Who is the mother of LeVar Burton’s son EIAN Burton?
John Parsons
Published Feb 21, 2026
LeVar Burton is a renowned American actor, director, and children’s television host.
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. was born on February 16, 1957, in Landstuhl, Germany. His mother, Erma Gene Christian was a social worker, administrator, and educator, while his father, LeVar Burton Sr was a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
LeVar Burton made his acting debut in 1976 with Almos’ a Man, in which he stars alongside Madge Sinclair. While an undergraduate at the University of Southern California, LeVar Burton got a starring role in the 1977 television miniseries Roots.
LeVar Burton has received 12 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award as the host and executive producer of the show, the PBS Kids educational television series Reading Rainbow which he hosted for more than 23 years (1983–2006).
LeVar Burton has also starred in Looking for Mr Goodbar (1977), Dummy (1979), The Hunter (1980), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994) and Ali (2001). He earned the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards for his narration of the book, The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.
Who is the mother of LeVar Burton’s son EIAN Burton?
Chimara P. Smith is the mother of LeVar Burton’s son, Eian Burton Smith.
