George Takei
Encyclopedia
George Hosato Takei Altman (təˈkeɪ ; born April 20, 1937) is an American
actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek
and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu
, helmsman
of the . Takei also played Kaito Nakamura on the NBC television series Heroes
.
, the son of Fumiko Emily (née
Nakamura
) and Takekuma Norman Takei, who worked in real estate. His parents were Japanese American
. His father was an Anglophile, and named him George after George VI of the United Kingdom
, whose coronation took place in 1937. In 1942, the Takei family was forced to live in the horse stables of Santa Anita Park
before being sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center
for internment in Arkansas
. The family was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center
in California. He and his family returned to Los Angeles at the end of World War II
. He attended Mount Vernon Junior High School, where he served as student body president, and Los Angeles High School
. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 379 of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple
.
Upon graduation from high school Takei then enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley
where he studied architecture. Later he attended the University of California, Los Angeles
, where he received a bachelor of arts
in theater in 1960 and a master of arts
in theater in 1964. He attended the Shakespeare Institute
at Stratford-upon-Avon
in England, and Sophia University
in Tokyo, Japan. In Hollywood, he studied acting at the Desilu Workshop
. Takei is fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish.
and Rodan
, followed by an appearance in the Emmy award
winning television series Playhouse 90
and Perry Mason The Case of the Blushing Pearls. Takei subsequently appeared alongside such actors as Richard Burton
in Ice Palace
, Jeffrey Hunter
in Hell to Eternity
, Alec Guinness
in A Majority of One
, James Caan in Red Line 7000
and Cary Grant
in Walk Don't Run
. He played Captain Nim, an ARVN
LLDB (Luc Luong Dac Biet- Special Forces) officer alongside John Wayne
's character in the 1968 Vietnam War era film, The Green Berets
. He starred in "The Encounter
", a controversial episode of the Emmy Award winning television show The Twilight Zone
.
He had an uncredited role in the 1963 film PT-109
as the helmsman who steers the Japanese destroyer over John F. Kennedy's
PT-109
. He appeared in Walk Don't Run
(1966) with Cary Grant
and Samantha Eggar
and he starred in an episode of Mission: Impossible
during that show's first season in 1966. He also appeared in two Jerry Lewis
comedies, The Big Mouth
and Which Way to the Front?
In 1965, producer Gene Roddenberry
cast him as Mr. Sulu in the second Star Trek pilot and eventually the Star Trek
television series. While working on the show he appeared as Captain Nim in The Green Berets. It was intended that Sulu's role be expanded in the second season, but due to Takei's part in Green Berets, he only appeared in half the season, with his role being filled by Walter Koenig
as Pavel Chekov
. When Takei returned, the two had to share a dressing room and a single episode script. Takei admitted in an interview that he initially felt threatened by Walter's presence, but later grew to be friends with him as the image of the officers sharing the ship's helm panel side-by-side became iconic.
Takei has since appeared in numerous TV and film productions, including the first six Star Trek motion pictures, and today he is a regular on the science fiction 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. In 1996, in honor of the 30th anniversary of Star Trek, he reprised his role as Captain Hikaru Sulu
on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
, appearing as a memory of Lt. Tuvok
, who served on the USS Excelsior
under Sulu, during the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
.
Takei is one of a number of Star Trek supporting cast members whose difficulties with William Shatner
have become public. However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD
set for the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series
, Takei said of Shatner: "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." He appeared alongside Shatner on the 2006 Comedy Central
Roast of William Shatner in which the two mocked each other in good humor and embraced, Takei noting that he was "honored" to be there "despite our past tensions".
In a radio interview on The Adam Carolla Show
on June 19, 2008, Takei implied that part of his problems with Shatner began when he came out of the closet for the first time and his sexuality was accepted by almost everyone on the cast and crew of Star Trek except Shatner. Shatner was a guest on the same radio show some weeks earlier and expressed complete bewilderment as to why George Takei has such difficulties with him. According to Shatner, he has asked Takei repeatedly over the years to discuss his differences with him, but has been repeatedly rebuffed.
Takei is also one of six actors (the other actors being Jonathan Frakes
, Kate Mulgrew
, Michael Dorn
, Avery Brooks
and Majel Barrett
) to lend his voice to Star Trek: Captain's Chair, reprising his role of Captain Hikaru Sulu when users visit the bridge of the original Enterprise in the computer game.
In the summer of 2007, Takei reprised his role of Sulu in the fan-made Internet based series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II.
.
. The following year, he ran for City Council of Los Angeles, finishing second, losing by just 1,647 votes. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the city councilman'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 premiere episode of the Star Trek animated series
scheduled by the network with another in which his character did not appear, in attempts to avoid violating the FCC's
equal-time rule
. The other candidates in the race complained that Takei's distinctive and powerful voice alone, even without his image, on television every week created an unfair advantage.
Los Angeles Mayor Tom 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 member of the Los Angeles City Council
Paul Koretz
.
In 1979, Takei with Robert Asprin
co-wrote the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe.
Bloom County
in a Binkley Bulletin report that Takei was to wed singer Marie Osmond
.
In 1986, Takei starred in "The Wish Child", a second season episode of MacGyver
.
In 1987, Takei guest starred in "By Hooker By Crook", a third season episode of Miami Vice
. He played sushi
-eating drug lord
Kenneth Tagaru, whose office was filled with large fish tanks stocked with koi
. This episode is noteworthy for the love scene between Don Johnson
and Melanie Griffith
, as well as the shoot-out finale where Tagaru is killed and several fish tanks are shot open, spilling out hundreds of gallons of water and dozens of fish.
In 1989, Takei played Lieutenant Tanaka in Return from the River Kwai
.
He has also done voice-overs for two Hanna-Barbera
shows. One of them include The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
and the final season of The Smurfs
.
In the 1990s and early part of the 21st 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
. In 1998, he was the voice of First Ancestor Fa in Disney's Chinese-themed Mulan animated feature. He also played the villainous Mr. Fixx in the premiere episode of the acclaimed DC Animated Universe
animated series, Batman Beyond
. Takei has also done a voice appearance in the Spider-Man
animated series in 1994 as Wong
.
In 1990, Takei appeared in the Australian film Prisoners of the Sun
as a Japanese vice-admiral being tried for war crimes. The film also featured Takei's friend, Russell Crowe
.
In the NBC
TV series
Brotherly Love, Joey goes to a science fiction/comics convention and runs into a man dressed in a Star Trek original series uniform, who claims he is a fan of Star Trek, and of Takei himself. The man is played by Takei.
In 1993, Takei reprised his role again in the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites
.
In 1994, Takei published his autobiography, "To the Stars." At one point he had hoped to do a movie or telefilm based on chapters dealing with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, of which he had personal experience.
In 1998, Takei supplied the voice of Ptolemy in an episode of the popular Disney
TV series Hercules.
Also in 1998 Takei appeared in the 11th episode in season two of Muppets Tonight
as a parody of himself when Beaker goes on a Star Trek cruise.
Takei appeared as Warlord Shank on the hit Nickelodeon
TV show Space Cases
.
He has also appeared in The Simpsons
three times, voicing Akira in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
" and "The Old Man and the Key
" and voiced Wink in "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo
".
episodes "Where No Fan Has Gone Before
" (in which he had his body reconstituted in order to reprise his Mr. Sulu role for a Star Trek-obsessed amorphous cosmic being) and "Proposition Infinity
". In an episode of Scrubs
aired May 4, 2004 entitled "My Best Friend's Wedding" Takei appeared as a clergyman who looked like Mr. Sulu. He also provided the voice for The Warden on the Avatar: The Last Airbender
first season
episode "Imprisoned." He also guest starred on an episode of Will & Grace
as himself, after he came out for the first time on television.
In 2002, Takei guest starred on the comedy show Son of the Beach
as a grandfather telling a bedtime story to his grandson.
In 2003, Takei voiced the part of Lord Hakkera, a Japanese-themed lord, in Microsoft and Digital Anvil's space-based video game Freelancer.
Takei appeared on the NBC show, Thank God You're Here
, an improv
ised comedy program, in the episode originally airing on April 18, 2007. Takei walked onto the set, and after a few seconds when none of the other actors uttered the standard first line ("Thank God you're here!"), Takei began the scene with "Thank God I'm here!"
In March 2006, Takei played himself again in an episode of Will & Grace
entitled "Buy, Buy Baby
" during the show's eighth, and final, season.
In the Cory in the House
episode "Air Force One Too Many", Takei plays the Steward on Air Force One
, Ronald, and utters his catchphrase when he experiences stomach problems.
In an episode of the TV series Psych, Takei guest-starred as a mildly exaggerated version of himself at a sci-fi convention, and the two main characters pose as his personal assistants in order to solve a murder mystery at the convention later becoming his personal assistants for the length of the convention.
In August 2006, Takei was a guest on the Comedy Central
Roast
of William Shatner. He sat on the dais
, and was one of the many people who took part in the roasting, in which he took the time to verbally poke fun at Shatner.
Also in 2006, Takei played the role of the psychiatrist in a Los Angeles, Calif revival of Equus
, done at East West Players
.
In January 2007, Takei began appearing on Heroes
, as Kaito Nakamura, a successful Japanese businessman and father to one of the main characters, time/space-travelling Hiro Nakamura
, who also happens to be an obsessive fan of Star Trek. In the first episode Takei is portrayed, "Distractions"
, the license plate of the limo he arrives in is NCC-1701, another reference to the Star Trek series. He has appeared in seasons one, two, three and four.
Takei made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live
in a mock public service announcement to show his disappointment over basketball star Tim Hardaway
's homophobic remarks. Takei, speaking for the gay community, explained "We don't hate you. As a matter of fact, we like you. We like you very much." Takei then compliments Hardaway's calves and shaved head, letting his hand linger over the crotch of Hardaway's image. Takei ends by letting it be known that one day, when Hardaway least expects it, Takei will have sex with him.
Takei appeared regularly on the Howard Stern Radio Show, making quarterly week-long appearances and is credited as the show's announcer. Running themes involving Takei are plays on his deep voice, prank phone calls made with clips of his laughter, and jokes about Takei's sexuality. Takei has been welcomed to the show by its fans and he has won a loyal following with his good-natured participation in the show and his openness and candor.
It is urban legend that visitors to the Memphis International Airport
can hear Takei's unmistakable voice over the intercom system. Ruth Greene, an administrator at the airport, verifies this urban legend as false.
Takei made a small cameo as himself in the 2008 movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan
.
Takei played the role of a ninja trainer in the 2008 film Ninja Cheerleaders
.
In 2008 Takei appeared in the short film Showdown of the Godz (a comedy about a man's obsession with a certain gigantic Japanese monster) as Ono, the owner of a sushi restaurant.
Takei serves as chair of the Council of Governors of East West Players
, considered the foremost Asian Pacific American theater in the United States.
Takei appeared on the first episode of Secret Talents of the Stars
, singing country music
but was not selected to proceed to the next stage. However the point became moot as the series was abruptly cancelled after the opening episode.
He also played the role of the Emperor
Yoshiro of the Empire of the Rising Sun
in the 2008 video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
.
He had a voice role as Lok Durd in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, making him the first and, so far, only Star Trek: The Original Series cast member to have a role in the Star Wars
franchise.
In 2008, Takei appeared as himself in The Great Buck Howard
.
In April 2009, he voiced a fictitious version of himself in the NASA animated short "Robot Astronomy Talk Show: Gravity and the Great Attractor", part of the web-series IRrelevant Astronomy
produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Later that year, he voiced another fictitious version of himself in a downloadable add-on available for the Playstation Network's Pain
.
In 2009, Takei voiced an Old Man Samurai in Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword
.
In 2009, Takei and his husband Brad Altman appeared in a documentary short titled George & Brad in Bed that profiled their relationship.
He also voiced several additional characters in other animated shows and films including Samurai Jack
, Kim Possible
, Jackie Chan Adventures
, The X's
, The Super Hero Squad Show
, Mulan II
, Transformers: Animated
, Adventure Time
and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera
.
In 2009, Takei was a guest on NPR
's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!
television line, where he uses the phrase "Oh my!"
Meanwhile, Takei guest starred in The Suite Life on Deck
in the episode "Starship Tipton", a Star Trek parody, as Rome Tipton, London Tipton
's descendant. He mentions "Oh my, how many times must I go through this?", a reference to his career in Star Trek.
Also in 2010, Takei played himself in an episode of the Starz!
Original comedy Party Down
, in which he is stalked by Roman at a gay wedding and eventually suffers an allergic reaction after ingesting shellfish.
Takei made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
in the second half of the monologue called "Craigslist Confidential", reciting a poem from an advertisement from Craigslist
.
He appeared in an episode of The Big Bang Theory
on October 14, 2010. The episode included a brief skit where Takei appeared after a character said he was "a little confused".
In 2010, Takei did a voiceover for the Halloween episode of the show Community
, aired by NBC.
In 2010, Takei lent his voice acting talents to Cartoon Network's Adventure Time
, where he played the smooth talking heart, Ricardio.
In 2010, Takei recorded a series of PSAs for the Social Security Administration to help promote applying online for benefits.
In 2011, Takei played an imperious economics professor in the Tom Hanks
film Larry Crowne
.
As of 2011, Takei currently stars in Supah Ninjas
.
In 2011, Takei voiced in the Disney
show Fish Hooks
as "The Bird" in the episode "Flying Fish."
In 2011, Takei guest voiced as Chong, an old rival of Benson in the Regular Show
episode "Stick Hockey"
He will provide the voice of The Positive Reinforcement Machine in the Phineas and Ferb
episode "Perry the Actorpus".
He also starred in All Star Mr and Mrs, a show on ITV
in Britain presented by Philip Schofield and Fern Britton
in 2011, with husband Brad Altman.
Takei is also listed to be one of the celebrities on the 12th series of The Apprentice
, a radio show documenting the life and career of Howard Stern
. On September 27, 1994, Takei would appear via satellite feed to promote his book To the Stars.... Clips of Takei from his audio book and television interviews would later be played on the show, with prank calls and comedy bits being made using them.
On January 9, 2006 it was announced that Takei would be the new announcer for the show when it show moved to Sirius XM Radio. Takei sat in the studio for the first week of broadcasts, and to this day sits in for a week of shows every few months.
In June 2006, Takei accepted a Freedom of Speech Award on behalf of Stern, with the award being presented by Talkers Magazine. Takei was in the studio again for two days in late September 2006 where he discussed his participation in an episode of Star Trek: New Voyages
as well as his participation in the film The Great Buck Howard
. In a visit in December 2007, Stern stated that Takei was the only cast member who got universally positive feedback from audience e-mails; even listeners who claim to dislike Star Trek
enjoy Takei's contributions. The show staff has stated that they like his upfront sense of humor and his willingness to talk about almost any issue openly and freely, particularly now that the show is uncensored on Sirius XM.
Takei has developed a friendly relationship with Stern cast member Artie Lange
, whom Takei affectionately calls his "cuddly muffin." The two have become friends despite Lange's notorious penchant for his supposedly "homophobic" humor. Lange revealed on the air that George sent him a "lovely card" praising his guest performance on a 2007 episode of Entourage
, in which Takei expressed the desire to one day act alongside Lange, and that the two talk at least once a week by telephone.
He lived in the Australian bush for 21 days and nights, doing tasks along with fellow campers in order to gain better meals and survive eviction from the show. His politeness and calmness made him popular with the other campers. Out of 15 participants the British public voted him into 3rd place behind 2nd placed Martina Navratilova and winner Joe Swash
.
In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay
and had been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for 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." Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had been an open secret among Star Trek fans since the 1970s, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in LGBT
organizations including Frontrunners
where he developed public friendships with fellow Frontrunners Kevin Norte and Kevin's partner Don Norte prior to coming out in 2005. In an on-air telephone interview with Howard Stern, in December 2005, Takei explained, "[LGBT people] 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." Takei also described Altman as "a saint" for helping to take care of Takei's terminally ill mother.
Takei currently serves as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign
"Coming Out Project
." In 2006 he embarked on a nationwide "Equality Trek" speaking tour sharing his life as a gay Japanese American
, his eighteen year relationship with Altman, Frontrunners, and Star Trek, encouraging others to share their own personal stories. In the wake of the 2007 controversy over ex-NBA
player Tim Hardaway
's anti-gay statements, Takei recorded a mock public service announcement
(PSA) which began as a serious message of tolerance, then turned the tables on Hardaway by proclaiming that while he may hate gay people, gay people love him and other "sweaty basketball players." This was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live
. Takei also appeared on the Google
float at San Francisco Pride
2007.
On May 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Brad Altman would be getting married. They were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. On June 17, shortly after Takei and Altman obtained their marriage license, they spread the news by holding a press conference outside the West Hollywood city auditorium. They were married on September 14, 2008 at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum
in Los Angeles, of which Takei is one of the founders. Walter Koenig
was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols
was the matron of honor. Reverend William Briones of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles presided.
Takei's marriage is one of thousands of same-sex marriages that took place at a time when same-sex marriage was legal in California. The California Supreme Court ruled that Proposition 8
, which banned same-sex marriage in California, did not affect Takei's marriage and other same-sex marriages entered into before its passing on 4 November 2008.
Takei and Altman appeared in a celebrity edition of The Newlywed Game
TV show, which the GSN cable network aired October 13, 2009. They were the first same-sex couple to be featured on the show. Takei and Altman won the game, winning $10,000 for their charity, the Japanese American National Museum
, for which Takei serves as a member of its board of trustees.
In February 2010 Takei and Altman became the second same-sex couple to appear on British game show All Star Mr & Mrs, losing to rugby star Phil Vickery and wife Kate.
In November 2010, George Takei released another PSA blasting former Arkansas school board member Clint McCance. In the video, Takei repeatedly calls McCance “a douche bag.” Takei's video was made as a response to McCance making blatantly homophobic remarks, stating that he “enjoys the fact that [homosexuals] give each other AIDS and die.” McCance went on to encourage homosexuals to commit suicide, and stated that he would disown his children if they were gay. Clint McCance has since resigned from his job at the Arkansas school board. Takei, who has long been an advocate for gay rights and an active participant in LGBT organizations, has been praised for his in-your-face response to McCance and garnered much media attention with his most recent PSA.
In May 2011, in response to a Tennessee State Legislature bill that prohibited school teachers or students from using any language that alludes to the existence of homosexuality (the "Don't Say Gay" bill), George Takei released another PSA in which he offered up his name, suggesting that people could just substitute that for 'gay'. For example, they could support Takei Marriage or watch Takei Pride Parades; or even use slurs like That's so Takei.
Takei is a Buddhist
.
Takei is an avid Anglophile. On his personal website he had this to say: 'Those who know me know that I am an inconvertible Anglophile – or more broadly, a Britanophile, which includes my affection for Scotland and Wales as well. I love things British. My car is British. My wardrobe, to a good extent, is British. I even love the food in London – I think British food has shaken its prevailing perception as indigestible and become quite wonderful. I try to get to Britain for holidays as often as I can. I love things British.'
, which represents the fourth highest of eight classes associated with the award. This decoration was presented in acknowledgment of his contributions to US-Japanese relations.
Asteroid
7307 Takei
is named in his honor.
Takei = 1994 GT9 Discovered 1994 Apr. 13 by Y. Shimizu and T. Urata at Nachi-Katsuura. George Takei (b. 1937) is an actor best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series. He also has a lengthy record of public service through his involvement with organizations such as the Japanese American Citizens League and the Human Rights Campaign. The name was suggested by T. H. Burbine.
Upon learning of the decision to name the asteroid after him, he said, "I am now a heavenly body. ... I found out about it yesterday. ... I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky—just like an asteroid."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
, helmsman
Helmsman
A helmsman is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, or other type of maritime vessel. On small vessels, particularly privately-owned noncommercial vessels, the functions of skipper and helmsman may be combined in one person. On larger vessels, there is a separate officer of the watch,...
of the . Takei also played Kaito Nakamura on the NBC television series Heroes
Heroes
Heroes may refer to:* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good- Television :Series* Heroes , a 2006–2010 American science fiction series* Heroes , a 2010 South Korean variety Show...
.
Early life
Takei was born George Hosato Takei in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the son of Fumiko Emily (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Nakamura
Nakamura (surname)
Nakamura is the eighth most common Japanese surname.-People:*Nakamura - slayer of Akechi Mitsuhide*Akimasa Nakamura - astronomer*Aoi Nakamura - actor*Chise Nakamura - actress/gravure model*Daiki Nakamura - voice actor...
) and Takekuma Norman Takei, who worked in real estate. His parents were Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
. His father was an Anglophile, and named him George after George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, whose coronation took place in 1937. In 1942, the Takei family was forced to live in the horse stables of Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
before being sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center
Rohwer War Relocation Center
The Rohwer War Relocation Center was a World War II Japanese American internment camp located in rural southeastern Arkansas, in Desha County. It was in operation from September 18, 1942 until November 30, 1944, and held as many as 8,475 Japanese Americans forcibly evacuated from California...
for internment in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The family was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center
Tule Lake War Relocation Center
Tule Lake Segregation Center National Monument was an internment camp in the northern California town of Newell near Tule Lake. It was used in the Japanese American internment during World War II. It was the largest and most controversial of the camps, and did not close until after the war, in...
in California. He and his family returned to Los Angeles at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He attended Mount Vernon Junior High School, where he served as student body president, and Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 379 of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple
Koyasan Buddhist Temple
, also known as Koyasan Buddhist Temple, is a temple located in Los Angeles, California in Little Tokyo. Founded in 1912, it is one of the oldest existing Buddhist temples in the North American region, and possibly the first Vajrayana Buddhist temple established in America before the emergence of...
.
Upon graduation from high school Takei then enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he studied architecture. Later he attended the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, where he received a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in theater in 1960 and a master of arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in theater in 1964. He attended the Shakespeare Institute
Shakespeare Institute
The Shakespeare Institute is a centre for postgraduate study dedicated to the study of William Shakespeare and the literature of the English Renaissance. It is part of the University of Birmingham, and is located in Stratford-upon-Avon....
at Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
in England, and Sophia University
Sophia University
There are several rankings below related to Sophia University.-General Rankings:The university was ranked 61st in 2010 in the ranking Truly Strong Universities by Toyo Keizai...
in Tokyo, Japan. In Hollywood, he studied acting at the Desilu Workshop
Desilu Productions
Desilu Productions was a Los Angeles, California-based company jointly owned by actors Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, who were married to each other from 1940 to 1960....
. Takei is fluent in English, Japanese and Spanish.
Early career
Takei began his career in Hollywood in the late 1950s, at a time when Asian faces were rarely seen on television and movie screens. His first role was providing voiceover for several characters in the English dub of Japanese monster films such as Godzilla Raids AgainGodzilla Raids Again
, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
and Rodan
Rodan (film)
Rodan, released in Japan as , is a 1956 Kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color...
, followed by an appearance in the Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning television series Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
and Perry Mason The Case of the Blushing Pearls. Takei subsequently appeared alongside such actors as Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
in Ice Palace
Ice Palace (film)
Ice Palace is a 1960 motion picture adapted from Edna Ferber's 1958 novel of the same name. The film, directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Richard Burton, dramatized the debate over Alaska statehood...
, Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt...
in Hell to Eternity
Hell to Eternity
Hell to Eternity is a 1960 World War II film starring Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone and directed by Phil Karlson. This film biopic is about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc...
, Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
in A Majority of One
A Majority of One
-Plot:The comedy involves Mrs. Jacoby, a Jewish widow from Brooklyn, New York, and Koichi Asano, a millionaire widower from Tokyo. Mrs. Jacoby is sailing to Japan with her daughter and foreign service officer son-in-law who is being posted to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo...
, James Caan in Red Line 7000
Red Line 7000
Red Line 7000 is a 1965 American motion picture released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Howard Hawks, who also co-wrote the screenplay...
and Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
in Walk Don't Run
Walk Don't Run
Walk, Don't Run is a 1966 comedy film set in Tokyo during the Olympic Games in 1964. The movie marked the last appearance by Cary Grant in a feature film, and is a remake of the 1943 film The More the Merrier.-Plot:...
. He played Captain Nim, an ARVN
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
LLDB (Luc Luong Dac Biet- Special Forces) officer alongside John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
's character in the 1968 Vietnam War era film, The Green Berets
The Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
. He starred in "The Encounter
The Encounter
"The Encounter" is an episode of the American television series The Twilight Zone. First broadcast May 1, 1964, its racial overtones caused it to be withheld from syndication in the US.-Synopsis:...
", a controversial episode of the Emmy Award winning television show The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
.
He had an uncredited role in the 1963 film PT-109
PT 109 (film)
PT 109 is a 1963 biographical film which depicts the actions of John F. Kennedy in command of Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 as an officer of the United States Navy during World War II. The movie was adapted by Vincent Flaherty and Howard Sheehan from the book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II by...
as the helmsman who steers the Japanese destroyer over John F. Kennedy's
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
PT-109
Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109
PT-109 was a PT boat last commanded by Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during World War II...
. He appeared in Walk Don't Run
Walk Don't Run
Walk, Don't Run is a 1966 comedy film set in Tokyo during the Olympic Games in 1964. The movie marked the last appearance by Cary Grant in a feature film, and is a remake of the 1943 film The More the Merrier.-Plot:...
(1966) with Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar is an English film, television and voice actress.-Early life:She was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-Irish father and a mother of Dutch and Portuguese descent...
and he starred in an episode of Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
during that show's first season in 1966. He also appeared in two Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
comedies, The Big Mouth
The Big Mouth
The Big Mouth is a 1967 comedy film produced, directed, co-written by and starring Jerry Lewis released on July 12, 1967 by Columbia Pictures. It was filmed in San Diego and features Frank De Vol as an onscreen narrator.-Plot:...
and Which Way to the Front?
Which Way to the Front?
Which Way to the Front? is a 1970 film starring Jerry Lewis. It would be Lewis' last released film for eleven years , until 1981's Hardly Working. The unreleased The Day the Clown Cried was filmed in the years between...
Star Trek
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
cast him as Mr. Sulu in the second Star Trek pilot and eventually the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
television series. While working on the show he appeared as Captain Nim in The Green Berets. It was intended that Sulu's role be expanded in the second season, but due to Takei's part in Green Berets, he only appeared in half the season, with his role being filled by Walter Koenig
Walter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director, known for his roles as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He wrote the script for the 2008 science fiction legal thriller InAlienable.-Early life:...
as Pavel Chekov
Pavel Chekov
Pavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
. When Takei returned, the two had to share a dressing room and a single episode script. Takei admitted in an interview that he initially felt threatened by Walter's presence, but later grew to be friends with him as the image of the officers sharing the ship's helm panel side-by-side became iconic.
Takei has since appeared in numerous TV and film productions, including the first six Star Trek motion pictures, and today he is a regular on the science fiction convention
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
circuit throughout the world. He has also acted and provided voice acting for several science fiction computer games, including Freelancer
Freelancer (video game)
Freelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1999, and following many production schedule mishaps and a buyout of Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually...
and numerous Star Trek games. In 1996, in honor of the 30th anniversary of Star Trek, he reprised his role as Captain Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, appearing as a memory of Lt. Tuvok
Tuvok
Tuvok is one of the main characters on the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's chief of security and its chief tactical officer. Tim Russ portrayed Tuvok throughout the show's run, from 1995 to 2001....
, who served on the USS Excelsior
USS Excelsior (Star Trek)
The USS Excelsior is a starship in the Star Trek universe. The Excelsior was first seen in the 1984 film, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. It later appeared in the 1986 film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home...
under Sulu, during the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the sixth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise and is the last of the Star Trek films to include the entire main cast of the 1960s Star Trek television series. Released in 1991 by Paramount Pictures, it was directed by Nicholas Meyer and...
.
Takei is one of a number of Star Trek supporting cast members whose difficulties with William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
have become public. However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set for the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
, Takei said of Shatner: "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." He appeared alongside Shatner on the 2006 Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
Roast of William Shatner in which the two mocked each other in good humor and embraced, Takei noting that he was "honored" to be there "despite our past tensions".
In a radio interview on The Adam Carolla Show
The Adam Carolla Show
The Adam Carolla Show was a syndicated morning radio program, which began airing on January 3, 2006 and ended on February 20, 2009. The show was produced by CBS Radio as part of its Free FM format, and was based out of KLSX in Los Angeles. On February 20, KLSX changed format from hot talk to Top...
on June 19, 2008, Takei implied that part of his problems with Shatner began when he came out of the closet for the first time and his sexuality was accepted by almost everyone on the cast and crew of Star Trek except Shatner. Shatner was a guest on the same radio show some weeks earlier and expressed complete bewilderment as to why George Takei has such difficulties with him. According to Shatner, he has asked Takei repeatedly over the years to discuss his differences with him, but has been repeatedly rebuffed.
Takei is also one of six actors (the other actors being Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, Kate Mulgrew
Kate Mulgrew
Katherine Kiernan Maria "Kate" Mulgrew is an American actress, most noted for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ryan's Hope as Mary Ryan...
, Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
, Avery Brooks
Avery Brooks
Avery Franklin Brooks is an American actor, television director, jazz musician, opera singer and college professor. Brooks is perhaps best known for his television roles as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and as Hawk on Spenser: For Hire and its spinoff A Man Called Hawk, and in the...
and Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry was an American actress and producer. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, Lwaxana Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and for being the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series...
) to lend his voice to Star Trek: Captain's Chair, reprising his role of Captain Hikaru Sulu when users visit the bridge of the original Enterprise in the computer game.
In the summer of 2007, Takei reprised his role of Sulu in the fan-made Internet based series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II.
1960s
Takei played Captain Nim in the 1968 film The Green BeretsThe Green Berets (film)
The Green Berets is a 1968 war film featuring John Wayne, George Takei, David Janssen, Jim Hutton and Aldo Ray, nominally based on the eponymous 1965 book by Robin Moore, though the screenplay has little relation to the book....
.
1970s
In 1972, Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the Democratic National ConventionDemocratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
. The following year, he ran for City Council of Los Angeles, finishing second, losing by just 1,647 votes. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the city councilman's seat caused one local station to stop running the repeats of the original Star Trek series until after the election and KNBC
KNBC
KNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
-TV to substitute the premiere episode of the Star Trek animated series
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe following the events of Star Trek: The Original Series of the 1960s...
scheduled by the network with another in which his character did not appear, in attempts to avoid violating the FCC's
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
equal-time rule
Equal-time rule
The equal-time rule specifies that U.S. radio and television broadcast stations must provide an equivalent opportunity to any opposing political candidates who request it...
. The other candidates in the race complained that Takei's distinctive and powerful voice alone, even without his image, on television every week created an unfair advantage.
Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
later appointed Takei to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District
Southern California Rapid Transit District
The Southern California Rapid Transit District , was the successor to the original Metropolitan Transit Authority after it virtually went bankrupt...
, making him part of the team that initiated and planned the Los Angeles subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system. Takei was called away from the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
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 member of the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the Fifth Council District. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and the West Hollywood City Council...
.
In 1979, Takei with Robert Asprin
Robert Asprin
Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...
co-wrote the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe.
1980s
In 1986, Takei was featured in the comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Bloom County
Bloom County
Bloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
in a Binkley Bulletin report that Takei was to wed singer Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
.
In 1986, Takei starred in "The Wish Child", a second season episode of MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
.
In 1987, Takei guest starred in "By Hooker By Crook", a third season episode of Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
. He played sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
-eating drug lord
Drug lord
A drug lord, drug baron or kingpin is the term used to describe a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drugs trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from...
Kenneth Tagaru, whose office was filled with large fish tanks stocked with koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
. This episode is noteworthy for the love scene between Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
and Melanie Griffith
Melanie Griffith
Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. She is an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for her performance in the 1988 film Working Girl...
, as well as the shoot-out finale where Tagaru is killed and several fish tanks are shot open, spilling out hundreds of gallons of water and dozens of fish.
In 1989, Takei played Lieutenant Tanaka in Return from the River Kwai
Return from the River Kwai
Return from the River Kwai is a 1989 film directed by Andrew McLaglen. It stars Timothy Bottoms and Nick Tate.. It is loosely based on events concerning the Burma-Thailand Death Railway and subsequent that inspired the earlier film Bridge on the River Kwai, although both films use separate...
.
He has also done voice-overs for two Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
shows. One of them include The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest was a 1980s continuation of Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest animated television series from the 1960s. Debuting in 1986 as part of the Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera syndication package, this new Jonny Quest series could be seen as the second season to a program...
and the final season of The Smurfs
The Smurfs (1981 TV series)
The Smurfs is an American animated television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1981 to August 25, 1990...
.
1990s
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
episode about a science fiction convention, and an episode of Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
. In 1998, he was the voice of First Ancestor Fa in Disney's Chinese-themed Mulan animated feature. He also played the villainous Mr. Fixx in the premiere episode of the acclaimed DC Animated Universe
DC animated universe
The DC Animated Universe is a fan term that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties...
animated series, Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond
Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy...
. Takei has also done a voice appearance in the Spider-Man
Spider-Man (1994 TV series)
Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
animated series in 1994 as Wong
Wong (comics)
Wong is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is the sidekick and manservant of Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. Wong was first mentioned in the comic Strange Tales #110 and first appeared in Strange Tales #147. In the 2006 miniseries Dr. Strange: the Oath, it was revealed...
.
In 1990, Takei appeared in the Australian film Prisoners of the Sun
Blood Oath (film)
Blood Oath is a 1990 Australian feature film, known in some countries as Prisoners of the Sun. The film is based on the real-life trial of Japanese soldiers for war crimes committed against Allied prisoners of war on the island of Ambon, in the Netherlands East Indies , such as the Laha massacre of...
as a Japanese vice-admiral being tried for war crimes. The film also featured Takei's friend, Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
.
In the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Brotherly Love, Joey goes to a science fiction/comics convention and runs into a man dressed in a Star Trek original series uniform, who claims he is a fan of Star Trek, and of Takei himself. The man is played by Takei.
In 1993, Takei reprised his role again in the Star Trek video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites
Star Trek: Judgment Rites
Star Trek: Judgment Rites is a computer game first produced by Interplay in 1993, featuring the original cast of the classic Star Trek in a series of new adventures, including one featuring Trelane, the omnipotent child from the original episode "The Squire of Gothos"...
.
In 1994, Takei published his autobiography, "To the Stars." At one point he had hoped to do a movie or telefilm based on chapters dealing with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, of which he had personal experience.
In 1998, Takei supplied the voice of Ptolemy in an episode of the popular Disney
Walt Disney Television Animation
Disney Television Animation is an American animation studio that is the TV animation production arm of the Disney-ABC Television Group, owned by The Walt Disney Company, dedicated to creating, developing and producing animated television series, films, specials and other projects.Established in...
TV series Hercules.
Also in 1998 Takei appeared in the 11th episode in season two of Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
as a parody of himself when Beaker goes on a Star Trek cruise.
Takei appeared as Warlord Shank on the hit Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
TV show Space Cases
Space Cases
Space Cases is a science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and was cancelled a year later. It aired for a time on Nickelodeon's Saturday night block of shows known as SNICK, and on Nickelodeon...
.
He has also appeared in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
three times, voicing Akira in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 24, 1991. In the episode, Homer consumes a poisonous fugu fish at a sushi restaurant, and is told that he has only twenty-two hours...
" and "The Old Man and the Key
The Old Man and the Key
"The Old Man and the Key" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on March 10, 2002. In the episode, Grampa Simpson falls in love with Zelda, an old woman who has just moved in to the senior home in which Grampa lives...
" and voiced Wink in "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo
Thirty Minutes over Tokyo
"Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo" is the twenty-third episode and season finale of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 16, 1999. In the episode, after being robbed by Snake Jailbird, the Simpsons visit a money-saving seminar, where they learn ways to...
".
2000s
He provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the FuturamaFuturama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episodes "Where No Fan Has Gone Before
Where No Fan Has Gone Before
"Where No Fan Has Gone Before" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the animated series Futurama. It originally aired in the United States on April 21, 2002...
" (in which he had his body reconstituted in order to reprise his Mr. Sulu role for a Star Trek-obsessed amorphous cosmic being) and "Proposition Infinity
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama, and originally aired July 8, 2010 on Comedy Central. In the episode, Amy Wong and Bender fall in love and begin a culturally taboo "robosexual" relationship...
". In an episode of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
aired May 4, 2004 entitled "My Best Friend's Wedding" Takei appeared as a clergyman who looked like Mr. Sulu. He also provided the voice for The Warden on the Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series that aired for three seasons on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz...
first season
Avatar: The Last Airbender (season 1)
Season One of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an American animated television series on Nickelodeon, aired 20 episodes from February 21, 2005 to December 2, 2005...
episode "Imprisoned." He also guest starred on an episode of Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
as himself, after he came out for the first time on television.
In 2002, Takei guest starred on the comedy show Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach
Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2002 on the FX network. The series was a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual jokes, innuendo and the like. The studly David Hasselhoff character is instead an average, pot-bellied, out-of-shape bald man but...
as a grandfather telling a bedtime story to his grandson.
In 2003, Takei voiced the part of Lord Hakkera, a Japanese-themed lord, in Microsoft and Digital Anvil's space-based video game Freelancer.
Takei appeared on the NBC show, Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here (U.S. TV series)
Thank God You're Here is a partially improvised comedy television program based on the Australian TV show, broadcast by NBC. The show was hosted by David Alan Grier and presided over by judge Dave Foley. The pilot was shot on November 9, 2006 and NBC initially ordered six episodes. The show...
, an improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
ised comedy program, in the episode originally airing on April 18, 2007. Takei walked onto the set, and after a few seconds when none of the other actors uttered the standard first line ("Thank God you're here!"), Takei began the scene with "Thank God I'm here!"
In March 2006, Takei played himself again in an episode of Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
entitled "Buy, Buy Baby
Buy, Buy Baby
"Buy, Buy Baby" is the eighteenth episode of the American television series Will & Grace eighth season. It was written by Kirk J. Rudell and directed by series producer James Burrows. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on March 30, 2006...
" during the show's eighth, and final, season.
In the Cory in the House
Cory in the House
Cory in the House is an American television sitcom, which aired on the Disney Channel from January 12, 2007 to September 12, 2008 and was a spin-off from the Disney show That's So Raven. The show focuses on Cory Baxter, who moved from San Francisco, California to Washington, D.C., after Victor...
episode "Air Force One Too Many", Takei plays the Steward on Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...
, Ronald, and utters his catchphrase when he experiences stomach problems.
In an episode of the TV series Psych, Takei guest-starred as a mildly exaggerated version of himself at a sci-fi convention, and the two main characters pose as his personal assistants in order to solve a murder mystery at the convention later becoming his personal assistants for the length of the convention.
In August 2006, Takei was a guest on the Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
Roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
of William Shatner. He sat on the dais
Dais
Dais is any raised platform located either in or outside of a room or enclosure, often for dignified occupancy, as at the front of a lecture hall or sanctuary....
, and was one of the many people who took part in the roasting, in which he took the time to verbally poke fun at Shatner.
Also in 2006, Takei played the role of the psychiatrist in a Los Angeles, Calif revival of Equus
Equus (play)
Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses....
, done at East West Players
East West Players
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As one of the nation's first Asian American theatre organizations, East West Players today continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American...
.
In January 2007, Takei began appearing on Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, as Kaito Nakamura, a successful Japanese businessman and father to one of the main characters, time/space-travelling Hiro Nakamura
Hiro Nakamura
is a fictional character on the NBC fantasy drama Heroes who possesses the ability of space-time manipulation. This means that Hiro is able to alter the flow of time. Previously, his ability allowed him to teleport, stop time, or travel through time, but recent events in the series have prevented...
, who also happens to be an obsessive fan of Star Trek. In the first episode Takei is portrayed, "Distractions"
Distractions (Heroes)
"Distractions" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes.-Plot:Claude and Peter walk invisibly through a busy New York street, where Claude tells Peter that he absorbs other powers as a reflex and that he is going to help him gain some control over...
, the license plate of the limo he arrives in is NCC-1701, another reference to the Star Trek series. He has appeared in seasons one, two, three and four.
Takei made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
in a mock public service announcement to show his disappointment over basketball star Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
's homophobic remarks. Takei, speaking for the gay community, explained "We don't hate you. As a matter of fact, we like you. We like you very much." Takei then compliments Hardaway's calves and shaved head, letting his hand linger over the crotch of Hardaway's image. Takei ends by letting it be known that one day, when Hardaway least expects it, Takei will have sex with him.
Takei appeared regularly on the Howard Stern Radio Show, making quarterly week-long appearances and is credited as the show's announcer. Running themes involving Takei are plays on his deep voice, prank phone calls made with clips of his laughter, and jokes about Takei's sexuality. Takei has been welcomed to the show by its fans and he has won a loyal following with his good-natured participation in the show and his openness and candor.
It is urban legend that visitors to the Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport
Memphis International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Memphis, a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States....
can hear Takei's unmistakable voice over the intercom system. Ruth Greene, an administrator at the airport, verifies this urban legend as false.
Takei made a small cameo as himself in the 2008 movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
.
Takei played the role of a ninja trainer in the 2008 film Ninja Cheerleaders
Ninja Cheerleaders
Ninja Cheerleaders is a 2008 comedy film written and directed by David Presley.-Story and cast:In the film's plot, a ninja sensei Hiroshi who must be rescued by his three cheerleader/ stripper students April , Courtney and Monica from a mafia boss Victor Lazzaro and his evil ninja girlfriend...
.
In 2008 Takei appeared in the short film Showdown of the Godz (a comedy about a man's obsession with a certain gigantic Japanese monster) as Ono, the owner of a sushi restaurant.
Takei serves as chair of the Council of Governors of East West Players
East West Players
East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles, founded in 1965. As one of the nation's first Asian American theatre organizations, East West Players today continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American...
, considered the foremost Asian Pacific American theater in the United States.
Takei appeared on the first episode of Secret Talents of the Stars
Secret Talents of the Stars
Secret Talents of the Stars was an extremely short-lived CBS reality/game show, where celebrities competed against each other in a tournament-like format in areas that differed from their normal professions, like singing, dancing, and acrobatics. Viewers were to vote on the most talented celebrity...
, singing country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
but was not selected to proceed to the next stage. However the point became moot as the series was abruptly cancelled after the opening episode.
He also played the role of the Emperor
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
Yoshiro of the Empire of the Rising Sun
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in the 2008 video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is a 2008 real-time strategy video game developed by EA Los Angeles and published by Electronic Arts. Announced on February 14, 2008, it was released on October 28, 2008 in the United States for Microsoft Windows-based PCs and three days later in Europe. A version for...
.
He had a voice role as Lok Durd in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, making him the first and, so far, only Star Trek: The Original Series cast member to have a role in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
franchise.
In 2008, Takei appeared as himself in The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean McGinly that stars Colin Hanks and John Malkovich. Tom Hanks also appears as the father of his real-life son's character. The character Buck Howard is inspired by the mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, whose popularity was at...
.
In April 2009, he voiced a fictitious version of himself in the NASA animated short "Robot Astronomy Talk Show: Gravity and the Great Attractor", part of the web-series IRrelevant Astronomy
IRrelevant Astronomy
IRrelevant Astronomy is a video podcast feed produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Unlike many other podcasts, it is set up more like a television network, with multiple series and stand-alone videos released on this single "channel." To date, the content included on the feed has all...
produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Later that year, he voiced another fictitious version of himself in a downloadable add-on available for the Playstation Network's Pain
Pain (video game)
Pain is a 2007 video game for the PlayStation 3, developed by games studio Idol Minds. It was originally released as a downloadable title available from the PlayStation Store and was first released in North America on November 29, 2007 and in Europe on March 20, 2008 and became the most popular...
.
In 2009, Takei voiced an Old Man Samurai in Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword
Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword
Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword is the thirteenth of a series of direct-to-video animated films based upon the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons. It, along with The Goblin King, was produced and completed in 2008, but Goblin King was released first for the Halloween season. It was released on...
.
In 2009, Takei and his husband Brad Altman appeared in a documentary short titled George & Brad in Bed that profiled their relationship.
He also voiced several additional characters in other animated shows and films including Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack is an American animated television series created by animator Genndy Tartakovsky that aired on both Cartoon Network and Toonami from 2001 to 2004. It is noted for its highly detailed, outline-free, masking-based animation, as well as for its cinematic style and pacing...
, Kim Possible
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
, Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures is an animated television series chronicling the adventures of a fictionalized version of action film star Jackie Chan. Many of the episodes contain references to Chan's actual works. This series ran on Kids' WB! from September 9, 2000 to July 7, 2005 for a total of 95...
, The X's
The X's
The X's is an American animated television series created by Carlos Ramos about a family of spies, who must hide their identity from the outside world, but sometimes have a little trouble in doing so....
, The Super Hero Squad Show
The Super Hero Squad Show
The Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
, Mulan II
Mulan II
Mulan II is a 2004 American direct-to-video Disney animated feature directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerl and is a sequel to the 1998 animated film Mulan. The entire cast from the first film returned, except for Eddie Murphy , Miriam Margolyes , Chris Sanders and Matthew Wilder...
, Transformers: Animated
Transformers: Animated
Transformers Animated is an American animated television series based on the Transformers toy line. The series debuted on Cartoon Network on December 26, 2007 and has been shown on NickToons in the UK since February 2008. It is produced by Cartoon Network Studios and animated by Japanese animation...
, Adventure Time
Adventure Time
Adventure Time was a local children's television show on WTAE-TV 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1959 to 1975. It was hosted by the late Paul Shannon, with guitarist Joe Negri and puppeteer Jim Martin...
and El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera is Nickelodeon's first ever flash animation series produced for Nickelodeon and Nicktoons Network. The first screening of the show was on January 19, 2007 in the first ever Nickelodeon Creative Summit held in San Juan, Puerto Rico as a special treat for the...
.
In 2009, Takei was a guest on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2010s
In 2010, Takei appeared uncredited as a technician in an advertisement for the Sharp Aquos QuattronQuattron
Quattron is the brand name of an LCD color display technology produced by Sharp Electronics. The technology utilizes a fourth color subpixel, yellow, in addition to the standard RGB color subpixels, which Sharp claims increases the range of displayable colors, and which may mimic more closely the...
television line, where he uses the phrase "Oh my!"
Meanwhile, Takei guest starred in The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
in the episode "Starship Tipton", a Star Trek parody, as Rome Tipton, London Tipton
London Tipton
London Leah Tipton is a fictional character in Disney's Suite Life franchise which consists of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off The Suite Life on Deck...
's descendant. He mentions "Oh my, how many times must I go through this?", a reference to his career in Star Trek.
Also in 2010, Takei played himself in an episode of the Starz!
Starz!
Starz is an American premium subscription channel that features mainly first-run motion pictures, along with some original programming...
Original comedy Party Down
Party Down
Party Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:...
, in which he is stalked by Roman at a gay wedding and eventually suffers an allergic reaction after ingesting shellfish.
Takei made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
in the second half of the monologue called "Craigslist Confidential", reciting a poem from an advertisement from Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
.
He appeared in an episode of The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
on October 14, 2010. The episode included a brief skit where Takei appeared after a character said he was "a little confused".
In 2010, Takei did a voiceover for the Halloween episode of the show Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
, aired by NBC.
In 2010, Takei lent his voice acting talents to Cartoon Network's Adventure Time
Adventure Time
Adventure Time was a local children's television show on WTAE-TV 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1959 to 1975. It was hosted by the late Paul Shannon, with guitarist Joe Negri and puppeteer Jim Martin...
, where he played the smooth talking heart, Ricardio.
In 2010, Takei recorded a series of PSAs for the Social Security Administration to help promote applying online for benefits.
In 2011, Takei played an imperious economics professor in the Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
film Larry Crowne
Larry Crowne
Larry Crowne is a 2011 American romantic comedy film starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. The film was directed by Hanks, who co-wrote its screenplay with Nia Vardalos...
.
As of 2011, Takei currently stars in Supah Ninjas
Supah Ninjas
Supah Ninjas is an American action-comedy series, created by Leo Chu and Eric Garcia. The series premiered as a special preview on Nickelodeon on January 17, 2011 in the United States and started airing regularly on April 16, 2011.- Premise :...
.
In 2011, Takei voiced in the Disney
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
show Fish Hooks
Fish Hooks
Fish Hooks is an American animated television series created by Noah Z. Jones. Twenty-one episodes have been ordered for the first season. It premiered on September 24, 2010. An 11-minute preview was shown on September 3, 2010, following the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam...
as "The Bird" in the episode "Flying Fish."
In 2011, Takei guest voiced as Chong, an old rival of Benson in the Regular Show
Regular Show
Regular Show is an American animated television series created by J. G. Quintel...
episode "Stick Hockey"
He will provide the voice of The Positive Reinforcement Machine in the Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
episode "Perry the Actorpus".
He also starred in All Star Mr and Mrs, a show on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in Britain presented by Philip Schofield and Fern Britton
Fern Britton
Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
in 2011, with husband Brad Altman.
Takei is also listed to be one of the celebrities on the 12th series of The Apprentice
The Howard Stern Show
Takei's first appearance on The Howard Stern Show was in late 1990 and was featured in The History of Howard SternThe History of Howard Stern
The History of Howard Stern is a radio documentary series about the life, career and achievements of American radio personality Howard Stern broadcast on Howard 100 and Howard 101 on Sirius XM Radio. The on-going series has featured 35 episodes across four "Acts" as of January 2011...
, a radio show documenting the life and career of Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. On September 27, 1994, Takei would appear via satellite feed to promote his book To the Stars.... Clips of Takei from his audio book and television interviews would later be played on the show, with prank calls and comedy bits being made using them.
On January 9, 2006 it was announced that Takei would be the new announcer for the show when it show moved to Sirius XM Radio. Takei sat in the studio for the first week of broadcasts, and to this day sits in for a week of shows every few months.
In June 2006, Takei accepted a Freedom of Speech Award on behalf of Stern, with the award being presented by Talkers Magazine. Takei was in the studio again for two days in late September 2006 where he discussed his participation in an episode of Star Trek: New Voyages
Star Trek: New Voyages
Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II is a fan-created science fiction series set in the Star Trek universe. The series was created by James Cawley and Jack Marshall in April 2003...
as well as his participation in the film The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean McGinly that stars Colin Hanks and John Malkovich. Tom Hanks also appears as the father of his real-life son's character. The character Buck Howard is inspired by the mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, whose popularity was at...
. In a visit in December 2007, Stern stated that Takei was the only cast member who got universally positive feedback from audience e-mails; even listeners who claim to dislike Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
enjoy Takei's contributions. The show staff has stated that they like his upfront sense of humor and his willingness to talk about almost any issue openly and freely, particularly now that the show is uncensored on Sirius XM.
Takei has developed a friendly relationship with Stern cast member Artie Lange
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
, whom Takei affectionately calls his "cuddly muffin." The two have become friends despite Lange's notorious penchant for his supposedly "homophobic" humor. Lange revealed on the air that George sent him a "lovely card" praising his guest performance on a 2007 episode of Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, in which Takei expressed the desire to one day act alongside Lange, and that the two talk at least once a week by telephone.
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Takei appeared on the 2008 season of the UK version of reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here!I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (Series 8 UK)
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! returned to ITV for an eighth series from 16 November to 5 December 2008. Ant & Dec returned to present the main show on ITV, whilst Matt Willis, Emma Willis and Mark Durden-Smith returned to host spin-off show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here... Now! on...
He lived in the Australian bush for 21 days and nights, doing tasks along with fellow campers in order to gain better meals and survive eviction from the show. His politeness and calmness made him popular with the other campers. Out of 15 participants the British public voted him into 3rd place behind 2nd placed Martina Navratilova and winner Joe Swash
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
.
Personal life
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and had been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for eighteen years. He said, "It's not really coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
, 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." Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had been an open secret among Star Trek fans since the 1970s, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organizations including Frontrunners
Frontrunners
International Front Runners is an umbrella organization of LGBT running and walking clubs around the world. There are over 100 Frontrunners clubs worldwide, about half of which are in the United States.-Activities:...
where he developed public friendships with fellow Frontrunners Kevin Norte and Kevin's partner Don Norte prior to coming out in 2005. In an on-air telephone interview with Howard Stern, in December 2005, Takei explained, "[LGBT people] are masculine
Masculine
Masculine or masculinity, normally refer to qualities positively associated with men.Masculine may also refer to:*Masculine , a grammatical gender*Masculine cadence, a final chord occurring on a strong beat in music...
, we are feminine
Feminine
Feminine, or femininity, normally refers to qualities positively associated with women.Feminine may also refer to:*Feminine , a grammatical gender*Feminine cadence, a final chord falling in a metrically weak position...
, 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." Takei also described Altman as "a saint" for helping to take care of Takei's terminally ill mother.
Takei currently serves as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
"Coming Out Project
National Coming Out Day
National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed civil awareness day celebrating individuals who publicly identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender—coming out regarding one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity being akin to a cultural rite of passage for LGBT people...
." In 2006 he embarked on a nationwide "Equality Trek" speaking tour sharing his life as a gay Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
, his eighteen year relationship with Altman, Frontrunners, and Star Trek, encouraging others to share their own personal stories. In the wake of the 2007 controversy over ex-NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
's anti-gay statements, Takei recorded a mock public service announcement
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
(PSA) which began as a serious message of tolerance, then turned the tables on Hardaway by proclaiming that while he may hate gay people, gay people love him and other "sweaty basketball players." This was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
. Takei also appeared on the Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
float at San Francisco Pride
San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration, usually known as San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival held in June each year in San Francisco to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies...
2007.
On May 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Brad Altman would be getting married. They were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. On June 17, shortly after Takei and Altman obtained their marriage license, they spread the news by holding a press conference outside the West Hollywood city auditorium. They were married on September 14, 2008 at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum
The opened its doors in 1992. The idea for the museum was originally thought up by Bruce Kaji with help from other notable Japanese American people at the time. The museum is located in the Little Tokyo an area near downtown Los Angeles, California. It is devoted to preserving the history and...
in Los Angeles, of which Takei is one of the founders. Walter Koenig
Walter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director, known for his roles as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He wrote the script for the 2008 science fiction legal thriller InAlienable.-Early life:...
was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
was the matron of honor. Reverend William Briones of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles presided.
Takei's marriage is one of thousands of same-sex marriages that took place at a time when same-sex marriage was legal in California. The California Supreme Court ruled that Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, which banned same-sex marriage in California, did not affect Takei's marriage and other same-sex marriages entered into before its passing on 4 November 2008.
Takei and Altman appeared in a celebrity edition of The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game
The Newlywed Game is an American television game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question rounds to determine how well the spouses know each other. The program, originally created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir The Newlywed Game is an American...
TV show, which the GSN cable network aired October 13, 2009. They were the first same-sex couple to be featured on the show. Takei and Altman won the game, winning $10,000 for their charity, the Japanese American National Museum
Japanese American National Museum
The opened its doors in 1992. The idea for the museum was originally thought up by Bruce Kaji with help from other notable Japanese American people at the time. The museum is located in the Little Tokyo an area near downtown Los Angeles, California. It is devoted to preserving the history and...
, for which Takei serves as a member of its board of trustees.
In February 2010 Takei and Altman became the second same-sex couple to appear on British game show All Star Mr & Mrs, losing to rugby star Phil Vickery and wife Kate.
In November 2010, George Takei released another PSA blasting former Arkansas school board member Clint McCance. In the video, Takei repeatedly calls McCance “a douche bag.” Takei's video was made as a response to McCance making blatantly homophobic remarks, stating that he “enjoys the fact that [homosexuals] give each other AIDS and die.” McCance went on to encourage homosexuals to commit suicide, and stated that he would disown his children if they were gay. Clint McCance has since resigned from his job at the Arkansas school board. Takei, who has long been an advocate for gay rights and an active participant in LGBT organizations, has been praised for his in-your-face response to McCance and garnered much media attention with his most recent PSA.
In May 2011, in response to a Tennessee State Legislature bill that prohibited school teachers or students from using any language that alludes to the existence of homosexuality (the "Don't Say Gay" bill), George Takei released another PSA in which he offered up his name, suggesting that people could just substitute that for 'gay'. For example, they could support Takei Marriage or watch Takei Pride Parades; or even use slurs like That's so Takei.
Takei is a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
Takei is an avid Anglophile. On his personal website he had this to say: 'Those who know me know that I am an inconvertible Anglophile – or more broadly, a Britanophile, which includes my affection for Scotland and Wales as well. I love things British. My car is British. My wardrobe, to a good extent, is British. I even love the food in London – I think British food has shaken its prevailing perception as indigestible and become quite wonderful. I try to get to Britain for holidays as often as I can. I love things British.'
Awards and recognition
In 2004, the government of Japan conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with RosetteOrder of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, which represents the fourth highest of eight classes associated with the award. This decoration was presented in acknowledgment of his contributions to US-Japanese relations.
Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
7307 Takei
7307 Takei
7307 Takei is an asteroid orbiting the Sun. Discovered 1994 Apr. 13 by Y. Shimizu and T. Urata at Nachi-Katsuura. It was named in honor of George Takei , the actor who played the character Hikaru Sulu on the original Star Trek series...
is named in his honor.
Takei = 1994 GT9 Discovered 1994 Apr. 13 by Y. Shimizu and T. Urata at Nachi-Katsuura. George Takei (b. 1937) is an actor best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series. He also has a lengthy record of public service through his involvement with organizations such as the Japanese American Citizens League and the Human Rights Campaign. The name was suggested by T. H. Burbine.
Upon learning of the decision to name the asteroid after him, he said, "I am now a heavenly body. ... I found out about it yesterday. ... I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky—just like an asteroid."