly a huge Trekkie and worshipped creator Gene Roddenberry for depicting a hopeful future. Hence, when he was selected to play the role, he had only one question before signing the contract which involved Roddenberry.
LeVar Burton’s One Condition To Join Star Trek: The Next Generation
The spinoff show Star Trek: The Next Generation was the most successful series of the franchise, despite already having a legacy of almost two decades preceding it. The show had many pop culture-defining characters, which included Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard and Brent Spiner’s Data.
Actor LeVar Burton, who is known for his role as Kunta Kinte in Roots and for the children’s TV show Reading Rainbow, was cast as Georgie La Forge in TNG. The actor was reportedly a huge fan of the original series and practically worshipped creator Gene Roddenberry. After meeting a former Star Trek producer on a different set, Burton was promptly selected.
While Burton considered it an honor to finally be a part of his childhood dream, he still had one question before he signed the dotted line. He reportedly asked (via EW),
Bob [Justman] and I had done a TV movie in the early ’80s. I was such a fan of Star Trek, we sat around on the set, and I just pumped him for stories about Shatner and Nimoy. So I got a call from Bob saying they were mounting a new Star Trek series and would I be interested. My only question was, Is Gene involved?
The actor would go on to direct multiple episodes of TNG, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and more Star Trek shows.
LeVar Burton Revealed The Incredible Reason Why He Loved Gene Roddenberry’s Vision
Writer and showrunner Gene Roddenberry redefined pop culture when he created Star Trek. Set in a distant future where intergalactic space travel is possible, the show saw a crew of the USS Enterprise going on multiple adventures around the universe and diplomatically solving multiple issues.
Differing from usual sci-fi franchises which emphasize action and dystopia, Roddenberry’s vision for the future was more hopeful and inclusive. This is one of the reasons actor LeVarBurton reportedly fell in love with the series. He said to Ed Surge,
Gene Roddenberry’s version of the future was different. Seeing Nichelle Nichols [the African American actress who played Lt. Uhura] on the bridge of the original Enterprise meant the world to me. As a storyteller, Roddenberry was saying: ‘When the future comes, there’s a place for you.’ It was a representation of the future that I could project myself into.
Burton also mentioned how he realized the importance of seeing oneself in popular media and the responsibility he had as a storyteller.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.
