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Star trek: 15 things you didn’t know about geordi la forge.

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The original Star Trek series left an indelible mark in the world of sci-fi. Originating from the creative mind of Gene Roddenberry, the series aired for three years. Dedicated fans, or Trekkies, even rallied to save the show when it was up for cancellation and ran one of the first successful fan campaigns ever. It was this dedication to the original that made it hard for fans to accept the next entry into its universe.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was headed by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and an entirely new crew. With time, fans came to embrace the new shows and its unique team including chief engineer Geordi La Forge.

Coming off of his success in numerous projects including Roots and R eading Rainbow , LeVar Burton won the role of the blind helmsman and turned him into a sci-fi icon. From his intelligence to his famous VISOR, La Forge soon became a fan favorite for Trekkies everywhere.

Over seven seasons, La Forge stood not only as an iconic African-American sci-fi character but also a positive role model for fans with disabilities. The relatable nature of his struggles and success in overcoming his personal obstacles has made him an unforgettable character in the Star Trek universe.

Her are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Geordi La Forge.

He was named after a real Star Trek fan

While fans love watching their favorite TV shows at home, others aspire to be a part of the action. Though most of us will never get to be on these shows, a few lucky Star Trek fans had the chance to be a part of the crew. W

hile creating the characters for TNG , the  Star Trek writers kept one particular fan in mind. George La Forge was a quadriplegic fan of the original Star Trek  TV series who sadly passed away in 1975. With creator Gene Roddenberry focused on creating a new character with disabilities, it was screenwriter David Gerrod who suggested naming the character after the long-time fan. They both agreed this would be a special tribute to the late dedicated Trekkie.

A second Trekkie, a British fan named Janet Quarton, was the inspiration for the character “Q”.

Wesley Snipes and Reggie Jackson auditioned for the role

Initially, LeVar Burton did not seem like the obvious choice for the role of La Forge. However, with time, fans came to love him in the role and can’t imagine anyone else playing the character.

In the early stages of casting, however, the actors for the role varied considerably from the Reading Rainbow alum. Early casting choices included character actor Kevin Peter Hall (who played Harry in Harry and the Hendersons and the Predator in Predator ) and baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

One of the bigger names interested in the role was Wesley Snipes. At the time, however, he was a relatively unknown actor with just a few credits to his name, including a part in the comedy Wildcats and playing Michael Jackson’s rival in his music video for "Bad".

He was originally conceived to be a Jamaican teacher

The creation of Geordi La Forge took some time to perfect. Though it was decided early to him a disabled Black crew member, his background and education were not fully fleshed out. His job on the series moved from helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D to eventually a role as the chief engineer.

However, creators were originally influenced by Burton’s career in their occupational choice for the character. In an homage to Burton’s legacy on the children’s program Reading Rainbow , the show’s producers originally planned to make La Forge’s specialty focused on “the starship school for children.” This idea was scrapped for a more technological background instead.

Also, his background would have been of Jamaican descent. Although this detail was left out of his backstory, his mother was played by Jamaican actress Madge Sinclair ( Coming to America , The Lion King ).

Burton was the most well-known actor at the time of casting

At the time of the casting announcement for Star Trek: The Next Generation , LeVar Burton was one of the most well-known cast members. He had an extensive acting career that included his acting debut as Kunta Kinte in the TV drama Roots .

In fact, he was featured in the initial casting announcement headlining over Patrick Stewart, whose fame was limited in the United States.  As reported by The New York Times , an article in The Los Angeles Times once referred to "unknown British Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart".

Despite his fame, Burton was not chosen to be the lead in the new series. Instead, he was cast in a part that the Associated Press initially referred to as “ the new Spock ” (a role that was eventually filled by Data instead).  In the end, Stewart was able to bounce back from his initial first impressions just fine.

Gene Roddenberry had plans to make La Forge gay

One of the greatest aspects of the Star Trek  universe (and many other science fiction shows and movies) is an opportunity for highlighting new cultures, species, and worlds. With unlimited possibilities for new adventures, these shows still seem to reflect the growing changes in today’s societies.

Early in the process for creating the new series, Roddenberry had significant plans for the diversity of this series. According to IMDB.com , “Gene Roddenberry had made public his plans to add gay characters to the show (with Geordi La Forge reported to be one such character in the original series treatment), and had even commissioned scripts to introduce them at the start of the series' run.”

His newfound outlook on LBGT characters came after overcoming his own homophobia. Sadly, Roddenberry passed away before he could make these changes in the fifth season of the show.

Geordi's VISOR was improvised on the first day of shooting

Production on Star Trek: The Next Generation began in 1987 with a relatively unknown cast. For some actors, like Patrick Stewart, working on a television program like this came with a big adjustment. While the main outline of the plot was finalized, there were still small touches to iron out like makeup, costumes, and set designs.

On the site StarTrek.com , several photos were shared showing initial tests with the makeup for the series including La Forge’s VISOR. However, the props team created a very unique version of his famous eyewear for the initial shooting.

According to IMDB.com , “Geordi's VISOR was improvised on the first day of shooting using chiefly an automotive air filter and a hair band.” After the first day, a more permanent prop was created and used going forward. That future design was not that far off from this makeshift prototype.

His VISOR design was inspired by '80s fashion hair trends

Many of us are haunted by pictures from our youth. Looking back, we gasp on our poor fashion choices and style that have been forever captured in photos and film.

At the peak of 1980s fashion, in particular, women were decked out with oversized scrunchies, crimped hair, and thousands of plastic bracelets. However, the hideous trends of the '80s led to the creation of one of the most iconic props from the Star Trek franchise.

Enter the banana clip - the plastic hair accessory fashioned with two sets of “crocodile” teeth to help pull your hair into a fanned ponytail. According to an interview on StarTrek.com , this particular accessory led to the creation of La Forge’s VISOR. Star Trek  archivist Penny Juday explained that set artist Michael Okuda was inspired by his girlfriend’s use of the hair product.

His inspiration led to the final design of the VISOR, or Visual Input Sensory Optical Reflector (which was later updated to Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement).

The VISOR helped Burton sleeping on set undetected

The simplistic origins of the VISOR led to a final product that, well, simply was not made for enhancing anyone's vision in reality. The half-circle “teeth” design made it difficult for Burton to see clearly. Not only was his central vision impaired but his peripheral vision as well. He often found himself running into low-hanging props and tripping over chairs.

Although the process of wearing the VISOR was a nightmare, it did have its perks. During the 2015 Star Trek Official Convention in Las Vegas, several cast members were assembled for a special panel including Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton. As the cast recalled tales from the series, Burton opted to share the fact that , “In the first season, during a long take, I fell asleep in the VISOR." Sounds like the best prop ever made.

La Forge and Burton shared similar ailments on the show

Playing the character of Geordi La Forge was a new challenge for Burton. Known for having very expressive eyes, he had to learn other ways to best convey his emotions throughout the series. Given that his VISOR gave him so many visual limitations, he learned how to make the best of his challenging role. However, over time, Burton came to share one particular ailment that always plagued La Forge: painful headaches.

In the series, the character often complained about experiencing headaches as a result of wearing the VISOR. In reality, Burton was experiencing the same issue.

In an interview with the BBC , Burton stated, “In the second season we re-designed the VISOR and made it heavier and the way we actually affixed it was that we screwed it, we literally screwed it into my head and so there were screws that we would turn and there were flanges on the inside that would press into my temples and so after fifteen or twenty minutes of that I got headaches. So I had a daily headache for about six years.” Wow.

Geordi La Forge was promoted faster than any other Star Trek character

Geordi La Forge has had one of the most impressive careers in the Star Trek Universe. He existed as more than just the blind member of the crew and blossomed into an integral member of their team.

Over the course of the seven year run of the series, La Forge moved up in the ranks at a fairly quick rate. In season 1, he began as the helmsman of the USS Enterprise-D as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. By season 2, he was promoted to Lieutenant and finally Lieutenant Commander (in season 3) and became the Chief Engineer for both the Enterprise-D and the Enterprise-E .

Although other characters have held the same titles, no one has been promoted as fast. His promotions did not end at the conclusion of the show, either. In the futuristic timeline of Star Trek: Voyager: Timeless , Geordi eventually becomes a Captain.

La Forge was planned to be revealed as the product of alien experimentation

In the course of the series, many planned storylines were abandoned due to either lack of believability or the series as a whole taking a different course. Once such storyline would have put an interesting twist on the truth behind La Forge’s life.

According to The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams , there were plans to have La Forge revealed as an alien. In the book, Star Trek scriptwriter Jeri Taylor shared , "We wanted to make Geordi an alien. He was going to discover that his father was not who he thought he was, and his mother had an almost Rosemary's Baby-kind of thing and had been impregnated by an alien. As a result, Geordi was actually half alien and now, at his present age, his people were coming back to get him."

In the end, the alien backstory was abandoned for the character.

His parents have connections to Burton’s role on Roots

La Forge’s success during the course of Star Trek: The Next Generation could easily be linked back to his successful parents. His mother, Silva La Forge, served as the captain of the USS Hera until the ship was declared “missing in action”. His father acted as an exozoologist in the science division and even became a commander.

Geordi's parents were played by Madge Sinclair and Ben Vereen respectively, who were not new to playing onscreen relatives to Burton. In the 1977 mini-series Roots , they played fairly different roles in the life of Burton’s character Kunta Kinte. Sinclair was cast as Kinte’s wife (though the older version of the character was played by John Amos) and Vereen played his grandson, "Chicken George".

Interestingly, Sinclair and Burton have a further connection within their acting careers as Burton has played her son in four different projects.

Star Trek/Reading Rainbow Crossover

Reading Rainbow became a staple in children’s lives for over 23 years with Burton at the center of the show’s success. When Burton got the La Forge role in 1987, he made sure to stay dedicated to his education program and split his time filming episodes for both shows. However, out of his dedication to maintaining both series, fans of both shows were treated to some exclusive TNG footage that has never been released in any other form.

In the 1988 episode “Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show”, viewers were shown behind the scenes footage that included bloopers from the show. To date, this footage has only been released legally on this show.

Incidentally, the included TNG footage has made this episode of Reading Rainbow the most popular episode of all time.

Data and Geordi was originally paired together  as “The Perceivers”

The friendship between Data  and Geordi was established fairly quickly in TNG show and became a favorite of Trekkies. However, the show creators had additional plans for their relationship that never came to be.

In an interview with Gizmodo.com , Burton shared that, “During the casting process, there was a scene that Gene Roddenberry wrote between Geordi and Data, that established their relationship. In that scene, Geordi and Data discussed how Geordi's eyes and Data's brain saw the world in a very similar way. They saw the truth of the world around them. And so, in the scene that Gene wrote, they formed a team, and they called themselves the Perceivers, because their perceptions were alike.”

We can only imagine how much fans would have loved the Perceivers as a super  Star Trek  duo.

 Geordi Almost Lost His Disability

The cultural significance of Geordi La Forge is a legacy that remains to this day. Not only was he one of the few African-American science fiction characters on TV but he was also one of the few engineers as well. However, his largest impact has been in the portrayal of a sci-fi character with a disability.

As noted in an article by The Slate , Geordi La Forge became “first recurring character with a disability” in Star Trek . Originally, there were actually plans in place to take the representation away. In the planning of season 2, there were talks of La Forge having his eyes healed and removing the VISOR permanently. However, the importance of his representation far exceeded the need for his healing, so the idea was scrapped.

Do you have any trivia to share about Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation ? Leave it in the comments!

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

What LeVar Burton Could (And Couldn't) See When He Put On His Star Trek Visor

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ranks among LeVar Burton's most iconic roles , but the character's instantly recognizable VISOR was a literal pain for the actor. The ocular device was one of the many advanced technologies in "Star Trek," letting the blind Geordi receive visual information through the electromagnetic spectrum. Geordi's VISOR became one of the defining symbols of not only the character, but all of "The Next Generation."  

The mechanism lets LaForge identify energy wavelengths far beyond normally visible frequencies, turning his handicap into an asset and allowing him to identify visual details that most other people could not. The device is especially useful in analyzing the sort of high-tech environment that a Chief Engineer like Geordi needs to be familiar with. To this day, fans try to recreate the famous look in cosplay. 

Ironically, though, La Forge could see on the Enterprise far better than Burton could on set.

A Blind Burton

In a bit of a comical twist, the real-life VISOR prop obstructed LeVar Burton's sight to the point of near-blindness. In an interview with Alibi , Burton described his experience: 

"People always ask me, 'Could you see out of that thing?' And the answer is, no, I couldn't. It was always very funny to me because when the actor puts the visor on 85 to 90 percent of my vision was taken away, yet I'm playing a guy who sees more than everyone else around him. So that's just God's cruel little joke."

The VISOR was especially disorienting during the first season, when the "Reading Rainbow" and "Roots" star was getting used to navigating and before the crew made modifications to the prop. Burton explains in another interview with the BBC that he was constantly stumbling around the set:

"I bumped into everything the first season — light stands, overhead microphones, cables at my feet — I tripped over it all, I walked and sometimes ran into walls and pieces of set. It was really, really hard."

Tired of the Pain

The blindness was just part of the problem for poor Mr. Burton, who also experienced daily headaches due to the way the VISOR attached to his head. The prop's mechanisms squeezed Burton's temples, giving him pain to accompany his visual impairment. He mentions in the Alibi piece:

"It's sufficient to say there was pressure applied through a mechanism of flanges and screws that put pressure on my temples. So after about half an hour, I'd get a headache."

The headaches at least were more in line with Geordi's character, unlike Burton's actual blindness. There's a part in the very first episode of the series, "Encounter at Farpoint," when Geordi mentions to Dr. Beverly Crusher that the VISOR's stimuli interfere with his natural senses and cause him persistent pain. It's fun to think about how much frustration Burton was channeling in that particular delivery.

The actor was eventually so frustrated, in fact, that he insisted on Geordi switching to ocular implants for the film "Star Trek: First Contact." After all, in the technologically sophisticated world of "Trek," it only makes sense that the Federation's scientists would eventually develop a less obtrusive way of letting the blind Geordi see, as Burton explained to Rolling Stone :

"...Geordi's visor was a shorthand language of communicating the technological sophistication of the 24th century. I learned to be OK with that, until I wasn't. We did seven years and one movie [1994's Star Trek Generations ]. After that, I was done. I was tired of having my eyes covered and was really insistent. We found a way, as I always knew we could, to shrink that technology into an ocular implant."

LeVar Burton's natural charisma and likeability lent an everyman quality to the Enterprise's Chief Engineer, a trait that seemed to encourage the writers of TNG to repeatedly expose him to all sorts of danger and stress. In real life, Burton was similarly (and, in hindsight, somewhat humorously) suffering behind his prop technology.

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Geordi La Forge

• 1.1 Starfleet Academy
• 1.2 Early Starfleet Career
• 1.3 Aboard the Enterprise -D
• 1.4 Aboard the Enterprise -E
• 1.5 Path to the 25th century
• 1.6 After Starfleet
• 1.7 Return to Starfleet
• 2 Starfleet service record
• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2 Appearances
• 3.3 External links

History [ ]

Geordi La Forge, the son of Edward M. and Silva La Forge , was born in the African Confederation , Earth on February 16, 2335 . He was born completely blind. ( TNG episodes : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Conundrum ") The blindness was caused by an "incurable optical nerve defect." ( TNG video game : The Transinium Challenge )

In 2340 , at the age of five, La Forge was briefly caught in a fire, and unable to escape, due to his blindness. He was rescued by his father, and shortly after was given his first VISOR from Dr. Lenske . ( TNG episode : " Hero Worship "; TNG novels : The Romulan Stratagem , Gulliver's Fugitives )

Geordi met the designer of his visor, Doctor George Tarmud , in 2370 during the Universal TechnoFair that was held on the Enterprise -D. ( TNG novel : Possession ) After receiving his VISOR, Geordi was taught to suppress the pain by a Vulcan Healer. ( TNG novel : Debtors' Planet )

Around this time, Geordi visited Cambridge University on a family outing. ( TNG novelization : All Good Things... )

Many novels contradict each other regarding Geordi's VISOR. One of them is Spartacus .

In 2343 , Geordi was given his first pet, a Circassian cat named Alexi . ( TNG episode : " Imaginary Friend "; TNG novel : Q-Zone )

In his early years, Geordi traveled around a lot with his parents, as they were both Starfleet officers. In his formative years he saw many fascinating sights, including the remnants of the Achorii civilization. By the age of 12, in 2347 , Geordi was living with his mother aboard a Starfleet science ship. ( TNG novels : Requiem , Sins of Commission )

Also in his early years, La Forge had a mentor, Nassa Coleridge . ( TNG novel : Doomsday World )

Starfleet Academy [ ]

In 2353 , Geordi decided to follow in his parents' footsteps and entered Starfleet Academy . ( TNG episode : " Conundrum ")

Between February 16, 2353 and February 16, 2354 , Geordi was taught an archaeology course by his former mentor, Nassa Coleridge. ( TNG novel : Doomsday World )

In his final year at the Academy, Geordi spent five-months rewriting a dissertation for Dr. Zorka , after Zorka initially rejected it. Geordi struggled through the class and eventually passed. ( TNG novel : Balance of Power )

Early Starfleet Career [ ]

Ensign La Forge graduated from the Academy in 2357 and was assigned as conn officer aboard the USS Victory under the command of Captain Zimbata . ( ST video game : Star Trek: Starship Creator ; TNG episode : " Elementary, Dear Data ")

In 2363 ( Stardate 40164.7 ), the Victory was conducting a survey of Tarchannen III , to determine the whereabouts of 49 missing Starfleet personnel assigned to the planet. An away team , commanded by Lieutenant Susanna Leijten , failed to locate the personnel, and the Victory left the planet. ( TNG episode : " Identity Crisis ")

During a stopover at Starbase 324 , the Victory underwent an inspection by Captain Jean-Luc Picard , then the head of Starfleet Tactical 's Long-range Threat Assessment and Response Division . While being shuttled back to the starbase by Ensign La Forge, Picard made an offhand comment about a minor power inefficiency in the shuttle. La Forge took it upon himself to spend the entire night refitting the shuttle's fusion initiators , finally not only eliminating the inefficiency but obtaining an efficiency rating slightly above that rated for the shuttle.

Shortly after, Geordi transferred to the USS Hood , under the command of Captain Robert DeSoto . During his year aboard the Hood , he became close friends with first officer William T. Riker . ( TNG novelization : Encounter at Farpoint )

Aboard the Enterprise -D [ ]

Geordi as Chief Engineer of the Enterprise -D in 2367 .

In 2364 , La Forge transferred to the Enterprise -D along with Commander Riker, to serve as conn officer under Captain Jean-Luc Picard . He spent his first year aboard the Enterprise in the position of navigator (at the rank of Lieutenant J.G. ), before transferring to engineering and becoming the ship's new chief engineer with the rank of full Lieutenant . ( TNG episode : " The Child ", TNG video game : The Transinium Challenge ; WizKids module : Attack Wing )

In late 2365 , the Enterprise responded to a distress call from the Pakled freighter, Mondor . La Forge beamed aboard to assist them with repairs, when he was taken hostage and held for ransom, until he upgraded their systems and provided them with hand phasers and photon torpedoes . La Forge managed to engineer his escape by bluffing the slow-witted Pakleds, with help from the Enterprise . ( TNG episode : " Samaritan Snare ")

In early 2369 Geordi, Worf and Ro Laren took the shuttlecraft Goddard to receive Starfleet briefings. On their return journey the shuttle was forced to drop out of warp due to solar flare activity and crash landed on the planet Riat . On the planet the solar flare activity also interfered with Geordi's VISOR from time to time. The shuttle damaged beyond immediate repair and the planet inhospitably cold the away team sought shelter in a nearby Dracon monastery . Unfortunately, the order of monks in the monastery had become violent and cannibalistic due to radiation from the solar flares causing a mutation in an algae in their water supply. The team were forced to fight the monks off several times before another shuttle from the Enterprise arrived to rescue them. ( TNG comic : " Light of the Day ")

Aboard the Enterprise -E [ ]

Following the destruction of the Enterprise -D at Veridian III , La Forge was assigned as chief engineer of the Sovereign -class Enterprise -E. By 2373 La Forge had replaced his VISOR with full spectrum synthetic eyes.

When the Enterprise was transported back to the year 2063 , La Forge was instrumental in helping to repair the Borg inflicted damage to Earth's first warp ship , Phoenix , and in convincing Zefram Cochrane to complete his historic flight. ( TNG movies : Star Trek: Generations , Star Trek: First Contact )

Early in 2374 , Geordi accompanied Captain Picard and Ro Laren on a secret mission into Cardassian territory to destroy an artificial wormhole being built by the Dominion. ( TNG novels : Behind Enemy Lines , Tunnel Through the Stars )

In 2375 , La Forge took advantage of the Ba'ku planet 's rejuvenating properties. Having never seen a rainbow or sunset, he watched the sun rise with Picard , on the surface. ( TNG episode : " The Naked Now ", TNG movie : Star Trek: Insurrection )

In 2379 he commanded the Piper team mission to infiltrate the nadion-pulse cannon firebase located on the summit of Mount Ranakar on Tezwa . ( TNG novel : A Time to Kill )

Later that year, after Riker accepted command of the USS Titan , La Forge was offered the position of first officer of that ship. La Forge declined the offer. ( TNG novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace )

During the same year, Geordi was also partially assimilated by a Borg tachyon pulse from the future; ironically, only his existing cybernetic implantation allowed him to survive the process. Using the access that this gave him to Borg hive mind, he was instrumental in defeating the collective's plans to "assimilate the past." ( TNG comic : " Alien Spotlight: Borg ")

In 2380 , Geordi was briefly away from the Enterprise and Reginald Barclay served as interim chief engineer . ( ST video game : Elite Force II )

Path to the 25th century [ ]

In 2385 , La Forge takes a "long-term leave of absence" from Starfleet. He starts this period by working with the Soong Foundation in studying the android known as B-4 . La Forge also takes the leave of absence in order to work on starship design builds and testing. ( ST website : The Path to 2409 )

After Starfleet [ ]

At some point between 2385 and 2387 , Geordi La Forge retired from Starfleet and continued starship design as a private citizen. One of the ships he invented was the Jellyfish , whose unique design allowed it to be used by Spock in order to contain the Hobus supernova . ( ST - Countdown comic : " Countdown, Number Three ")

Return to Starfleet [ ]

At some point around the turn of the 25th century , La Forge returned to Starfleet and was promoted to captain. He was given command of the USS Challenger in 2397 . ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )

Starfleet service record [ ]

• Personal log , Geordi La Forge

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances [ ], external links [ ].

• Geordi La Forge article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Geordi La Forge article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• Geordi La Forge article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
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LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton ( born 16 February 1957 ; age 67) is the American actor who played Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation throughout the show's entire seven-year run, from 1987 to 1994 . He also played La Forge in the four TNG-era Star Trek films , in the TNG video game A Final Unity , and in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Timeless ", which he directed, and appeared in Star Trek: Picard . In addition, he directed two episodes for Next Generation as well as numerous episodes for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , and Star Trek: Enterprise . He previously held the highest amount of directorial credits for the cast members, at 29 episodes directed, but was surpassed in 2023 by Jonathan Frakes with his 30th directed episode, " Those Old Scientists ".

Besides his affiliation with Star Trek , Burton is known for his star-making, Emmy Award-nominated performance as Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed 1977 mini-series Roots . He is also well known as the long-time host of the popular, Daytime Emmy Award-winning children's educational program Reading Rainbow .

Tim Russ , who was an initial candidate for the role of Geordi La Forge, described Burton as "a great actor." ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 101 , p. 54)

• 1 Personal life
• 2.1 The 1970s
• 2.2 The 1980s
• 2.3 Reading Rainbow
• 2.4 Star Trek and beyond
• 2.5 Directing
• 2.6 Post-TNG acting career
• 3 Appearances as Geordi La Forge
• 4 Additional characters
• 5 Star Trek directorial credits
• 6 Star Trek interviews
• 7 External links

Personal life [ ]

The child of a military family, Burton was born in Landstuhl, West Germany, as that is where his father – an Army NCO – was stationed at the time. At the age of 13, Burton entered a Catholic seminary to study for the priesthood but ultimately decided to pursue an acting career instead, graduating from the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Theater.

In 1990, he received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame for his work in the field of television.

Burton married Stephanie Cozart, the make-up artist of Reading Rainbow , in 1992. Their daughter, Michaela or Mica Burton , was born in 1994. Burton also has a son from a previous relationship, born in 1980, whom Burton.

Burton and his family currently reside in Sherman Oaks, California. An avid poker player, Burton has participated in the World Poker Tour. [1]

Burton currently serves on the advisory committee of the 100 Year Starship Initiative , which seeks the launching of an interstellar voyage within the next one hundred years. Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison is heading the initiative. [2]

Burton recorded a public service announcement for NASA to explain the purpose of the MAVEN mission to Mars, which was launched on November 18, 2013. [3]

The 1970s [ ]

Burton was an undergraduate in USC's drama department when he was discovered and chosen to play the key role of Kunta Kinte in Roots , which premiered in January 1977. This groundbreaking mini-series became one of the most acclaimed and highest-rated programs in US television history, earning a total of 37 Emmy Award nominations (winning 9); Burton himself earned an Emmy nomination for his performance.

Among Burton's co-stars in this series were Madge Sinclair and Ben Vereen , who went on to play the parents of Burton's Geordi La Forge in TNG : " Interface ". Sinclair and Vereen also received Emmy nominations for their performances in Roots .

After Roots aired, Burton played the title role in the TV movie Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid . This movie aired in September 1977, only eight months after Roots introduced Burton to television audiences. One month later, Burton was seen in his first feature film, Looking for Mr. Goodbar , which also starred Richard Kiley .

The following year, Burton reunited with Madge Sinclair in the TV movie One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story , with Burton playing the title character – an ex-con who became a professional baseball player – and Sinclair playing his mother. Burton concluded the decade with the TV movie Dummy , in which he co-starred with Paul Sorvino and Gregg Henry . Burton and Sorvino worked together again on the TNG episode " Homeward " and the 1994 TV movie Parallel Lives , while Henry appeared with Burton in Star Trek: Insurrection .

The 1980s [ ]

The 1980 TV movie Guyana Tragedy again had Madge Sinclair and LeVar Burton playing mother and son. This movie also featured future Trek veterans Brad Dourif , Meg Foster , Albert Hall , and Ed Lauter . Burton next co-starred with Steve McQueen in what proved to be the latter's final film, The Hunter (1980).

Burton subsequently appeared in a number of TV movies, including 1983's Emergency Room (featuring Gary Lockwood , Warren Munson , and Biff Yeager ), 1984's The Jesse Owens Story (with Ronny Cox , James B. Sikking , Victor Tayback , and Burton's Roots co-star, Ben Vereen), 1985's The Midnight Hour (with Kurtwood Smith ), and 1986's Liberty (co-starring Frank Langella and Chris Sarandon ). In 1988, he reprised the role of Kunta Kinte for the TV Christmas special Roots: The Gift , which also featured Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks , Voyager stars Kate Mulgrew and Tim Russ , and TNG guest star Fran Bennett .

Burton broke into episodic television in the 1980s, guest-starring on an episode of Trapper John, M.D. (again working with Madge Sinclair, who was a regular on the series, as well as Miguel Ferrer and Louise Sorel ) and Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban , in an episode with Janet MacLachlan ). In addition, Burton co-starred with TOS actress Nichelle Nichols in the 1986 science fiction thriller, The Supernaturals , and appeared in a 1987 episode of Murder, She Wrote with Michael McGrady .

Reading Rainbow [ ]

In 1983, Burton began hosting Reading Rainbow , an educational program for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) aimed at encouraging children to read. As both host and executive producer of this series, Burton has earned a total of ten Daytime Emmy nominations, with six wins. He also earned seven Image Award nominations, winning four of them.

For seven seasons of this show, Burton worked concurrently on this series and Star Trek: The Next Generation . The 1988 episode The Bionic Bunny Show of Reading Rainbow actually showed a behind-the-scenes look at the making of TNG (specifically during the episode " Symbiosis ").

Reading Rainbow ran for twenty-one seasons before financial troubles at PBS put the show on hiatus. In 2007, Burton announced he had shot his last episode of Reading Rainbow and was retiring from the show, citing creative differences with the show's new owners. [4] The last (rerun) episode of Reading Rainbow with Burton as its host aired on 28 August 2009. [5]

Following the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Republican governor Mitt Romney, Burton became enraged at Romney's campaign pledge to cut government funding for PBS. Burton targeted Romney, being quoted on TMZ as saying " I am personally outraged that any serious contender for the White House would target as part of his campaign the children of America in this fashion. " Burton further added " Educators across the country, as well as millions of children and adults know that the programming on PBS has been responsible for significant improvements in education, literacy, math, science and life skills for generations of our children. " Burton continued, " Defunding PBS directly punishes the less fortunate by removing this trusted and extraordinary educational resource available to all. On behalf of America's children, I can't stay silent. I encourage you to join me in fighting this short-sighted and frankly mean-spirited attack on our children. " [6]

In 2014, Burton began a campaign through Kickstarter to "Bring Reading Rainbow Back for Every Child, Everywhere," a program to help bring Reading Rainbow back to classrooms throughout the United States. As of June 26, 2014, the program had raised over $4 million, greatly exceeding its stated $1 million goal. That same day, Seth MacFarlane ( Rivers in Star Trek: Enterprise ) announced that he would match up to one million dollars worth of pledges for the campaign. [7] Burton also created Reading Rainbow Live featuring Burton himself and members of the Star Trek cast reading stories to parents and their children – Reading Rainbow Live: The Men of Star Trek (featuring Jonathan Frakes , Brent Spiner , Michael Dorn , and Robert Picardo ), Reading Rainbow Live: The Women of Star Trek (featuring Kate Mulgrew , Marina Sirtis , Gates McFadden , and Jeri Ryan ), Reading Rainbow Live with Patrick Stewart , and Reading Rainbow Live with William Shatner . [8]

For for his Reading Rainbow work, Burton was on 11 December 2022 awarded, the inaugural "Lifetime Achievement Award" of the newly instituted Children's and Family Emmy Awards . He was tributed over video by his former Next Generation co-stars Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg . [9]

Star Trek and beyond [ ]

Burton filming the episode " Qpid " in 1991

In 1987 Burton was cast as Geordi La Forge, a blind Starfleet officer who utilizes a VISOR to see. Initially, the character was the flight control officer of the USS Enterprise -D with the rank of lieutenant junior grade . By the second season , however, La Forge was the ship's chief engineer , holding the rank of lieutenant and later lieutenant commander . Burton starred on the show throughout all seven seasons, appearing in all but four of the 177 episodes.

Burton was later a member of the music band known as The Sunspots, along with his TNG castmates Jonathan Frakes , Michael Dorn , and Patrick Stewart . They appeared as the background vocals for "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" on Brent Spiner 's 1991 album Ol' Yellow Eyes is Back . He can also be heard on The Orb's track "Little Fluffy Clouds", which sampled an episode of Reading Rainbow , apparently without Burton's permission.

Since he was working on both TNG and Reading Rainbow at the same time, Burton did little else during the early 1990s. He did supply the voice of Planeteer Kwame as well as the opening narration on the hit animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers from 1990 through 1993; his TNG co-star Whoopi Goldberg also voiced on this series. In addition, he did voice work for an episode of Batman: The Animated Series entitled "The Worry Men" and played a fire chief in the 1993 TV movie Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland , co-starring Keone Young .

In 1998, Burton appeared as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.

In 2001, Burton, along with several other Star Trek cast members including William Shatner , Wil Wheaton , Denise Crosby , and John de Lancie , competed for charity on the NBC quiz show, The Weakest Link . Burton defeated Voyager actor Robert Picardo in the final round to win an impressive US$167,500 for his charity, Junior Achievement of Southern California. It was a record for the show.

Several costumes and costume components worn by Burton throughout his performance as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [10]

In 2016, Burton appeared at E3 to promote the virtual reality game Star Trek: Bridge Crew . He also recorded a video with Jeri Ryan and Karl Urban of them playtesting the game.

Directing [ ]

Burton directs Jeffrey Combs and Andrew Robinson

In addition to acting, Burton has directed many Star Trek episodes. He is one of only five directors to shoot at least one episode of every live-action Star Trek spin-off series from The Next Generation through Enterprise , the others being James L. Conway , Winrich Kolbe , Mike Vejar , and David Livingston .

It was during his time on TNG that Burton became interested in directing. He made his directorial debut with the sixth season episode " Second Chances ". He then directed the " The Pegasus ", an episode of the seventh and final season . After TNG ended, Burton moved on to direct ten episodes of Deep Space Nine , eight episodes of Voyager , and nine episodes of Enterprise .

In 1998, he directed his first non- Trek project, The Tiger Woods Story . His other television directorial credits include multiple episodes of Soul Food and Charmed . He also directed the 2003 family film Blizzard , starring Christopher Plummer and featuring the voice of Whoopi Goldberg as the title reindeer. Burton himself made a cameo appearance in the movie as an elf.

He recently directed and starred in the comic drama Reach for Me , working with performers Adrienne Barbeau , Seymour Cassel , and Alfre Woodard , and cameraman Kris Krosskove . Another directing project – a film called Initiation – is also in the works.

Post-TNG acting career [ ]

After TNG, Burton had a recurring role on the CBS series Christy and made a guest appearance on Brent Spiner's new, short-lived series, Deadly Games (co-starring Christopher Lloyd ). In 1996, Burton co-starred with Richard Herd and Malcolm McDowell in the Showtime Network's sci-fi thriller Yesterday's Son .

Burton is one of many Star Trek actors to voice a character on the hit animated Disney series Gargoyles . His TNG co-stars Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis , Brent Spiner, and Michael Dorn also did voice work on the series, as did Nichelle Nichols, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Bell , Clancy Brown , Matt Frewer , Gerrit Graham , Clyde Kusatsu , John Rhys-Davies , W. Morgan Sheppard , David Warner , and Paul Winfield .

In 2000, Burton guest-starred on Becker (starring DS9's Terry Farrell , in an episode with Andy Milder ). The following year, he made a brief appearance as Martin Luther King, Jr., in the 2001 biographical film Ali , which also featured the aforementioned Albert Hall and Bruce McGill .

Burton was not pleased with the 2002 film Star Trek Nemesis - the supposedly final chapter in the TNG saga. At DragonCon 2005, Burton suggested that the reason it failed at the box office was "because it sucked". Burton also held contempt for Nemesis director Stuart Baird , who, according to Burton and his castmates, continually called Burton "Laverne" and erroneously referred to his character as an "alien". [11] However, Burton has recently softened his view on Nemesis and decided to give it another chance, acknowledging that some people actually like it. [12]

In 2003, Burton had a guest spot on Boomtown (starring Neal McDonough , in an episode with Vanessa Williams ). In 2005, he had a voice-over role in the "Petarded" episode of Seth MacFarlane 's Family Guy . Burton later returned to Family Guy , when he and his TNG castmates voiced themselves for the 2009 episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven". In the episode, Stewie Griffin (voiced by creator Seth McFarlane) kidnaps the cast of TNG and proceeds to spend the day with them, much to his own regret.

Burton and fellow Star Trek alumni Greg Grunberg , Jennifer Morrison , and George Takei will supply voices for the upcoming animated series The Super Hero Squad Show , which features characters from Marvel Comics magazines. Burton, Grunberg, and Morrison will be voicing superheroes War Machine, Ant-Man, and The Wasp, respectively, while Takei voices the villainous Galactus.

In 2009, Burton starred in the Lifetime TV movie Taken in Broad Daylight . He then appeared in the 2009 independent film Reach for Me , which he also directed and produced. More recently, Burton voiced the DC Comics superhero Black Lightning in the upcoming direct-to-DVD animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies , with Clancy Brown voicing Lex Luthor.

In 2010, he appeared as guest as himself in episode 17 of the fourth season of the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory . Among other Next Generation actors seen on this show as themselves are actor Wil Wheaton (who appeared several times) and Brent Spiner . Burton also appeared as himself in episode 9 of the fifth season of Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! .

In 2011, Burton guest starred as himself in episode 16 of season two on NBC's sitcom Community .

Burton starred as Paul Haley on the TNT drama series Perception , created by Kenneth Biller and Michael Sussman , from 2012 to 2015. Burton worked with Jonathan Scarfe, son of Alan Scarfe and step-son of Barbara March . The following year, he served as executive producer on a remake of Roots .

Appearances as Geordi La Forge [ ]

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• Star Trek Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek Nemesis (2002)
• VOY : " Timeless "
• " The Bounty "
• " Dominion "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "

Additional characters [ ]

Star Trek directorial credits [ ]

• " Second Chances "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Indiscretion "
• " The Sword of Kahless "
• " Bar Association "
• " Rules of Engagement "
• " To the Death "
• " Things Past "
• " Soldiers of the Empire "
• " Behind the Lines "
• " Resurrection "
• " The Emperor's New Cloak "
• " Ex Post Facto "
• " Dreadnought "
• " The Raven "
• " Timeless "
• " Live Fast and Prosper "
• " Nightingale "
• " Homestead "
• " Terra Nova "
• " Fortunate Son "
• " Cogenitor "
• " First Flight "
• " Extinction "
• " Similitude "
• " The Forgotten "
• " The Augments "

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning"
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Casting", "Character Notes", "Camaraderie")
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Making of a Legend" (" VISOR ")
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions"
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Two", interviewed on 18 March 1994
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" (" Guinan Returns", "Special Guests on the Bridge"), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Three" ("Crew Profile: Geordi La Forge "), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions" (" The Enemy "), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Four" ("Celebrating 100 Episodes"), interviewed by Entertainment Tonight in 1991
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Intergalactic Guest Stars" ("Crew Profile: Ensign Ro Laren "), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Six" ("A Visit from Scotty "), interviewed in August 1992 and on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Bold New Directions Year Six" ("A First Chance at " Second Chances ""), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Six" ("Special Crew Profile: Lt. Cmdr. Data "), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Select Historical Data Year Six" ("Working with the VISOR "), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Seven" ("Profile: The La Forge Family", "The Final Episode"), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven" ("A Unique Family"), interviewed on 8 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "The Making of "All Good Things…" Year Seven" ("On Location"), interviewed on 18 March 1994
• To Boldly Go
• All Good Things Blu-ray special feature The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making "All Good Things" ( 2014 )
• "LeVar Burton – Lt. (J.G.) Geordi La Forge", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 1 , p. 17, interviewed by Marc Shapiro
• "LeVar Burton – Lt. Geordi La Forge", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 13 , pp. 6-8, interviewed by Marc Shapiro

External links [ ]

• LeVarBurton.com – official home page
• LeVar Burton at Wikipedia
• LeVar Burton at the Internet Movie Database
• LeVar Burton at TriviaTribute.com – pictures and trivia
• LeVar Burton at X (formerly Twitter)
• LeVar Burton  at Instagram
• Interview at the Archive of American Television
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

• Non-player characters
• Mission givers
• U.S.S. Madison
• Season Thirteen: Escalation

Geordi La Forge

• VisualEditor

Captain Geordi La Forge is a Human Starfleet Captain, best known for his tenure as Chief Engineer aboard the starships U.S.S. Enterprise -D and Enterprise -E . He currently commands the U.S.S. Challenger .

• 2.1 Missions formerly given
• 3 Missions involved
• 4 Other involvement
• 7 External links

History [ | ]

• 2335 : Geordi La Forge is born in Mogadishu, Somalia. He is blind due to a birth defect, and receives his first VISOR , allowing him to see, at the age of five.
• 2353 : Geordi is accepted to Starfleet Academy .
• 2357 : Ensign La Forge graduates Starfleet Academy and is assigned to the U.S.S. Victory under Captain Zimbata .
• 2362 : La Forge transfers to the U.S.S. Hood under Captain Robert DeSoto with Commander William T. Riker as First Officer.
• 2364 : Lt. Junior Grade La Forge joins the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise -D as Conn Officer.
• 2365 : Lieutenant La Forge transfers from the Command division to Operations, and is named Chief Engineer of the Enterprise -D. He remains at this posting until the destruction of the Enterprise at Veridian III in 2371.
• 2372 : Lt. Commander La Forge is named Chief Engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise -E when it launches, following the destruction of the Enterprise -D. Around this time, his VISOR is replaced by ocular implants.
• 2385 : La Forge takes a long-term leave of absence from Starfleet. His first task is to assist the Soong Foundation with their study of the B-4 android. With his help, the team is able to unlock the "Data Matrix," restoring La Forge's friend Data 's personality in B-4's body.
• 2387 : The Jellyfish , a vessel designed by La Forge, is launched by the Daystrom Institute . La Forge works with Starfleet to determine whether any of the ship's systems can be adapted for Federation use. Later that year, La Forge brings the Jellyfish to Vulcan at the request of Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard . Ambassador Spock pilots the Jellyfish to the Hobus System , where he and the ship are lost while containing the Hobus supernova. Starfleet invokes the reserve activation clause from La Forge's commission, and he returns to Starfleet, resuming his position of Chief Engineer of the Enterprise -E, now commanded by Captain Data.
• 2397 : La Forge accepts an opportunity to command his own ship, accepting a promotion to Captain and assuming command of the U.S.S. Challenger . He recommends that Commander Nog replace him as Chief Engineer of the Enterprise .
• Date Unknown: La Forge has three children by his first wife, Leah Brahms : Alandra, Bret, and Sidney. At some point, he becomes engaged to Mikaela Leishman , who also becomes Chief Engineer of the Challenger .

Missions given [ | ]

Missions formerly given [ | ]

Missions involved [ | ].

Other involvement [ | ]

• "New Featured Episode: 'Beyond the Nexus'" : Ensign N'vall of the Challenger searches Earth Spacedock for Captain La Forge. She finds La Forge in the shipyards, where he is speaking with Kirayoshi O'Brien of the U.S.S. Enterprise-F , which has nearly completed its refit. She hands La Forge a PADD containing new orders - the Challenger is to embark on a mission to the Nexus . O'Brien offers to put La Forge in contact with an officer who may be able to help with the mission.

Notes [ | ]

• The information regarding La Forge's marital status and children is provided by The Needs of the Many . Because this book was purportedly published by Jake Sisko in 2423 , it is possible that he has not yet married or had children by 2410.
• In the mission "Beyond the Nexus", Geordi originally carried a phaser rifle of the type used primarily in Star Trek: The Next Generation . As of October 2017 however, he is now armed with a standard-issue phaser pistol.

Gallery [ | ]

Promotional image

External links [ | ]

• Geordi La Forge at Memory Alpha , the Star Trek Wiki.
• Geordi La Forge at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek Wiki.
• Official Blog - LeVar Burton - and more - from our STLV Panel! (August 3, 2017)
• 1 Phoenix Prize Pack
• 2 Phoenix Redemption Store
• 3 Denorios Bajoran Interceptor

Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Geordi's VISOR

Eyeballs are overrated. With his VISOR, Geordi was able to do far more than just seeing.

Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation was born without eyes, but, thanks to Starfleet medical science, was able to see even better than those with normal Human vision, using his signature VISOR (which stood for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement).

Geordi received his first VISOR shortly after turning five. It basically gave him superhuman abilities, as he could see things that would be invisible for others, but the device wasn't without it's issues. Throughout his Starfleet career, it caused Geordi a fair amount of trouble (and made the job a lot harder for LeVar Burton, who had to play the character with his eyes almost completely covered). The VISOR has also become greatly iconic in pop-culture, and has inspired a lot of real-world creations.

In this list, we're gonna explore all of the most interesting facts about Geordi's VISOR that fans may have missed or forgotten over the years. As you'll see, the VISOR was much more than a fashion statement.

10. What Geordi Can See

The colours that Humans see are actually just different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, with red being the longest (at around 700 nanometres), and violet the shortest (at around 380 nanometres). However, visual light is only a small segment of the electromagnetic spectrum. Longer wavelengths contain types of radiation like infared light, microwaves, and radio waves, and shorter wavelengths contain types like ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays. With his VISOR, Geordi was able to see much more of the electromagnetic spectrum, meaning he could detect heat by looking at infared light, and sometimes see through objects or clouds that would appear opaque for anyone else.

He also saw the world in much more detail than the average person. He could detect tiny details in people's heart rates and perspiration, which sometimes even allowed him to tell if someone was lying.

Several scenes have given us representations of Geordi's way of seeing, but with ordinary Human eyes, it's actually physically impossible to even comprehend what it would be like to see anything other than visible light.

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.

Star Trek: What Happened to Geordi La Forge's Iconic Visor After TNG?

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Why Does Kathryn Janeway Outrank Jean-Luc Picard?

10 most questionable storylines in star trek, the acolyte may have already revealed the identity of the master and it's the least interesting choice.

Star Trek: The Next Generation took up the torch for the venerable franchise by focusing on a new crew of the Enterprise. Not wanting to simply recreate the original series, the showrunners ensured that the crew were made up of entirely new species or much different human characters.

One of these human characters was LeVar Burton 's Geordi LaForge , who was well-known for sporting a distinctive VISOR that allowed him to see. The appearance of Geordi's iconic VISOR evolved over the course of the series before eventually being jettisoned entirely in the theatrical movies. Here's what happened to the device, both in the show's universe and in the real world.

RELATED: Star Trek: How Doctor Who Crashed Into the Next Generation

Why Geordi Stopped Using His Visor

Geordi wore the VISOR (Visual Instrument for Sensory Organ Replacement) throughout much of the show's run, having received it when he was five years old after being born blind. While it gifted him the ability to see ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, it also caused him physical pain due to its competition with his other senses. It could also be incredibly disorienting if used by someone whose vision was not impaired.

The prop also proved somewhat problematic in the real world, as it similarly caused Burton pain and discomfort while wearing it because of how it was applied to his head. Though its iconic status kept it around for quite a while, the VISOR was eventually tossed in favor of the cybernetic ocular implants that Geordi received in  Star Trek: First Contact . The show stuck with this idea, having him continue to upgrade these implants, which gave him many of the same benefits that the VISOR gave beforehand.

RELATED: Why "The Best of Both Worlds" Is TNG's Best Episode

What Happened to Geordi's Visor After TNG?

Given its classic status among the  Star Trek fandom, the VISOR prop has become something of a holy grail. The one worn in the initial seasons is believed to be in the possession of Penny Juday. Juday was the Senior Art Department Coordinator for the show, and found the prop in a Paramount warehouse before claiming it as a personal possession.

The "Hero VISOR," which was a later version of the prop used from Season 3 until Geordi received the cybernetic implants, was sold at a movie prop  auction , with the unknown winner having claimed it for $7000. The "Hero" name is a term used in television and film to denote a prop which utilizes lights, sounds and electronic components. The only other VISOR still known to exist is owned by Burton himself.

Sadly, no such prop exists for the implants, which only goes to show just how recognizable the VISOR has become throughout the years. Though it may have ironically impaired Burton's field of view, it also brought recognition to people who might be different but who were never defined by their supposed limitations.

KEEP READING: Star Trek: The Next Generation's Own Han Solo Nearly Played Commander Riker

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Published Jun 20, 2024

The Official Trailer and Key Art for Season 2 of Animated Series Star Trek: Prodigy Is Here

Season 2 will premiere with all 20 episodes on July 1 exclusively on Netflix in the U.S. and select countries around the world.

StarTrek.com

CBS Studios debuted the official trailer and key art for the second season of the original animated kids' series, Star Trek: Prodigy . The hit series will premiere all 20 episodes on Monday, July 1 on Netflix in select countries around the world. Season 1 episodes of the series are currently available on Netflix.

In Season 2, these six young outcasts who make up the Prodigy crew are assigned a new mission aboard the U.S.S. Voyager -A to rescue Captain Chakotay and bring peace to Gwyn's home world. However, when their plan goes astray, it creates a time paradox that jeopardizes both their future and past.

The Star Trek: Prodigy voice cast includes Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner), and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok).

Season 2 recurring voice cast members include Robert Beltran (Captain Chakotay), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Jason Alexander (Dr. Noum), Daveed Diggs (Commander Tysess), Jameela Jamil (Ensign Asencia), Ronny Cox (Admiral Jellico), and Michaela Dietz (Maj’el).

Developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman ( Trollhunters and Ninjago ), along with Alex Kurtzman and his team at Secret Hideout, the CG-animated series Star Trek: Prodigy is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences and follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future.

"We deeply appreciate our fans who have stood by us and our passionate crew who made this all possible. The work speaks for itself, but it's the heart that will endure," said co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman about the Season 2 release.

Star Trek: Prodigy received a 2023 TCA Award nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming" along with a 2022 Children's and Family Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Series, and production designer, Alessandro Taini, won the award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.

Star Trek: Prodigy is from CBS' Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios' animation arm; Nickelodeon Animation; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers, alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman. Ben Hibon directs, executive produces and serves as the creative lead of the animated series. Aaron Waltke and Patrick Krebs also currently serve as co-executive producers. Star Trek: Prodigy is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Star Trek: Prodigy will stream on Netflix globally (excluding Canada, Nordics, CEE, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Mainland China) and Season 1 is currently available on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe with Season 2 coming soon. Season two has launched in France on France Televisions channels and Okoo.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Galaxy's child (1991), susan gibney: dr. leah brahms.

• Quotes (14)

Photos 

Quotes 

[Leah has discovered Geordi's Leah Brahms program on the holodeck] 

Dr. Leah Brahms : I'm outraged by this! I have been invaded, violated! How dare you use me like this? How far did it go anyway? Was it good for you?

Dr. Leah Brahms : Sometimes I feel more comfortable with engine schematics than people.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Well, maybe you just haven't met the right... people.

[at Leah Brahms' arrival] 

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Welcome aboard, Dr. Brahms. I'm... Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, Chief Engineer.

Dr. Leah Brahms : La Forge. So you're the one who's fouled up my engine designs.

Dr. Leah Brahms : The computer never told you that I was married?

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : I never asked, and the computer is notorious for not volunteering information.

Dr. Leah Brahms : If the baby is nursing, perhaps what we need is to find a way to sour the milk.

[Geordi and Leah have settled their personal problems] 

Dr. Leah Brahms : I wouldn't change a thing - except for the way I behaved. I guess I came here with my own set of preconceptions about you.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Well, I guess I'm just glad that I got the opportunity to get to know you. The real you.

Dr. Leah Brahms : Me too.

Dr. Leah Brahms : [hologram]  I'm with you every day, Geordi. Every time you look at this engine, you're looking at me. Every time you touch it, it's me.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : I make a great fungilli.

Dr. Leah Brahms : I love fungilli.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : Is that right?

Dr. Leah Brahms : It's curious, this modification was due to be introduced...

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : In the next class starship.

Dr. Leah Brahms : How did you know that?

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : You remember, the crystal's been re-oriented to adjust the direction of the lattice structure.

Dr. Leah Brahms : Remember? Why would I remember.

Dr. Leah Brahms : You're less formal than any Starfleet officer I've ever met, Commander.

Dr. Leah Brahms : Commander La Forge, ever since I came on board, there seems to be something a little peculiar about your attitude. You seem to know things about me, even though we've never met.

Dr. Leah Brahms : I thought you knew. I mean, you know everything else about me. But Commander, if I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing, then you should know that I'm married.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : I should have told you straight out.

Dr. Leah Brahms : Well if you had, then I never would have had a chance to see the look on your face when you walked in on me and me in the holodeck.

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge : The look on my face? How about the look on your face? I will remember that for a long time.

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