Profile of George Takei on Famous Like Me

George Hosato Takei (born April 20, 1937 in Los Angeles, California) is a Japanese-American actor. He is most famous for his role in the TV series Star Trek, in which he played the helmsman Hikaru Sulu on the USS Enterprise.

In 1942, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt authorized the removal of over 110,000 Japanese-Americans to "relocation" camps. Among those forced into internment camps were the Takei family, which included young George. For him this was an adventure and journey to an exotic land called Arkansas. The reality of living in camps, however, was harrowing. Despite this experience his family retained a strong sense of purpose and a renewed dedication to remain involved in the American democratic process. He and his family returned to Los Angeles at the end of World War II, where he became politically active and eventually served 11 years on 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.

In Hollywood during the 1960s he pursued his ambition to succeed as an actor at a time when Asian faces were rarely seen on television and movie screens; Takei appeared alongside such actors as Richard Burton in Ice Palace (1960), Alec Guinness in A Majority of One (1962), and Cary Grant in Walk Don't Run (1966).

In 1966 he met with an idealistic young producer named Gene Roddenberry who cast him as Mr. Sulu on the television series Star Trek. While working on the show he appeared as Captain Nim in the John Wayne film The Green Berets (1968).

George 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.

Takei has a long running feud with William Shatner. He openly despises Shatner, making public statements on radio shows, especially the Howard Stern Show. He bases his contempt on Shatner's alleged on-set behavior during the filming of the Star Trek TV series and movies. Takei accuses Shatner of showboating, stealing lines, and trying to keep other actors (including Takei) in the background. Takei also believes that Shatner is personally responsible for his slow rank advancement in the fictional Starfleet. Some of these criticisms were also voiced by his Star Trek colleague, the late James Doohan.

Selected Filmography

• Ice Palace (1960)
• A Majority of One (1962)
• Redline 7000 (1965)
• Walk Don't Run (1966)
• The Green Berets (1968)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
• Return to the River Kwai (1988)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Prisoners of the Sun (1990)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Bibliography

• To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei: Star Trek's Mr Sulu (1994)

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