Busy actor takes time for trip to Tulsa's Trek Expo

By Renee Lawrence

Published: October 12, 2007

LeVar Burton's passion, enthusiasm and can-do-it attitude practically crackle through the phone line.

When he visits Tulsa on Sunday for an appearance at Trek Expo 2007, he'll share that passion with fans, and he'll also be looking for something.

He's just finished directing and acting in a low-budget film tentatively called "Tempting Hyenas,” which stars Tulsa native Alfre Woodard.

"I'm coming to my sister's hometown!” Burton said during a phone interview from his car while on his way to begin edits on his film. "What I'm looking for is the place that produced such an extraordinary human being; that's what I'm looking for. And I imagine I'll find it.”

Burton, 50, played chief engineer Geordi La Forge for seven seasons on "Star Trek: The Next Generation” and in four feature films. "Tempting Hyenas” is his first film project with Woodard since 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact.”

"Alfre called our work process every day on the set, she called it a master class, and that was such high praise because, A, her standards are really high and, B, she is a master,” he said.

His latest project has him excited, and Burton says the movie he and his crew made is much better than the movie he made in his head when he decided to do the project.

"My heart right now is in being a storyteller and telling stories that I care about,” he said.

"I believe we are here to live passionate lives. I'm not saying I'm a master at it; I'm saying that's what I'm practicing. I practice at being human, a good human being. That's the work; everything else is just how you get there. I've chosen filmmaking right now; storytelling is what I call it.”

This year marks significant anniversaries for three shows in Burton's career. It's the 30th anniversary of the landmark miniseries and slavery drama "Roots,” in which Burton played Kunta Kinte; the 20th anniversary since the beginning of "Star Trek: The Next Generation”; and the 25th and final year for the children's program "Reading Rainbow,” of which Burton is proudest.

"All three are significant numbers, significant events in my life, and what I feel like are part of the contribution I've come here to make,” Burton said.

"I'm not done by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just entering the second half of my life, but I'm really excited about what I get to do next.”

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