 And from the listeners who support this NPR station. Actor LeVar Burton landed one of TV's most iconic roles when he was just 19 years old. But he says playing Kuta Kinte on Roots at such a young age meant he had to acknowledge a hard reality of showbiz. I may never do anything as big or as important or as impactful as this. LeVar Burton talks Roots, Rainbows, and The Final Frontier on All Things Considered from NPR News.