George Takei
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George Hosato Takei (last name is pronounced in (IPA): [taˈkeɪ̯]) (born April 20, 1937) is an American actor. He is most famous for his role in the TV series [[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]], in which he played the helmsman Hikaru Sulu on the USS Enterprise. On January 9, 2006, Takei became the announcer for The Howard Stern Show, after that show's move to satellite radio.
Early life
George Takei was born in Los Angeles, California. In 1942, the Takei family was sent to Rohwer, an internment camp in Arkansas, then were later transferred to Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California. Despite this experience, the family developed a renewed dedication to remain involved in the American democratic process. He and his family returned to Los Angeles at the end of World War II.In Hollywood during the 1960s, he pursued his ambition to be an actor at a time when Asian faces were rarely seen on television and movie screens; Takei appeared alongside such actors as Richard Burton in Ice Palace (1960), Alec Guinness in A Majority of One (1962), Cary Grant in Walk Don't Run (1966), and John Wayne in The Green Berets (1968), which was the only movie to support the Vietnam War.
Star Trek
In 1966, he met with a young producer named Gene Roddenberry who cast him as Mr. Sulu on the television series Star Trek. While working on the show he appeared as Captain Nim in the John Wayne film The Green Berets (1968).Takei has since appeared in numerous TV and film productions, including the first six Star Trek motion pictures, and today is a regular on the sci-fi convention circuit throughout the world. He has also acted and provided voice acting for several science fiction computer games, including Freelancer and numerous Star Trek games.
Reportedly, Takei is one of a number of Star Trek cast members who disliked William Shatner (see the entry for James Doohan for more comment). However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD set second season of [[Star Trek: The Original Series]], Takei appears to have settled things with Shatner. He says, "He's just a wonderful actor who created a singular character. No one could have done Kirk the way Bill did. His energy and his determination, that's Bill. And that's also Captain Kirk."
Takei will reprise his role of Sulu in the fan based internet series [[Star Trek: New Voyages]] sometime in the fall of 2006. [link]
In April 2006 it was announced that a new motion picture, apparently featuring the early adventures of certain characters of the original Star Trek series with an entire new cast under the control of Lost creator J. J. Abrams, is being planned for a 2008 release. There is no word yet if George Takei or any other remaining members of the original cast have been asked to make cameo appearances.
Later life
In 1972, Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention. The following year, he ran for Mayor of Los Angeles, finishing second in a field of seventeen to Councilman Tom Bradley. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the mayor's seat caused one local station to stop running the repeats of the original Star Trek series until after the election and KNBC-TV to substitute the premier episode of the Star Trek animated series scheduled by the network with another in which his character did not appear. The other candidates in the race complained that Takei's distinctive and powerful voice alone (besides his image) on television every week created an unfair advantage.Mayor Bradley later appointed Takei to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, making him part of the team that initiated and planned the Los Angeles subway system. Takei was called away from the set of [[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]] in 1978 to cast the tie-breaking vote for the creation of the Los Angeles subway system. He served eleven years on the board.
Also during this period Takei began his friendship with the future Mayor of West Hollywood and current Assemblyman Paul Koretz.
He co-wrote the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin in 1979.
In 1986, the comic strip Bloom County had one set of strips where Takei was rumored to be dating Marie Osmond. Those rumors were subsequently denied by both Osmond and Takei. In 1990, Takei appeared in the Australian film Prisoners of the Sun as a Japanese vice-admiral being tried for war crimes.
In the 1990s and early part of the twenty-first century he had guest star appearances on some science fiction television series. He played himself in a 3rd Rock from the Sun episode about a science fiction convention, and an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. He appeared as Warlord Shank on the show Space Cases. He also provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". He has also provided voices for several characters on The Simpsons including "Akira," a Japanese waiter who appears sporadically on the series. More recently he guest starred on an episode of Will & Grace playing an openly gay character named "George Takei" for the first time on television.
In November 2004, Takei was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito for his contributions to U.S.-Japanese relations.
Today, visitors to the Memphis International Airport can hear Takei's unmistakable voice over the intercom system.
Coming Out
In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay, and has been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for the last eighteen years. He said "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen." [link][link] Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had long been an open secret among Trek fans, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in gay organizations including Frontrunners, where Takei met Mr. Altman and fellow runners and soon to be friends Kevin Norte and Don Norte.
"We are masculine, we are feminine, we are caring, we are abusive. We are just like straight people, in terms of our outward appearance and our behavior. The only difference is that we are oriented to people of our own gender." }}]] article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
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