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The actor that brought Geordi LaForge to life, LeVar Burton, has become one of the most iconic faces of Star Trek and the character he played has stood the test of time. The same can’t be said for everything about The Next Generation, and one of the major critiques of the show is that the Chief Engineer just didn’t get enough screen time.
7 Started As The Helmsman
In the first season of TNG, LaForge worked on the bridge as the helmsman, which meant he got to drive. The character got more exposure as part of the bridge crew, but the cast needed someone in Engineering.
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As of the second season, Geordi LaForge had been given a much-deserved promotion to Chief of Engineering. This wasn’t just a nice way to get a likable character in the engine room, in the spirit of Montgomery Scott, but to provide someone that would relate to Data on a more personal level. The result was a memorable friendship for both the android and the engineer.
6 Impressed Picard
LaForge didn’t get that promotion just for being great at his job in general, which he was. He made a positive first impression on the strict and stoic Jean-Luc Picard when he was still working on the USS Hood. In a flashback from the TNG episode, “The Next Phase,” he lost a night of sleep to fix a problem on a shuttlecraft that the Captain had noticed.
The result was Picard was so impressed by his dedication that he insisted LaForge be part of the crew of his next command. Of course, that ended up being the USS Enterprise.
5 The Power Of Prosthetic Eyes
It’s common knowledge that the notorious “banana clip” that LeVar Burton wore for the role, the prosthetic eyes, was incredibly uncomfortable. Regarding the tech and canon, however, they were far superior to the natural counterparts of LaForge’s coworkers, which means he was probably ideal for the helm after all.
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The prosthesis that LaForge wore had a proper name, a VISOR, and it wasn’t intended to replace normal human vision. This is an acronym for “Visual Instrument and Sight Organ Replacement” and it had all the powers of a tricorder plus it could do a lot more. The VISOR allows LaForge to see light across the electromagnetic spectrum, including infrared vision that could detect heat and vital signs.
4 Based On A Real Person
The common disclaimer claiming that the characters in the following story are not related to anyone in real life except by coincidence doesn’t apply here. Gene Roddenberry created and named the character in honor of real-life Star Trek fan George LaForge, who was a paraplegic.
George LaForge is part of Star Trek lore that predates TNG. A character with the same name also appeared in the Star Trek novel The Galactic Whirlpool, released in 1980 and written by David Gerrold.
3 Tuvok Also Auditioned For The Role
A lot of people know that some big names like Wesley Snipes and Reggie Jackson auditioned for the role of Geordi LaForge, but a lesser-known fact is that an actor named Tim Russ also wanted the role. The name might not sound familiar immediately, but this is the same actor that was eventually cast as Tuvok in Voyager.
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There are some interesting connections between the two characters when it comes to their social implications. Geordi LaForge made an impact as a person who is blind, and Tuvok introduced audiences to the concept of a Vulcan played by a person of color.
2 Somalia, Starfleet, And Riker
There’s virtually no information on the show about LaForge’s childhood, his education, general life on earth, or the early stages of his career in Starfleet. He was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, one of the countries that makes up the African Federation in the 24th century. His birthday is February 16th, making him an Aquarius, the sign of innovation and progress.
One of Geordi’s early assignments after graduating from Starfleet was on the USS Hood, serving under Lt. Commander William Riker. They worked together for three years before transferring to the USS Enterprise.
1 Designed The ISS Jellyfish
It’s important to remember that after all is said and done, Geordi LaForge was one of the most brilliant engineers of his era, and his many inventions and innovations are often footnotes in a plot instead of its focus.
The ISS Jellyfish is an exception. It features prominently in some of Star Trek’s most exciting stories but hardly anyone seems to know that LaForge designed it. Its most prominent appearance was as Spock’s ship in the 2009 movie that introduced the Kelvin Timeline, Star Trek.
To be exact, LaForge designed the prototype in cooperation with the Daystrom Institute in an attempt to develop a ship that could withstand unstable and dangerous atmospheres. Years later the Vulcan Science Academy would augment the design to carry red matter and be incredibly fast.
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