LeVar Burton, Fred Rogers, Bob Ross, Jim Henson: these incredibly gifted, creative, soft-spoken yet powerful men shaped my childhood - and I'm so grateful for that. What wonderful role models of men and humans to look up to and be inspired by!
I feel like those of us who grew up in that area are the last of the generation of that century. Star Wars latchkey kids. Cartoons were only on saturdays, so we would watch PBS on weekdays. Sesame Street, Mr Rodgers, Electric Company, Zoom.
Hear hear. And I fear that LeVar and Rob are right that kids don't have role models of that strain today. I'm hard pressed to think of any. I know there're still kids shows and some of them are really well-informed and well-done, and maybe it's just because I'm almost 40 and don't have (or plan to have) kids and so I'm just not that well-read on who's doing it... but it just doesn't seem like we've got a next generation (heh) of icons following in those footsteps. Not, certainly, in the same way, by any means...
@@lekoman I think you're probably correct. There just isn't anyone in "Hollywood" these days that cares about presenting us, or the children of today, with role models that exude any type of morality or selfless thinking. Instead we get an emphasis on inclusivity, sexual politics, reverse misogyny (misandry), and racism. These are all the topics that children are dealing with since the age of 12, or in some cases even younger, because parents seem to think phones and internet access make awesome toys. I'm 47 and opted out of having any kids myself a long time ago. No regrets.
When I was like 5 and 6 years old, I'd watch Next Gen with my parents, and Reading Rainbow, and I didn't realize they were the same person because at that age I didn't really realize that the characters on screen were portrayed by real people called actors. So when my parents pointed this out to me, Levar became the first person who I was aware of as a celebrity.
Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high Take a look, it's in a book, A Reading Rainbow! I can go anywhere Friends to know, and ways to grow A Reading Rainbow! I can be anything Take a look, it's in a book A Reading Rainbow Reading Rainbow! Ooooooooooh
LeVar has always discussed the challenge of acting through the VISOR, and I never cease to be impressed at how effortless he made it look at the time, with his eyebrows making up fully for his covered eyes. Geordi is my favorite TNG character, a very smart everyman with challenges to overcome -- I looked to Geordi for inspiration to get through my teen years. Also fascinating to hear LeVar describe Fred Rogers as fundamentally authentic, when I have always perceived LeVar as true and authentic. He is patient, generous, invested in lifting others, dedicated to education and libraries... a blessing to our children and our real-life future.
@One Issue Voter i spell it as the VISR. its from Halo; Visual Intelligence System Recon/Visual Intelligence Recon System(VISR, pronounced "visor") is a proprietary integrated data management system used by personnel of the United Nations Space Command.
Personally I always thought the device was idiotic. This is due to the fact that it is something that is obviously not much beyond our current technology and yet a warp drive would be at least hundreds of years into the future. If you can make a warp drive or an android as sophisticated as Data then you would certainly have the technology to make a set of working artificial human eyes that are indistinguishable from the real thing and which give you even better vision. I had the same problem with Avatar by the way. In that movie we have the technology to colonize other planets in the Galaxy and yet, not only can we not repair spinal chord damage yet, but this guy is basically using a 20th century wheelchair to get around. You would think they would have something a bit more advanced to get these people around by the time we are colonizing other planets?
Nothing got me more ready for sleep than crawling out of bed, sneaking into the living room, and sitting on my dad's lap in front of the TV while the TNG theme began to play. That intro still goes hard 30+ years later. Absolute classic.
Time goes by so fast. At warp speed you could say. Lol Because just a few short years later I'd stay up by myself for _Late Night_ with old Coco and go to bed right after. Who knew? Lol But talk about iconic intro themes huh? Those were the days. I miss Late Night so much.
Can we all stop for a moment and appreciate how incredibly soothing LeVar's speaking voice is!! And how ON POINT his beard is! 🤯 Incredible career and an even better person!
Levar Burton has arguably the best podcast in the world. He hand picks short fiction, and reads its to you. It can be about anything, but it's often sci-fi and horror. It's absolutely excellent.
They had Geordi wear a vision-obstructing device because they knew LeVar Burton can act, and, boy, can LeVar Burton act 🥰. Love this interview - very fun to watch 😍.
Thinking of how he had difficulty seeing and how many times he flawlessly rolled under the door is amazing. Lots of other things but the rolling under the door just comes to mind first.
I remember watching TNG with my dad, seing that visor and asking "How does she see with that thing?" My dad answered that it analyzes the electromagnetic spectrum and... I said "No, the actor, how does he see with that thing blocking his eyes?" My dad had no answer to that.
It's wonderful to watch a video like this and KNOW everything they're talking about. I watched Mr. Rogers, Star Trek, movies with Whoopie Goldberg, Reading Rainbow, all that growing up. But sadly, one day this will all be forgotten to time like all things. I'm just glad it's not forgotten yet.
I have seen him at a couple of conventions. He a really nice and down to earth person. He doesn't seem to be tired of answering the same questions. I was a dream come true to meet him. Many blessings to him.
The banana clip idea was absolutely ridiculous, but just goes to how phenomenal an actor LeVar is to work through it and make it work at all. Also shout out to Micheal Dorn for working under tons of irritating makeup and prosthetics for so many years, just exceptional actors.
Rob Lowe is truly immortal... how is this man looking like THAT after living through the 80s? The guy is almost 60 years old! He must have a beautiful and child-like soul. And then it hit me, as clear as a summer day in LA... Simply put, this guy knows how to live life. That's why he looks so young, it's his energy and view on life and how to live it.
Thank you, algorithm, for FINALLY getting Rob's participation in the Team CoCo lexicon of amazing people into my fyp without me actively seeking them out.
You can tell by the way LeVar Burton speaks of Fred Rogers, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alex Haley... that he shares the same kind of genuine human warmth. Good heart to the core. Best intentions. And fantastic role models for kids.
Me and my brother used to put our sisters headbands over our eyes and pretend to be Laforge when we were kids, good to know there was real life inspiration for that 😂
Back when TNG was hitting its stride, Z100 was popular in NYC. They had a call-in trivia contest where the prize was a pair of VIP passes to NYC's Star Trek convention. The question I called in on was about what everyday item was the visual inspiration for Geordi's visor? As a true nerd, that was well versed in Trek Lore, I was POSITIVE I had this in the bag! So, when the DJ picked up my call - on the radio - and asked the question, I proudly and without hesitation said: "The inspiration was a girl's banana clip!" After a brief moment of silence, the dj and the producers started laughing and made fun of my answer, then hung up on me. I got to listen to them make fun of me on live air radio for another 2-4 minutes, then my head nearly burst when the next caller said: "the inspiration was a girl plastic hair barrette" and I'm sitting there thinking: oh their going to shred this poor sucker... nope! That guy won my VIP passes and I've been salty about it all these years😥😒 Hearing, Levar Burton say it was a banana clip is cathartic in a "there are FOUR lights!" Kinda way. ❤
@@adriantrusca1245 You are out of your mind. For an entire generation he was known as Kunta Kente. For another entire generation he was known for Reading Rainbow. He was singularly the biggest *star* in the original cast of Next Generation when they started. Bigger than Patrick Stewart who had only been a character actor and a stage actor before then.
If he’s currently reading children’s books in a voice like in this interview, sign me up! He can even call me Troy. I’m a terrible sleeper but this whole interview, even with Rob’s energy, is just a good vibe
Levar is one of favorite human beings on this planet. I've seen him once at a convention. But I never got to speak with him. I'd love to meet this man again. Hes been there from my PBS years to my star trek days. And even still. He should have gotten Jeapordy
LeVar and Sir Patrick Stewart are my two life heroes. I would give anything to meet them both. Because of both of them, I am the person I am today. The fact that they are as excellent off-screen as they are/were on screen is rare today!
as a child i used to watch levar burton on reading rainbow and i loved watching him on star trek with my mom who is my bff who grew up with star trek as a child with my father who also grew up watching star trek and the idea of being on the ship with theese lovely super hero charachters is just an amazing visual idea to be able to have.
Kind of a sad thing Burton had to wear the visor. He has wonderfully expressive eyes and it must have been frustrating for him as an actor to wear that thing.
I'm not sure what I was expecting here, but I got the polar opposite with this interview. Mr. Burton brings such gravitas to the discussion of his journey, and Mr. Lowe brought out some interesting things after starting with the visor thing which had been pretty widely known. They end up talking about how our heroes like Gene Roddenberry are still imperfect human beings, and how Mister Rogers' superb musicianship informed his impeccable opening sequence timing. Great stuff!
4:06 The Big Bird of the Galaxy 🤣 I think he meant the Great Bird of the Galaxy, but close enough. However, as soon as he said it, I pictured this gigantic yellow Muppet with feathers and a huge beak, wearing a Starfleet uniform.😂
I grew up on TOS FIRST! This was the time of "Star Wars (A New Hope,)" which inspired me to be a filmmaker at the age of 5! I wanted to make my own films! I had a "spark" in me that informed my future, I KNEW this was the world I wanted to be a part of. Then a year later, 1978, there was a television show that sparked my imagination, Star Trek (TOS,) it was on Monday through Friday at 4 pm Central Time, I lived in Austin at that time. As soon as I got home from school, I put Star Trek on. There was no cable back then, it was tv hooked up to an antenna. This was the 1970s, an ancient time before internet, before cell phones, before UA-cam. I didn't have a computer until I was 10, back in 1982. I had video games but it was Atari, it was okay for that time. But, I outgrew it. Backtracking, after a year of watching TOS, I found out about ST ("The Motion Picture,") I bugged my parents to take me to see it; I saw it in the local theater and I was BLOWN away! I still watch it out now that the Director's Edition is on 4K. No, it wasn't THE best Trek ever, but the franchise was re-launched. I always looked forward to a new Trek film. I found out about TNG right around the time of Star Trek IV ("The Voyage Home.") I was skeptical like a lot of Trek fans were, could Trek come back on television in a whole new way. When I saw "Encounter at Farpoint," I was a Freshman in High School, in Maine, at the time. I loved it. I watched every episode, but in hindsight, it wasn't my favorite Trek series. Even though Roddenberry created it, it was so so for me. When the space battles happened; when Picard became a BORG, I loved it. But there were too many episodes that "turned me off," it wasn't my "cup of tea." After ST 6 ("The Undiscovered Country") came out, I felt sad that the TOS era officially ended. However, Bones, Spock, later Scotty, were in TNG. I loved "Generations" because of Shatner's Kirk was in it, Kirk's death was shocking but it made sense to me. It made good story. Every character dies eventually, only Spock could get resurrected. But, then Leonard Nimoy died in 2015, his character sadly died, even though it was in another universe. I became a screenwriter because of my love for Trek, some Star Wars, The X-Files, and other media. I owe Trek so much, I wish I could write a Trek, but too many other writers have done it, I can't compete. So I'm writing my own tales. (My web site is : davisroadproductions.com; My Podcast : DRProgress on Apple Podcasts; DRProgress on anchor.fm.) Do what you LOVE! Keep on enjoying what MEDIA you love! Go After Your Dreams!!! - Markus McLaughlin Boston, MA
I have a message for LeVar Burton. I can definitely relate to Jordi Laforge. Because I really am legally blind. But LaVar I would like to thank you so much. For playing this character number one I really like Jordy he’s awesome. Two I grew upWatching your show. The reading rainbow. And because of you I got to listen to some wonderful stories on digital format. Such as the Harry Potter series. By JK Rowling. And the twilight series by Stephanie Myers.. And if there was such a ship as the enterprise. I would be proud to serve with Geordie Laforge down in engineering. I would be honored. And I also be honored to serve with Captain John Luke Picard 8:55 laVar I hope you get to read my comment I hope I’d love to hear from you. I think you’re awesome. In fact the whole cast and crew of Star Trek the next generation were awesome. Except for Q. He was one royal pain in the butt. I think even sir Patrick Stewart would agree with that
Probably my favourite gordi scene was with data in generations the movie when data cant control his emotion chip on that ship. They were both phenomenal
There was an episode of Reading Rainbow he did that was a behind the scenes look at the making of Star Trek the Next Generation. My favorite episode in that entire series by the way because I've always been interested in acting and I loved seeing the behind the scenes stuff. There was a particular book in my school library that was all about behind the scenes movie magic that I checked YEARLY though out all of Elementary School and LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow was a HUGE part of that. The one thing I always found really weird though, because I knew that LeVar Burton was both the host of Reading Rainbow and the actor who played Geordie LeForge but through out that entire episode it was never brought up that they were the same person, he never talked about the difficulties of working with that visor. I never really understood why that was. A whole episode of the Reading Rainbow all about the making of Star Trek The Next Generation and not once do they even mention LeVar's connection to the show. You can see him as Geordie in several scenes but it's edited to look like they're two different people. I would love to meet LeVar Burton and ask him about that episode. Also he voiced a human character on Transformers Rescue Bots which is another series I love... would be nice if he voiced an actual Transformer cause no one really cares about the human characters in Transformers really, but still really cool to hear his voice make an appearance in another show I watch outside of Star Trek. LeVar might never really know how much his work on the Reading Rainbow and Star Trek inspired my childhood and impacted my entire life growing up... unless he reads these comments which I kind of doubt. There are other people I've looked up growing up as well, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, but I think LeVar Burton was the first one who actually made me realize, oh this is actually a career I could have when I grow up, yeah I want to do that!
The only reason why I have the life and career that I have today is simply because Geordi inspired me to be an engineer when I started watching TNG at the age of 7. LeVar Burton is a great guy also 😄
I never understood how they took a man as popular as Levar 💛 after Roots, with his beautiful face, and covered up his eyes! 😎 Can't imagine what they were thinking.
Levar talks about how nobody is really as on par as Fred Rogers.. I respectfully decline that comment.. as I firmly believe that Levar himself is on par with Fred Rogers.. Both are incredibly kind and genuine gentlemen..
Mr reading rainbow himself I like the bar Burton's work all the way in the beginning in the '70s with roots and then reading rainbow all the things he's done. Also what is Rob Lowe on ? what does he do for his looks ? I have never seen someone every decade look as great as he has since the '80s
LeVar Burton, Fred Rogers, Bob Ross, Jim Henson: these incredibly gifted, creative, soft-spoken yet powerful men shaped my childhood - and I'm so grateful for that. What wonderful role models of men and humans to look up to and be inspired by!
Agree 👍
I feel like those of us who grew up in that area are the last of the generation of that century.
Star Wars latchkey kids. Cartoons were only on saturdays, so we would watch PBS on weekdays. Sesame Street, Mr Rodgers, Electric Company, Zoom.
Hear hear. And I fear that LeVar and Rob are right that kids don't have role models of that strain today. I'm hard pressed to think of any. I know there're still kids shows and some of them are really well-informed and well-done, and maybe it's just because I'm almost 40 and don't have (or plan to have) kids and so I'm just not that well-read on who's doing it... but it just doesn't seem like we've got a next generation (heh) of icons following in those footsteps. Not, certainly, in the same way, by any means...
@@lekoman I think you're probably correct. There just isn't anyone in "Hollywood" these days that cares about presenting us, or the children of today, with role models that exude any type of morality or selfless thinking. Instead we get an emphasis on inclusivity, sexual politics, reverse misogyny (misandry), and racism. These are all the topics that children are dealing with since the age of 12, or in some cases even younger, because parents seem to think phones and internet access make awesome toys. I'm 47 and opted out of having any kids myself a long time ago. No regrets.
Glad LeVar is still alive 😉
When I was like 5 and 6 years old, I'd watch Next Gen with my parents, and Reading Rainbow, and I didn't realize they were the same person because at that age I didn't really realize that the characters on screen were portrayed by real people called actors. So when my parents pointed this out to me, Levar became the first person who I was aware of as a celebrity.
Pretty much the same here. One day on Reading Rainbow, they had a "behind the scenes" of Star Trek TNG and my little brain exploded.
Something magical about seeing his eyes after being used to startrek. I always thought he was tripping.
Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high
Take a look, it's in a book,
A Reading Rainbow!
I can go anywhere
Friends to know, and ways to grow
A Reading Rainbow!
I can be anything
Take a look, it's in a book
A Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow!
Ooooooooooh
@@goobyhouser That was the greatest episode. I did the same exact thing as you.
@@goobyhouser I still remember that episode. It was so cool.
LeVar has always discussed the challenge of acting through the VISOR, and I never cease to be impressed at how effortless he made it look at the time, with his eyebrows making up fully for his covered eyes. Geordi is my favorite TNG character, a very smart everyman with challenges to overcome -- I looked to Geordi for inspiration to get through my teen years.
Also fascinating to hear LeVar describe Fred Rogers as fundamentally authentic, when I have always perceived LeVar as true and authentic. He is patient, generous, invested in lifting others, dedicated to education and libraries... a blessing to our children and our real-life future.
I hadn't thought of that. Good comment
@One Issue Voter i spell it as the VISR. its from Halo; Visual Intelligence System Recon/Visual Intelligence Recon System(VISR, pronounced "visor") is a proprietary integrated data management system used by personnel of the United Nations Space Command.
Personally I always thought the device was idiotic. This is due to the fact that it is something that is obviously not much beyond our current technology and yet a warp drive would be at least hundreds of years into the future. If you can make a warp drive or an android as sophisticated as Data then you would certainly have the technology to make a set of working artificial human eyes that are indistinguishable from the real thing and which give you even better vision. I had the same problem with Avatar by the way. In that movie we have the technology to colonize other planets in the Galaxy and yet, not only can we not repair spinal chord damage yet, but this guy is basically using a 20th century wheelchair to get around. You would think they would have something a bit more advanced to get these people around by the time we are colonizing other planets?
Ironic because when I was about 4 or 5 I used to take my mom's headbands and pretend I was Geordi.
Me too
Nothing got me more ready for sleep than crawling out of bed, sneaking into the living room, and sitting on my dad's lap in front of the TV while the TNG theme began to play. That intro still goes hard 30+ years later. Absolute classic.
*Iconic 😎
@@therevolutionwillnotbeyoutubed warp 9........
Engage
Time goes by so fast. At warp speed you could say. Lol Because just a few short years later I'd stay up by myself for _Late Night_ with old Coco and go to bed right after. Who knew? Lol But talk about iconic intro themes huh? Those were the days. I miss Late Night so much.
Can we all stop for a moment and appreciate how incredibly soothing LeVar's speaking voice is!!
And how ON POINT his beard is! 🤯
Incredible career and an even better person!
And hardly any interruptions. Well executed, guys!
Also, the guy is 65 and looks like he's hardly aged in 30 years.
Yes, Rob Lowe as well!
Does Levar Burton have a podcast? I could listen to his stories all day. Great chemistry with Rob Lowe.
Levar Burton has arguably the best podcast in the world.
He hand picks short fiction, and reads its to you. It can be about anything, but it's often sci-fi and horror.
It's absolutely excellent.
Basically grown-up reading rainbow. He definitely took a look in a book…..
They had Geordi wear a vision-obstructing device because they knew LeVar Burton can act, and, boy, can LeVar Burton act 🥰. Love this interview - very fun to watch 😍.
Thinking of how he had difficulty seeing and how many times he flawlessly rolled under the door is amazing. Lots of other things but the rolling under the door just comes to mind first.
I remember watching TNG with my dad, seing that visor and asking "How does she see with that thing?" My dad answered that it analyzes the electromagnetic spectrum and... I said "No, the actor, how does he see with that thing blocking his eyes?" My dad had no answer to that.
LeVar made it look so effortless that it was easy to forget that it wasn’t actually a device that gave him enhanced vision lol
That moment you realize the real world is more complex than the fake one.
Reading Rainbow was a bright spot in my turbulent childhood and for that I'm grateful.
It's wonderful to watch a video like this and KNOW everything they're talking about. I watched Mr. Rogers, Star Trek, movies with Whoopie Goldberg, Reading Rainbow, all that growing up. But sadly, one day this will all be forgotten to time like all things. I'm just glad it's not forgotten yet.
Watched so much Reading Rainbow at such a young age, Levar Burton is like that kindergarten teacher I accidentally call "mom"
He was my favorite!
I also thank him for teaching the love of books.
Thank you sir!
But we don't have to take your word for it. 😉
@@ravager48 🎶 iiiiiiiiiiiiiii cannnnnn dooooooo anything.... 🎶
I have seen him at a couple of conventions. He a really nice and down to earth person. He doesn't seem to be tired of answering the same questions. I was a dream come true to meet him. Many blessings to him.
@@eizapez3549 wow u met him? Nice! I met Jackie chan, not that this is a competition just saying. Id love to meet data, brent
The banana clip idea was absolutely ridiculous, but just goes to how phenomenal an actor LeVar is to work through it and make it work at all. Also shout out to Micheal Dorn for working under tons of irritating makeup and prosthetics for so many years, just exceptional actors.
Rob Lowe is truly immortal... how is this man looking like THAT after living through the 80s? The guy is almost 60 years old! He must have a beautiful and child-like soul. And then it hit me, as clear as a summer day in LA... Simply put, this guy knows how to live life. That's why he looks so young, it's his energy and view on life and how to live it.
Simba from The Lion Guard has his own podcast?
I never realized LeVar was so soft-spoken. He never gave me that impression during ANY of his shows!
Thank you, algorithm, for FINALLY getting Rob's participation in the Team CoCo lexicon of amazing people into my fyp without me actively seeking them out.
My kid watches Mr. Rogers Neighborhood all the time! He even has a red trolley.
You can tell by the way LeVar Burton speaks of Fred Rogers, Whoopi Goldberg, and Alex Haley... that he shares the same kind of genuine human warmth. Good heart to the core. Best intentions. And fantastic role models for kids.
LeVar is an inspiration. He’s truly dedicated his acting career to promoting education and knowledge.
Me and my brother used to put our sisters headbands over our eyes and pretend to be Laforge when we were kids, good to know there was real life inspiration for that 😂
love it
This man knew Gene Roddenberry and Fred Rogers - two men who were visionaries and yet very, very different kinds of men.
Good lord, I could listen to LeVar Burton's stories all day long. His voice is so soothing, so kind.
LeVar talking about Mr.Rogers like that had me transfixed. I think of how much both men shaped my youth. Awesome!
Hearing LeVar cuss is like hearing a teacher cuss in grade school.
No it’s not.
It’s like hearing _your favorite teacher_ cuss in grade school.
I always thought that it was a headband with a car air filter element. I'm glad he confirmed it was exactly that.
Back when TNG was hitting its stride, Z100 was popular in NYC. They had a call-in trivia contest where the prize was a pair of VIP passes to NYC's Star Trek convention. The question I called in on was about what everyday item was the visual inspiration for Geordi's visor? As a true nerd, that was well versed in Trek Lore, I was POSITIVE I had this in the bag! So, when the DJ picked up my call - on the radio - and asked the question, I proudly and without hesitation said: "The inspiration was a girl's banana clip!" After a brief moment of silence, the dj and the producers started laughing and made fun of my answer, then hung up on me. I got to listen to them make fun of me on live air radio for another 2-4 minutes, then my head nearly burst when the next caller said: "the inspiration was a girl plastic hair barrette" and I'm sitting there thinking: oh their going to shred this poor sucker... nope! That guy won my VIP passes and I've been salty about it all these years😥😒
Hearing, Levar Burton say it was a banana clip is cathartic in a "there are FOUR lights!" Kinda way. ❤
Redemption! I would've been salty too!
That makes sense because I used to use my headbands to play Star Trek when I was younger. I also couldn’t see 😂
Seeing Levar in the movies and in Picard with such expressive eyes was amazing.
He has such a remarkable career and I was always so curious about what it was like for him to wear that. Thank you for your work and this interview!
Only well know for Star Trek. Most people don't even know his name, only vaguely recognize the face. Not that remarkable.
@@adriantrusca1245 You are out of your mind. For an entire generation he was known as Kunta Kente. For another entire generation he was known for Reading Rainbow. He was singularly the biggest *star* in the original cast of Next Generation when they started. Bigger than Patrick Stewart who had only been a character actor and a stage actor before then.
Thank you both! This was a joy!
Great interview...
Always admired LeVar Burton.
Loved him in his role on The Next Generation.
I still remember him dancing in cameo ‘s music video “ word up”
I still remember that music video being randomly played during Saturday morning cartoons in the 90s
LaForge was one of my idols in my early teens. I was more like Worf, but loved watching Burton play LaForge over the years.
That soothing voice. Loved hearing him talk about Mr Rogers.
Lamar needs to start his own ASMR channel. Lol. What a great voice! He could literally read children’s books, and I’d listen to go to sleep.
He has a podcast where he reads books!
Dude, he had a whole children's show called "Reading Rainbow" in the 90s where he did just that!
@@Tulpen23 lol. I know, that’s why I recommended he do it now, but in an ASMR kinda deal.
If he’s currently reading children’s books in a voice like in this interview, sign me up! He can even call me Troy. I’m a terrible sleeper but this whole interview, even with Rob’s energy, is just a good vibe
Levar is one of favorite human beings on this planet. I've seen him once at a convention. But I never got to speak with him. I'd love to meet this man again. Hes been there from my PBS years to my star trek days. And even still. He should have gotten Jeapordy
LeVar and Sir Patrick Stewart are my two life heroes. I would give anything to meet them both. Because of both of them, I am the person I am today. The fact that they are as excellent off-screen as they are/were on screen is rare today!
as a child i used to watch levar burton on reading rainbow and i loved watching him on star trek with my mom who is my bff who grew up with star trek as a child with my father who also grew up watching star trek and the idea of being on the ship with theese lovely super hero charachters is just an amazing visual idea to be able to have.
Nice conversation. Aside: Both of these individuals look great! Also, Levar's beard is epic.
Two beautiful men, unafraid to be nice, kind people. I adore those two.
I grew up on Reading Rainbow. I currently have the song stuck in my head from this clip.
There's something about Levar's voice that sounds so damn nice.
Geordi was one of my favorite characters from TNG. He brought a caring and considerate character to the series. They screwed him out of Jeopardy.
Kind of a sad thing Burton had to wear the visor. He has wonderfully expressive eyes and it must have been frustrating for him as an actor to wear that thing.
I'm not sure what I was expecting here, but I got the polar opposite with this interview. Mr. Burton brings such gravitas to the discussion of his journey, and Mr. Lowe brought out some interesting things after starting with the visor thing which had been pretty widely known. They end up talking about how our heroes like Gene Roddenberry are still imperfect human beings, and how Mister Rogers' superb musicianship informed his impeccable opening sequence timing. Great stuff!
Fred Rogers is a Saint
I could listen to LeVar Burton talk about anything.
1:28
"By the first lunch break."
😄
I would totally tune in to a LeVar Burton podcast
You're in luck, he has one! Levar Burton Reads
hearing Levar Burton DROP AN F BOMB at like 6:15 was something else lol LOVE IT
What a great segment, thank you for bringing this about. Couldn’t agree more about the Amazing Fred Rogers, love bless him…
Thanks, Rob! Thanks, LeVar! 🎙 #TeamCoco #LeVarBurton #RobLowe
Hearing Levar Burton swear warms my soul !
6:34 "That's why she's Whoopi."
I love that I had the word "foibles" in my head before LeVar said it out loud.
4:06 The Big Bird of the Galaxy 🤣 I think he meant the Great Bird of the Galaxy, but close enough. However, as soon as he said it, I pictured this gigantic yellow Muppet with feathers and a huge beak, wearing a Starfleet uniform.😂
I grew up on TOS FIRST! This was the time of "Star Wars (A New Hope,)" which inspired me to be a filmmaker at the age of 5! I wanted to make my own films! I had a "spark" in me that informed my future, I KNEW this was the world I wanted to be a part of. Then a year later, 1978, there was a television show that sparked my imagination, Star Trek (TOS,) it was on Monday through Friday at 4 pm Central Time, I lived in Austin at that time. As soon as I got home from school, I put Star Trek on. There was no cable back then, it was tv hooked up to an antenna. This was the 1970s, an ancient time before internet, before cell phones, before UA-cam. I didn't have a computer until I was 10, back in 1982. I had video games but it was Atari, it was okay for that time. But, I outgrew it. Backtracking, after a year of watching TOS, I found out about ST ("The Motion Picture,") I bugged my parents to take me to see it; I saw it in the local theater and I was BLOWN away! I still watch it out now that the Director's Edition is on 4K. No, it wasn't THE best Trek ever, but the franchise was re-launched. I always looked forward to a new Trek film. I found out about TNG right around the time of Star Trek IV ("The Voyage Home.") I was skeptical like a lot of Trek fans were, could Trek come back on television in a whole new way. When I saw "Encounter at Farpoint," I was a Freshman in High School, in Maine, at the time. I loved it. I watched every episode, but in hindsight, it wasn't my favorite Trek series. Even though Roddenberry created it, it was so so for me.
When the space battles happened; when Picard became a BORG, I loved it. But there were too many episodes that "turned me off," it wasn't my "cup of tea." After ST 6 ("The Undiscovered Country") came out, I felt sad that the TOS era officially ended. However, Bones, Spock, later Scotty, were in TNG. I loved "Generations" because of Shatner's Kirk was in it, Kirk's death was shocking but it made sense to me. It made good story. Every character dies eventually, only Spock could get resurrected. But, then Leonard Nimoy died in 2015, his character sadly died, even though it was in another universe. I became a screenwriter because of my love for Trek, some Star Wars, The X-Files, and other media. I owe Trek so much, I wish I could write a Trek, but too many other writers have done it, I can't compete. So I'm writing my own tales. (My web site is : davisroadproductions.com; My Podcast : DRProgress on Apple Podcasts; DRProgress on anchor.fm.)
Do what you LOVE! Keep on enjoying what MEDIA you love! Go After Your Dreams!!!
- Markus McLaughlin
Boston, MA
I have a message for LeVar Burton. I can definitely relate to Jordi Laforge. Because I really am legally blind. But LaVar I would like to thank you so much. For playing this character number one I really like Jordy he’s awesome. Two I grew upWatching your show. The reading rainbow. And because of you I got to listen to some wonderful stories on digital format. Such as the Harry Potter series. By JK Rowling. And the twilight series by Stephanie Myers.. And if there was such a ship as the enterprise. I would be proud to serve with Geordie Laforge down in engineering. I would be honored. And I also be honored to serve with Captain John Luke Picard 8:55 laVar I hope you get to read my comment I hope I’d love to hear from you. I think you’re awesome. In fact the whole cast and crew of Star Trek the next generation were awesome. Except for Q. He was one royal pain in the butt. I think even sir Patrick Stewart would agree with that
Thank you, Team COCO
I could list to these 2 all day.
You have to love this guy.
I never wanted to interview LeVar in person, I just wanted a picture! You can’t dissapoint a picture! AAAAAAHHHHHH!
All TNG actors seem like the most chill people on the planet
Good interview.
Mr Rogers and Reading Rainbow were my childhood.
My man LeVar Burton rocking that slick beard!
A Reading Rainbow! Childhood memories...
Rob Lowe looks a lot like Weyoun
Having never seen him before TNG it has taken me a long time to get used to seeing him 'without' the Visor.
He has EYES!
It was so weird lol
Levar Burton is one of those rare celebrities that everyone loves, at least everyone should love him!
"😮I never wanted to meet LeVar in person!! I just wanted a picture! You can't disappoint a picture!!!!"😬😭😭😭 -Troy Barnes
❤
great interview !
Probably my favourite gordi scene was with data in generations the movie when data cant control his emotion chip on that ship. They were both phenomenal
Generations right? :)
@@SpetalskBKHSBS ohhhhi gotta edit it i confused first contact with generations.... Thanks trekkie. Live long and prosper
My mom called Geordi “Barrett Man” because of his visor lol.
I thought he was part of the aliens from Godzilla vs Monster Zero. The plant X guys
A "banana clip" is the hair accessory they were looking for. I remember thinking it looked like that as well.
LeVar swears so elegantly ..Never heard the F word said so well lol And here I thought I couldn't love the Man anymore.
It’s wild, right? He’s the last guy I’d expect to drop an F bomb, but that voice is so soothing
There was an episode of Reading Rainbow he did that was a behind the scenes look at the making of Star Trek the Next Generation. My favorite episode in that entire series by the way because I've always been interested in acting and I loved seeing the behind the scenes stuff. There was a particular book in my school library that was all about behind the scenes movie magic that I checked YEARLY though out all of Elementary School and LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow was a HUGE part of that.
The one thing I always found really weird though, because I knew that LeVar Burton was both the host of Reading Rainbow and the actor who played Geordie LeForge but through out that entire episode it was never brought up that they were the same person, he never talked about the difficulties of working with that visor. I never really understood why that was. A whole episode of the Reading Rainbow all about the making of Star Trek The Next Generation and not once do they even mention LeVar's connection to the show. You can see him as Geordie in several scenes but it's edited to look like they're two different people.
I would love to meet LeVar Burton and ask him about that episode. Also he voiced a human character on Transformers Rescue Bots which is another series I love... would be nice if he voiced an actual Transformer cause no one really cares about the human characters in Transformers really, but still really cool to hear his voice make an appearance in another show I watch outside of Star Trek. LeVar might never really know how much his work on the Reading Rainbow and Star Trek inspired my childhood and impacted my entire life growing up... unless he reads these comments which I kind of doubt. There are other people I've looked up growing up as well, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, but I think LeVar Burton was the first one who actually made me realize, oh this is actually a career I could have when I grow up, yeah I want to do that!
It sometimes came across clearly that he couldn't see haha. I always noticed that. He sometimes had his head tilted back. He was amazing, though.
Absolutely LOVE this! 😃
LeVar Burton’s beard 🔥
I'm thinking that the only reason Rob accepted to be on XM was because they told him that the podcast will also be filmed 😁
I mean, he is an attractive guy.
That visor is iconic
Love LaVar !
LeVar Burton, please keep the beard, and don't die it ever. It looks cool.
I'm 61 years old. I remember as a kid taking my sister's banana clip and using it like some space age glasses long before STNG.
But you don't have to take MY word for it!
I love LaVar!
“Take a look, it’s in a book”
One of the coolest people ever
The only reason why I have the life and career that I have today is simply because Geordi inspired me to be an engineer when I started watching TNG at the age of 7. LeVar Burton is a great guy also 😄
I never understood how they took a man as popular as Levar 💛 after Roots, with his beautiful face, and covered up his eyes! 😎 Can't imagine what they were thinking.
They were thinking "this character needs a gimmick"
No, they want to normalise prosthetics device for disabled people. Its well known fact
He knows how to act
I loved TNG growing up, and my sister had headbands similar to his visor and I use to put it on my face and pretend to be Geordi
All my 90s role models in one place
They need to reboot the reading rainbow and bring him back. Would love to see new stories.
Levar has a soothing voice that Jeff Goldblum WISHES he had.
Lavar is iconic, his beard
Levar talks about how nobody is really as on par as Fred Rogers.. I respectfully decline that comment.. as I firmly believe that Levar himself is on par with Fred Rogers.. Both are incredibly kind and genuine gentlemen..
Mr reading rainbow himself I like the bar Burton's work all the way in the beginning in the '70s with roots and then reading rainbow all the things he's done.
Also what is Rob Lowe on ? what does he do for his looks ? I have never seen someone every decade look as great as he has since the '80s
Regardless of his incredible roles in Star Trek and Roots, whenever I see LeVar I can't help but think if Reading Rainbow first.