George Takei facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Takei
Takei at the 2024 GalaxyCon Oklahoma City
Born	Hosato Takei (1937-04-20) April 20, 1937 (age 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles (BA, MA)
Occupation	Actor author activist
Years active	1955–present
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Brad Altman ​ (m. 2008)​

George Takei (born April 20, 1937) is an American actor, writer, and activist. He is famous for playing Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman on the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek TV shows and movies.

Takei was born to Japanese-American parents. During World War II, his family was forced to live in special camps, like the Tule Lake Segregation Center. He started acting in college. In 1965, he got the role of Sulu and played the character for many years. Since 2005, he has also been active in politics. He speaks up for the rights of immigrants. His work on the Broadway show Allegiance tells the story of the internment camps.

Takei grew up speaking both English and Japanese. He has won awards for his work on human rights and improving relations between Japan and the United States. He also works with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

George Takei's Early Life

Takei in 1956

George Takei was born Hosato Takei on April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California. His parents were Japanese Americans. His father named him George after King George VI of the United Kingdom. The king's coronation happened shortly after Takei was born in 1937.

In 1942, during World War II, the Takei family was forced to move. They first lived in horse stables at Santa Anita Park. Then, they were sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas. This was an internment camp surrounded by barbed wire. Later, they moved to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California.

Many of Takei's relatives lived in Japan during World War II. His aunt and baby cousin in Hiroshima died during the atomic bombing of that city. After the war, when the family left the Tule Lake camp, they had lost their home, bank accounts, and business. They had to live on Skid Row, Los Angeles for five years.

Takei went to Mount Vernon Junior High School and Los Angeles High School. He was also a member of the Boy Scouts. After high school, he studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. He then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned degrees in theater. He also studied in England and Japan. In Hollywood, he learned acting at the Desilu Workshop.

George Takei's Acting Career

Starting in Hollywood

Takei began acting in Hollywood in the late 1950s. He did voiceovers for English versions of Japanese monster movies like Rodan (1956) and Godzilla Raids Again (1955). He appeared in TV shows such as Playhouse 90 and Perry Mason. He also acted alongside famous stars like Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant.

In 1964, Takei starred in "The Encounter", an episode of Twilight Zone. This episode was considered too upsetting for TV at the time because it dealt with US-Japanese hatred. It was not shown again until 1992.

Star Trek Fame

Takei as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

In 1965, Gene Roddenberry chose Takei to play Sulu in the TV series Star Trek. Sulu was first an astrosciences physicist, then became the ship's helmsman.

Takei was supposed to have a bigger role in the second season. However, he was busy filming The Green Berets (1968) with John Wayne. So, he only appeared in half of the episodes that season. Walter Koenig played Pavel Chekov and filled in for him. When Takei returned, he and Koenig became good friends. The image of them sharing the ship's helm became very famous.

Takei continued to play Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974) and in the first six Star Trek movies. In the last movie, his character, Sulu, became a captain of his own starship. Takei also attended many science fiction conventions around the world. He has done voice acting for several science fiction computer games, including Freelancer. In 1996, he played Captain Sulu again in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

Takei has sometimes talked about disagreements with William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk. But Takei has also said that Shatner is a "wonderful actor" who created a unique character. They even joked about their past tensions on a TV show in 2006.

Life After Star Trek

In 1979, Takei co-wrote a science fiction novel called Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe. His autobiography, To the Stars, was published in 1994. He hoped to make a movie about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, based on his own experiences.

In 2007, Takei appeared in the TV show Heroes. He played Kaito Nakamura, the father of a main character who was a big Star Trek fan. Takei appeared in all four seasons of the show.

In 2008, he was on the British reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. He lived in the Australian bush for 21 days and finished in third place.

In 2009, Takei voiced a character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This was the first time a main Star Trek actor worked on a Star Wars show. He also voiced a version of himself in a NASA animated short.

In 2012, Takei was on The Apprentice but was fired in the third episode.

Takei starred in the musical Allegiance in 2012. This show is based on his own experiences and research about the Japanese American internment during World War II. It opened on Broadway in 2015. Critics had mixed reviews, but many praised it for bringing a difficult part of history to the stage.

Since 2013, Takei has hosted Takei's Take, a web series that reviews consumer technology for older viewers. He also appeared in a viral video for Bonnie McKee's song "American Girl".

In 2014, a documentary film about Takei, To Be Takei, was released. In 2015, he produced a YouTube series with his husband called It Takeis Two. In 2019, Takei published They Called Us Enemy, a graphic novel memoir about his family's time in the internment camps. This book won an American Book Award in 2020.

George Takei's Personal Life and Activism

Private Life

Left to right: Takei, They Called Us Enemy co-author Steven Scott, and Takei's husband Brad Altman at Midtown Comics in New York.

In 2005, George Takei shared that he is gay. He had been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for 18 years. Takei said Altman was very kind for helping care for Takei's sick mother.

Takei is a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project". This project encourages people to be open about their identity.

Marriage

Takei and Brad Altman got married on September 14, 2008. Their wedding was at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Takei helped found this museum and is on its board. His Star Trek co-star Walter Koenig was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols was his "best woman."

Takei and Altman were the first same-sex couple to appear on the TV show The Newlywed Game in 2009. They won $10,000 for the Japanese American National Museum.

Political Involvement

Takei has been involved in politics for many years. In 1972, he was a delegate for California at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. The next year, he ran for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council but did not win.

Later, Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley appointed Takei to the board of the Southern California Rapid Transit District. Here, Takei helped plan the Los Angeles subway system. He even had to leave the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1978 to cast a very important vote for the subway system. He served on the board from 1973 to 1984.

In 2015, after some politicians suggested banning Muslims from entering the United States, Takei spoke out against it. He said it was similar to the "racial hysteria" that led to Japanese American internment during World War II. He warned that registering any group of people could lead to internment.

In 2017, Takei made an April Fools' joke about running for Congress. Instead, he announced his support for another candidate. Takei and his husband Brad Altman own a digital news publication called Second Nexus, which shares news from a progressive viewpoint.

Religious Beliefs

George Takei is a Buddhist. His father practiced Zen Buddhism, and his mother practiced Shin Buddhism. Even when his family was in an internment camp, they kept a small shrine. After the war, Takei went to Sunday school at a Buddhist temple. He and Brad Altman had a Buddhist wedding ceremony in 2008.

Love for Britain

Takei is a big fan of Britain, also known as an Anglophile. He has said he loves British things, including cars, clothes, and even the food in London. He tries to visit Britain for holidays often.

Facebook Popularity

Takei at the 2019 Phoenix Comicon

Takei has become very popular on Facebook. His daily posts of funny pictures have gained millions of followers. Many people know him as "the funniest guy on Facebook."

Awards and Recognition

George Takei and David Henry Hwang discussing Allegiance at Columbia University in late 2015

In 1986, George Takei received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his TV work.

In 2004, the government of Japan gave Takei the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. This award recognized his efforts to improve relations between the US and Japan.

An Asteroid is named after him: 7307 Takei. When he found out, he joked, "I am now a heavenly body."

Takei has received several other awards:

• In 2007, he got a Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
• In 2012, the American Humanist Association gave him the LGBT Humanist Award.
• In 2013, he received the NAAAP100 award for his contributions to the Asian community.
• In 2015, the Japanese American National Museum honored him with its Distinguished Medal of Honor.
• In 2016, California State University, Los Angeles gave him an honorary Doctorate.
• In 2019, he won the Inkpot Award.
• In 2022, the University of South Australia awarded him an honorary Doctorate for his service to the community.

Film and Television Roles

Film Appearances

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Web Series and Commercials

Stage and Theater Roles

Images for kids

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  Takei at the 2024 GalaxyCon Oklahoma City

See also

In Spanish: George Takei para niños