Actor Levar Burton Says He’s ‘Really, Really, Really’ Serious About Becoming New Jeopardy! Host

LeVar Burton

Actor Levar Burton Says He’s ‘Really, Really, Really’ Serious About Becoming New Jeopardy! Host

LeVar Burton is taking his aspirations to be the new Jeopardy! host very seriously.

Longrunning host Alex Trebek sadly died on Nov. 8, 2020 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. Since then, there has been a rotation of guest hosts and a permanent replacement has yet to be named.

Alex Trebek

The Reading Rainbow legend previously reposted a petition that called for him to step in as the new host.

He added the caption,

“Leaving this here in the event the powers that be are listening…”

The petition reads,

“Between hosting 21 seasons of the educational Reading Rainbow, playing the brainiac engineer Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: the Next Generation, and filling the roll of Kunta Kinte in the ever important mini-series Roots, LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds. This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producers Mike Richards and Harry Friedman just how much love the public has for Burton, and how much we’d all love to see him as the next host of Jeopardy!”

It now has nearly 245,000 signatures as of Monday morning (April 19th).

LeVar Burton told USA Today’s The Mothership Podcast Friday (April 16th) that he truly does want to be the new host.

He said he is “really, really, really” serious about it, adding:

“This is something that I really think is a good idea. I think it’s a good fit of what the show is, what the show requires and what I feel like I bring to the table.”

He referenced his role in ABC’s 1997 miniseries Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation and said,

“I feel as strongly about my rightness for this as I did about Kunta and Geordi. And I’m that invested in getting the job.”

He also served as the host for kids series Reading Rainbow for more than 20 years.

He said he wants to do

“justice to the legacy of Alex.”

Do you think LeVar Burton is right for the job? Comment and let us know.