LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton at the 75th Directors Guild of America Awards on Feb. 18, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Monica Schipper/Getty
Monica Schipper/Getty
LeVar Burtonand his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton had a classic Hollywood meet-cute.
While LeVar starred as Kunta Kinte onRoots: The Gift, his wife was behind the scenes as a makeup artist. The pair met in 1988 on set, dated for around four years and got married in 1992. Two years later, they started their family, welcoming daughter Michaela “Mica” Jean Burton. Stephanie is an animal lover, too, so their family also includes a horse and two dogs.
In a 2013 interview withSerial Optimist, LeVar shared why he loves his wife Stephanie so much. “She’s hysterical. She’s got a wicked sense of humor, also, very morbid. Stephanie is a goddess,” he told the outlet. “Fiercely intelligent, stunning to look at. INTENSE in her energy. She’s a goddess. I married a goddess.”
Ten years later, LeVar felt the same way. In April 2023, LeVar told PEOPLE, “My wife,she taught me what love looks like, sounds like, tastes like, smells like.”
The pair have continued to work together, including on LeVar’s popular seriesReading Rainbow. Although his wife is behind the scenes while he is in the spotlight, LeVar has said he wants to focus on his family.
“One of my goals throughout this 45-year career has been to make my family proud. Or maybe, inversely, to not embarrass them. So far, so good,” he toldRolling Stonein 2021.
She is a makeup artist
LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton at the Variety Family and Entertainment Awards on Dec. 8, 2022 in West Hollywood, California.Tommaso Boddi/Variety/Getty
Tommaso Boddi/Variety/Getty
Stephanie grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and attended Indiana University Bloomington where she majored in sociology. She also studied at Joe Blasco Make-Up School, where she learned her trade.
She has been a makeup artist for numerous films and television shows. She most recently worked onWhose Line Is It Anyway?,The TalkandNed and Stacey. Her first cited job was as a makeup artist for the hit sitcom,The Facts of Life.
Stephanie also worked on two iconic projects from the ’90s and ’00s, the sitcomGirlfriendswithTracee Ellis Rossand the movieWhite Men Can’t JumpwithWoody Harrelson.
Per herLinkedIn, Stephanie is the department head of makeup at Netflix forThe Upshaws.
She met LeVar on set
LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton, circa 1995.Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
In 1988, Stephanie met her future husband on the set ofRoots: The Gift. The pair dated for nearly four years before they got married on Oct. 3, 1992.
The couple haven’t revealed much about their romance, but they have shared photos from their wedding. In 2019, LeVar posted a picture from their special dayon X(formerly Twitter).
“27 years ago today I jumped the broom with @StephanieCozart the love of my life!” he wrote.
She and LeVar share a daughter
LeVar Burton, his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton and their daughter Michaela Jean Burton at the premiere Of Disney’s “Mulan” on March 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
LeVar and Stephanie share one child together, a daughter named Mica, who was born on July 8, 1994.
Mica has followed in her dad’s footsteps. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Michigan School of Theater and Dance with a bachelor of fine arts in acting. She worked as an actress for Avalon Artists Group and appeared in miniseries and music videos.
Mica even got to act alongside her dad inStar Trek: Picardin 2023. Speaking to PEOPLE that April, LeVar reflected on the joy of bringing his daughter to set.
“Mica’s grown up with them all,” LeVar said of hisStar Trekcastmates, some of whom were groomsmen at his wedding to Stephanie.
Mica added, “My dad drove me to work, and it was just my family on-set, myStar Trekfamily.”
LeVar also has a son, Eian Burton Smith, with Chimara P. Smith.
She was a Playboy Bunny
Stephanie Cozart Burton in her Playboy Bunny outfit on her Instagram.Stephanie Cozart Burton Instagram
Stephanie Cozart Burton Instagram
Stephanie was a former Playboy Bunny and has evenshared throwback photosof herself in the iconic Bunny costume.
The makeup artist was one of the original Playboy Bunnies, working at the Los Angeles and Century City Playboy clubs between 1981 and 1986.
These days, Stephanie’s costume is a fun game of dress-up for her daughter, Mica, whoposted on Xabout trying on the iconic uniform.
She won an Daytime Emmy
LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton backstage at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 23, 2000 in Los Angeles, California.Bob Riha Jr./Getty
Bob Riha Jr./Getty
While LeVar has a number of Primetime and Daytime Emmy nominations for his work onRootsandReading Rainbow, his wife is an Emmy winner.
In 2013, she took home a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding makeup for her work onThe Talk.
She is an animal lover
LeVar Burton, his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton and their daughter Mica arrive at The Geekie Awards on Aug. 17, 2014 in Hollywood, California.Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Stephanie often shares photos of her animal family on Instagram. She hastwo small dogs, Roux and Reani, along witha horse that she and her daughter ride. She has credited them for helping her get through tough times.
“A day at the barn with our ‘big dog’ is the cure for everything,“Stephanie wrote on Instagramabout her horse.In another post, Stephanie affectionately called her dogs “Momma’s babies.”
LeVar and Stephanie have been married for over 30 years
LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton at the Los Angeles premiere of “Star Trek: Picard” on Feb. 9, 2023 in Hollywood, California.David Livingston/Getty
David Livingston/Getty
On Oct. 3, 2021, the couple celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary, dedicating Instagram posts to each other.
“29 years ago today @scozartburton and I jumped the broom. Spoiler alert: They lived happily ever after … ♥️🥂♥,”he wrote alongside a photo from their nuptials.
“When ya wake up to roses and diamonds — it’s a good day💖Happy 29th anniversary my love!!,”she wrote on Instagramunder a photo of flowers from her husband.
She is brutally honest with her husband
LeVar Burton and his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton at Pen America’s 2019 Litfest Gala on Nov. 1, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.Jerod Harris/Getty
Jerod Harris/Getty
TheReading Rainbowalum shared with The Associated Press, perThe Seattle Times, that his wife was on hand to play coach during his guest appearance hostingJeopardy!in 2021.She even did his makeup for his brief stint on the competition series.
“I came backstage after taping the first episode and I said to Stephanie, ‘Well, how did I do?’ ” he recalled. “She said, ‘Ehhh.’ Now, this is a woman who loves me enough to tell me the truth. She said it wasn’t me.”
source: people.com
