LeVar Burton Says Earring, New Looks Caused Clashes at 'Reading Rainbow'

LeVar Burton's time hosting "Reading Rainbow" wasn't all rainbows and butterflies -- as it turns out, he actually clashed with producers ... all 'cause he was a hip and stylish dude!

The actor opens up about this in "Butterfly in the Sky" -- a new documentary about the beloved children's program that he hosted in the '80s, '90s and 2000s ... revealing some of the most iconic parts of his appearance back then actually pissed off the creative team.

As detailed by People, LeVar refused to dress or present himself in a way that felt inauthentic. As a result ... he says he'd clash with showrunners and people behind the scenes -- who apparently gave him a hard time over fashion choices, like his famous earring.

Burton says he got his ears pierced when a woman he was dating at the time convinced him to ... and he explains that producers flipped their wigs because they were focused on continuity -- wanting Levar to look the same season after season. He wasn't doing that.

Another such example ... apparently, Burton grew a mustache in between the pilot episode and shooting the first season -- and, execs feared he'd confuse kids with the new facial hair.

LeVar says he didn't heed any warnings about changing his appearance because he wanted to be his real self. LB also says he didn't want to cave because he'd been getting told his whole life something was wrong with him -- citing racism and prejudice -- so he stood pat.

Despite the ongoing battles, Burton ultimately stayed on ... hosting for 21 seasons until the show ended -- so, seems like production eventually saw things his way and chilled out.