Actors - George Takei

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	Actors - George Takei

George Hosato Takei (last name pronounced ) (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. On January 9, 2006, Takei became the announcer for The Howard Stern Show, after that show's move to satellite radio.

Early life

In 1942, the Takei family was sent to an internment camp in Arkansas. Despite this experience his family developed 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 be 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).

Star Trek

In 1966, he met with a 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 had a long running feud with William Shatner. He openly despised Shatner, making public statements on radio shows, especially the Howard Stern Show . He based his contempt on Shatner's alleged on-set behavior during the filming of the Star Trek TV series and movies . Takei accused Shatner of showboating, stealing lines, and trying to keep other actors (including Takei) in the background . Takei also believed that Shatner was personally responsible for Mr. Sulu's slow rank advancement in the fictional Starfleet . Some of these criticisms were also voiced by his Star Trek colleague, the late James Doohan. However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD set of "Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Second Season", 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 Captain Kirk the way Bill did. His energy and his determination, that's Bill. And that's also Captain Kirk."

Later life

In 1972 Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention. In 1973, he ran for Mayor of Los Angeles, finishing second in a field of seventeen to Councilman Tom Bradley. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the mayor'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 premier episode of the Star Trek animated series scheduled by the network with another in which his character did not appear. The other candidates in the race complained that Takei's distinct and powerful voice alone (besides his image) on television every week created an unfair advantage. Mayor Bradley later appointed him to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, and he 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. Also during this period Takei began his friendship with the future Mayor of West Hollywood and current Assemblyman Paul Koretz. He co-wrote the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin in 1979. 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. He also provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before". In November 2004, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito for his contributions to U. S.-Japanese relations.

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