LeVar Burton Pays Tribute to ‘Old Friend’ Mister Rogers 23 Years After the Iconic Host’s Death

Tereza ShkurtajFri, February 27, 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC

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LeVar Burton and Mister Rogers.Credit: PBS -

On Feb. 24, 2026, LeVar Burton paid tribute to Fred Rogers after spotting a painting of the late actor in Pittsburgh

The two shared a long friendship rooted in their work on PBS

After Rogers died in 2003, Burton continued to speak openly about his impact, remembering him as a genuine presence whose guidance shaped both his career and his heart

For decades, LeVar Burton and Fred Rogers shaped generations through their respective PBS series — and formed a friendship along the way.

Though they led different avenues — one built of cardigans and kindness, the other of books and imagination — their missions of helping children were deeply aligned. That bond felt especially present on Feb. 24, 2026, when Burton shared a tribute on Instagram after unexpectedly coming across a painting of Rogers in Pittsburgh.

“Encountered an old friend last night in Pittsburg [sic],” Burton, 69, captioned the post. “I was leaving a restaurant after dinner, I turned a corner and there he was!”

Burton, who added "#saintfred" and "#lookforthehelpers" in the caption, solemnly posed with his hand on his late friend's chest in the photo.

Rogers hosted Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from 1968 to 2001, creating a gentle space where children’s feelings were honored and explored, while Burton began leading Reading Rainbow in 1983, encouraging young viewers to see reading as a gateway to possibility. Their audiences often overlapped, and so did their values.

In 1998, Burton even appeared on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in a crossover moment that symbolized PBS at its best. Their friendship grew over years of shared purpose, including time spent together at events focused on children’s media, such as a White House conference on children’s television.

When Rogers died of stomach cancer on Feb. 27, 2003, at the age of 74, the loss reverberated far beyond public television. In a tribute Burton wrote for Entertainment Weekly, he reflected on the man behind the sweater.

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“When I met Fred, it was immediately apparent that the persona I saw on TV was exactly who he was, and I was blown away. Fred was constantly himself, no matter what the circumstance or whom he was with. That’s an incredibly rare thing to encounter,” Burton wrote.

“Kids responded to him because he was genuine. He talked to them, not at them. Kids in today’s TV environment are bombarded with advertising, and Fred didn’t do that,” he added. “He simply sat there, and what he told them was powerful — that who you are matters, that your feelings count, that you are a unique creation, and that you owe it to yourself to rise to the best you can be.”

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LeVar Burton and Mister Rogers.Credit: PBS

In June 2022, Burton appeared on The View to promote his documentary, Butterfly in the Sky, and also reflected on his connection with Rogers.

He told the co-hosts they “met on the field of service,” noting that Rogers was a Presbyterian minister while Burton had once studied with the Catholic priesthood.

"Using our lives as fodder for something greater than ourselves is a key part of our DNA," he said on the show. "Fred really encouraged me to be myself, share my authentic self with the audience, and establish a relationship with them that has paid off."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”