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Born to Takekuma Norman Takei and Fumiko Emily Takei in
the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, George was the
eldest of three children. A year after his birth, brother
Henry came along, followed by sister Nancy Reiko Takei,
two years later. Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl
Harbor -- precipitating U.S. involvement in World War II -- the
Takei (pronounced Tah-'KAY, not Tah-'KI) family,
along with other Japanese-Americans living in the western
United States, were relocated to Japanese interment
facilities. He would spend the next few years in various
Japanese interment camps around the United States.
After high school, George Takei enrolled at the University
of California at Berkeley to study architecture. He had
acted in grammar school skits, and junior high school
drama clubs, but it wasn't until his college years that
he was truly bitten by the acting bug. It wasn't long
before he gave up his study of architecture at Berkeley,
and transferred to UCLA to focus his studies on drama.
He was still in college when he began winning television
and feature film roles. Takei graduated with a BA in
theater, June 9th, 1960, and would later receive his
master's degree in theater in 1964.
The role that would dominate his life, came courtesy of
producer Gene Roddenberry. Though the television series
Star Trek remained on the air for just three years
(1966-69), the show developed a massive cult following when
it was rerun in syndication. In 1973, this led to an animated
cartoon series, Star Trek (a.k.a. Star Trek: The
Animated Series), for which the original Star Trek
actors provided the voices. Later, a series of successful
Star Trek motion pictures was produced.
George Takei made the news in October of 2005, when
it was reported he came out as a homosexual. In point
of fact, he had been "out" for quite some time. Many
devoted Star Trek fans had known he was gay, as
did most friends and many of his co-workers, but it
came as news to the general public, and was touted in
headlines around the world. It was a stage role in
Equus that helped inspire him to publicly discuss
his sexuality. "The world has changed from when I was
a young teen feeling ashamed for being gay," the Star
Trek actor said. "The issue of gay marriage is now
a political issue. That would have been unthinkable
when I was young." Takei served as national spokesperson
for the Human Rights Campaign's Coming Out Project, a
program designed to help gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people come out and live openly. Since
publicly addressing his homosexuality, he has been
an eloquent speaker on the subject of tolerance and
gay rights.
He was also heavily involved in civic affairs, and
even ran for public office in Los Angeles. George ran
for a spot on the Los Angeles City Council in 1973,
losing by a very small margin. Mayor Tom Bradley appointed
Takei to serve on the board of directors of the Southern
California Rapid Transit District (RTD) during the period
they would vote to create the Los Angeles subway system.
He continued to serve on the board for eleven years
(1973-84), and eventually saw his dream come to fruition
when the subway system was actually built.
He had the following to say about his Star Trek
co-stars: "Leonard Nimoy and I are political compatriots
and we found ourselves working together for the same
candidates in the same issues. Jimmy Doohan, another
Canadian from Vancouver, is my favorite drinking buddy.
Nichelle, because I put together a lot of fundraising
dinners. Nichelle, is someone I can always call on to
be our headline entertainer. She's very generous with
her talent. Walter Koenig is a good buddy, as I said.
He's the one that I keep in closest touch with."
Regarding his (and some other cast members) dislike of
William Shatner, he said: "But like any large, extensive
family, there is that "Uncle Jack" that you can't stand
and we do have "Uncle Jack" in "Uncle Bill." But he is
a member of the family and you develop some kind of way
of working and living with each other for the three
months that you're together making the film. Although
I must say, he does make it very difficult." As the 40th
anniversary of the cult series approached in 2006, an
anticipated reunion of the surviving cast members was
said to be out of the question. Continuing animosity
between the supporting cast, and William Shatner, was
reportedly the reason. Nichelle Nichols, who played
Lt. Uhura on the show, confirmed that Shatner was
"an insensitive, hurtful egotist." Even after appearing
on Comedy Central's 2006 Roast of William Shatner,
George reported the bitterness remained. "Well, Bill
is a complicated, fascinating and charismatic guy,
but he also has his blind spot: He just doesn't seem
to see how obsessively self-involved he is," the
actor explained. "When we do conventions together, I
keep thinking to myself, 'Why are you so rude to the
fans?' He can be so charming and gracious, but I see
it's patently put on when he wants something from you."
In 2007, an asteroid located between Mars and Jupiter
was named in George Takei's honor. Two Japanese
astronomers had discovered the asteroid, which was
known as 1994 GT9, back in 1994. Dr. Tom Burbine,
astronomer at Mt. Holyoke College, proposed the name
change in recognition of Takei's humanitarian work
and social activism. The International Astronomical
Union's Committee for Small Body Nomenclature approved
the change, officially renaming the asteroid 7307 Takei.
When the California Supreme Court struck down a ban on
same-sex marriage in 2008, George and his long-term life
partner, Brad Altman, were among the first gay couples
to obtain a marriage license. Three months later, they
were married at the Japanese American National Museum in
downtown Los Angeles. The couple, who had been together
more than two decades, exchanged vows they had written
themselves, before a Buddhist priest in a multicultural
ceremony. His Star Trek castmates -- Walter Koenig,
who played Chekhov, and Nichelle Nichols who portrayed
Uhura -- both participated in the September 14, 2008
ceremony.
Selected film credits:
George Takei appeared alongside some of the biggest
names in entertainment, including Richard Burton in
the movie Ice Palace (1960), Alec Guinness in A Majority
of One (1962), Cary Grant in Walk Don't Run (1966), and
John Wayne in The Green Berets (1968).
Other film credits include, Red Line 7000 (1965), Which Way
to the Front? (1970), 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),
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Star Trek VI: The
Undiscovered Country (1991), Mulan (1998), and Mulan II
(2004).
Selected TV guest appearances:
Takei's impressive list of television guest
appearances stretches back to the 1950s, and
includes, Playhouse 90, Perry Mason, Hawaiian Eye,
The Twilight Zone, The Wackiest Ship in the Army,
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, I Spy, My
Three Sons, Mission: Impossible, Felony Squad,
It Takes a Thief, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury,
The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Kung Fu,
The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O,
Chico and the Man, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Vega$,
Trapper John, M.D., Matt Houston, MacGyver,
Murder, She Wrote, Miami Vice, The Simpsons,
Star Trek: Voyager, 3rd Rock from the Sun,
Early Edition, Diagnosis Murder, Grosse Pointe,
Scrubs, Freddie, Heroes, Secret Talents of the Stars,
and Cory in the House.
Hobbies/sidelines:
In addition to his acting, Takei was involved in real estate
development, enjoyed jogging/running, architecture, and
historic preservation. He also completed several marathons
and had the honor of carrying the Olympic Flame in the 1984
Los Angeles Olympic Torch Relay. His husband, Brad Altman,
was also an avid runner.
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