CULVER CITY (CNS) - Actor LeVar Burton said he was âmore than nervousâ when guest-hosting five episodes of âJeopardy!â which begin airing Monday. Â
âI was absolutely petrified,â said Burton, best known for his portrayals of the young slave Kunta Kinte on 1977 ABC miniseries âRootsâ and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in the 1987-94 syndicated science fiction series âStar Trek: The Next Generation.â âI don't know that that feeling ever went away.â  Burton said his wife, Stephanie, and daughter, Mica, kept telling him, âYou've got this, breathe, slow down, you know how to do what it is that you do.â Â
Burton described himself as a fan of âJeopardy!â dating back to its original incarnation, when it aired weekday mornings on NBC and was hosted by Art Fleming. Â
âWhen this opportunity came by I could not pass it up,â Burton said in an interview posted on the show's website. Â
âJeopardy!â has turned to guest hosts to fill the role held by the late Alex Trebek since its syndicated revival began in 1984. It has been matching the amount of money won by the contestants each host's stint to a charity of his or her choice. Â
Burton selected Reading is Fundamental, the nation's largest children's literacy nonprofit organization, as the charity to benefit from his stint as guest host. Â
âThey provide thousands of books to children every year and in most instances these kids are getting their own books for the very first time,â Burton said. âThe amount of money that we raised here on the show is going to make a huge difference in the life of many, many kids and I can't wait to give them that check.â Â
âJeopardy!â has donated $2,205,826 to its guest hosts' charities of choice, including $164,410 to the bone marrow registry Be The Match from âGood Morning Americaâ anchor Robin Roberts' weeklong stint as host, which concluded Friday. Â
The show also matched the $250,000 grand prize for the 2021 âJeopardy!â Tournament of Champions and donated that amount to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless at the former site of the Skateland roller rink in Northridge. Â
The purchase of the rink was financed in part by a $500,000 donation from Trebek and his wife, Jean.