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George Takei
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|---|---|
Takei at UFP Con One, 1996
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| Born |
George Hosato Takei
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| Years active | 1958—present |
| Spouse | Brad Altman |
| Website | http://www.georgetakei.com/ |
George Hosato Takei (born April 20, 1937) is an American actor best known for his role in the TV series Star Trek, in which he played the helmsman Mr. Sulu on the USS Enterprise (later Captain Sulu of the USS Excelsior). Most recently, he played Hiro Nakamura's father Kaito Nakamura on the NBC television show Heroes.
Takei is also known for his baritone voice. Takei began recurring appearances as the announcer for The Howard Stern ShowonJanuary 9, 2006, after that show's move to satellite radio.
Takei was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Fumiko Emily (née Nakamura) and Takekuma Norman Takei, who worked in real estate.[1] His father was an Anglophile, and named him George after King George VI of the United Kingdom, whose coronation took place in 1937.[2]
In 1942, the Takei family was sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for internmentinArkansas.[3] The family was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California. Despite this experience, the family developed a renewed dedication and remained involved in the American democratic process. 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 enrolled in the University of California at Berkeley where he studied architecture. Later he attended the University of California at 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 InstituteatStratford-Upon-AvoninEngland, and Sophia UniversityinTokyo, Japan. In Hollywood, he studied acting at the Desilu Workshop,[4] Takei is fluent in English, Japanese, and Spanish.
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 the Japanese monster film Rodan, followed by an appearance in the Emmy award winning television series Playhouse 90. Takei subsequently appeared alongside such actors as Richard BurtoninIce Palace, Jeffrey HunterinHell to Eternity, Alec GuinnessinA Majority of One, James CaaninRed Line 7000 and Cary GrantinWalk 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 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, and 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, he met with a young producer named Gene Roddenberry who 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 KoenigasPavel Chekov. Takei admitted in an interview that he initially felt threatened by Walter's presence, but later grew to be friends with him.
Takei has since appeared in numerous TV and film productions, including the first six Star Trek motion pictures, and today is a regular on the sci-fi convention circuit throughout the world. He has also acted and provided voice acting for several science fiction computer games, including Freelancer and numerous Star Trek games. 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 who had publicized difficulties with William Shatner. However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD set for the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series, Takei appears to have settled things with Shatner. He says, "He's just a wonderful actor who created a singular character. No one could have done Kirk the way Bill did. His energy and his determination, that's Bill. And that's also Captain Kirk." He appeared alongside Shatner on the 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 made inferences to the effect that part of his problems with Shatner began when, as Takei started coming out of the closet for the first time, his sexuality was accepted by almost everyone on the cast and crew of Star Trek -except Shatner himself. (Shatner was a guest on the same radio show some weeks prior, and for his part expressed complete bewilderment as to why George Takei expressed such difficulties with him; according to him, he has asked Takei repeatedly over the years to discuss his differences with him, but has been repeatedly rebuffed.)
In the summer of 2007, Takei reprised his role of Sulu in the fan-made Internet based series Star Trek: New Voyages.[5][6]
In 1972, Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the Democratic 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-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 (besides his image) on television every week created an unfair advantage.
Mayor Bradley later appointed Takei to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, making him part of the team that initiated and planned the Los Angeles subway system. Takei was called away from the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1978 to cast the tie-breaking vote for the creation of the Los Angeles subway system. He served eleven years on the board.
Also during this period Takei began his friendship with the future Mayor of West Hollywood and current Assemblyman Paul Koretz.
In 1979, Takei with Robert Asprin co-wrote the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe.[7] 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.
In 1986 Takei starred in "The Wish Child", a second season episode of MacGyver.
In the 1990s and early part of the twenty-first century he had guest star appearances on some science fiction television series. He played himself in a 3rd Rock from the Sun episode about a science fiction convention, and an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. 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.
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 sci-fi/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 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.
Takei made a guest appearance as himself on 3rd Rock From the Sun as a guest speaker at a sci-fi convention, which the Solomon family thought was a sanctuary for aliens.
Takei appeared as Warlord Shank on the show Space Cases. He also provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". 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" episode "Imprisoned." He also guest starred on an episode of Will & Grace as himself, after he came out for the first time on television.
Takei appeared on the NBC show, Thank God You're Here, an improvised 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 catch phrase 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. In the same month, he appeared as himself in an episode on the USA Network program Psych.
In January 2007, Takei began appearing on Heroes, playing the father of Hiro Nakamura, a time-bending otaku who also happens to be an obsessive fan of Star Trek, among other things. 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.
Takei has often appeared on the Howard Stern Radio Show in recent years. His latest was a week-long stint as a guest announcer for the show in March 2008. He has credited Stern for the resurgence in his career.
In 2007, Takei played a role as a waiter on the Disney Channel show Cory in the House. It is urban legend that visitors to the Memphis International Airport can hear Takei's unmistakable voice over the intercom system.[citation needed] Ruth Greene, an administrator at the airport, verifies this urban legend as false.
In 2006 Takei played the role of the psychiatrist in a Los Angeles, Calif revival of Equus, done at East West Players.
Takei made a small cameo as himself in the 2008 movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan.
Takei serves as chair of the Council of Governors of East West Players, considered the foremost Asian Pacific American theater in the United States.[8]
Takei has made several appearances on the Howard Stern show. In 1994, Stern goaded Takei into saying something mildly negative about William Shatner. Stern played it back to Shatner a few weeks later (edited to only include Takei's statement) in order to cause a controversy but Shatner just laughed the comment off.[citation needed]
In more recent years Takei, due to his very distinctive voice and enunciation, has been used frequently for soundbites on the The Howard Stern Show. "The Sulu Dance", (to the tune of "The Safety Dance"), made by Kidd Chris, was also played several times on the Stern Show as a tribute to Takei. As a result, he had become something of a cult figure. On January 9, 2006, it was announced that Takei would be the official announcer for The Howard Stern ShowonSirius Radio. He would be live in the studio for the first week and thereafter he would have pre-recordings done for the show, as well as appearing live on the show during occasional visits to New York, as his schedule permits.
Takei returned to the Howard Stern Showon12 June, 2006, for a week of broadcasts. In June 2006, he accepted a Freedom of Speech award for Stern; the award was 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. Takei returned for a week of shows in mid-December 2006, and his life partner Brad Altman made a rare appearance on the "Wrap-Up Show" that followed the regular Stern show on 13 December 2006. In March 2007, he credited Howard for the resurgence in his career. In December 2007, Stern stated that Takei was the only cast member that got universally positive feedback from audience e-mails, even listeners that claim to dislike Star Trek enjoy Takei's contributions. He has made a few appearances with The Killers of Comedy and has appeared alongside Stern cast member Richard Christy (Stuttering John's replacement) at least one Star Trek Convention.
Takei has developed a friendship with Stern cast member Artie Lange, whom Takei affectionately calls his "cuddly muffin," and the two have become friends despite Lange's notorious penchant for gay jokes. They even spent one afternoon after the show touring New York's Guggenheim Museum together.[citation needed] 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. On 4 December 2007, Takei was tricked into believing that Lange was revealing his homosexuality to him. In a heartfelt speech, in a closed office, Lange shared "past sexual experiences" that has been "weighing heavy on him". Takei believed Lange, consoled him and attempted to help Lange "come out of the closet". The following day, Lange confessed to the prank and apologized to Takei calling him "the nicest human being on the planet earth" and stated that he expected Takei to recognize the trick as a prank for the show and laugh it off, not to be as compassionate and candid as he was. Lange's heartfelt speech to Takei was recorded, and replayed on air. Takei stated he still believed Lange's confession was based on some measure of fact.
During his week-long December 2007 visit to the Stern show, he was asked by staff members Richard Christy and Sal Governale to record gay-themed song parodies of Christmas Carols, which he obliged. Before playing the songs on the air on December 10, 2007, Stern took Christy and Governale aside and yelled at them for not asking for him or producer Gary Dell'Abate's approval before recruiting George for the bit, adding that Takei should "be treated like Tom Cruise".
In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay and has been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for the last eighteen years. He said, "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen."[9] Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had long been an open secret among Star Trek fans since the 1970s, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in gay organizations including Frontrunners where they developed public friendships with fellow Frontrunners Kevin Norte and his partner, Don Norte prior to Takei's coming out in 2005.[10]
In a December 2005 telephone interview with Howard Stern, Takei explained, "We are masculine, we are feminine, we are caring, we are abusive. We are just like straight people, in terms of our outward appearance and our behavior. The only difference is that we are oriented to people of our own gender." 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 18 year relationship with Altman, Frontrunners, and Star Trek, encouraging others to share their own personal stories.[11][12]
When asked whether his character Sulu was gay, Takei's response was that he would like to believe that sexual orientation would not even be an issue in the twenty-third century[citation needed]. Of all the show's principal characters, Sulu was the only male never depicted with a romantic interest, though in the alternate universe depicted in "Mirror Mirror", alternate-Sulu tried many times to seduce Uhura. Our universe's Sulu is revealed to have fathered a daughter, Demora, during the opening sequence of the film Star Trek Generations. Demora's origins were further explored in Peter David's 1995 novel The Captain's Daughter. Although Star Trek novels are not considered canon by Paramount, the story established that Sulu conceived Demora sexually with a woman.
In the wake of the 2007 controversy over ex-NBA player Tim Hardaway's anti-gay statements, Takei recorded a 'Public Service Announcement' which began as a serious message of tolerance, then turned the tables on Hardaway by proclaiming that while he may hate gay people, they love him and other "sweaty basketball players." This was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live.[13]
Takei also appeared on the Google float at San Francisco Pride 2007.[14]
OnMay 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Brad Altman (his partner for the last 21 years), would be getting married. They will be married September 14, at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (George is one of the founders). Walter Koenig will be his best man, and Nichelle Nichols will be the matron of honor.[15]
OnJune 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. [16]
In November 2004, Takei was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito for his contributions to U.S.-Japanese relations.[17]
Asteroid 7307 Takei is named in his honor.[18] 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.』Gene Roddenberry and Nichelle Nichols also have asteroids named after them. [19]
In 1986, the comic strip Bloom County ran a set of strips in which Takei was rumored to be dating and engaged to Marie Osmond. Those rumors were subsequently denied by both Osmond and Takei.
A reference to Takei was made in the Family Guy episode "Stewie Loves Lois". It was stated in the DVD commentary that Seth MacFarlane did the voice. McFarlane also noted that he got laughs at Star Trek conventions doing Sulu impressions when he was younger.
InComedy Central's episode of Drawn Together, "Freaks and Greeks", Ling-Ling's father runs off with Mr. Sulu. He stated earlier in the episode that Asians who travel in outer space become queer.
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