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77-530: Established in 1965 by Mako , Rae Creevey, Beulah Quo , Soon-tek Oh , James Hong , Pat Li, June Kim, Guy Lee, and Yet Lock as a place where Asian-American actors could perform roles beyond the stereotypical caricatures they were being limited to in Hollywood . An early statement of purpose read: "To further cultural understanding between the East and West by employing the dual Oriental and American heritages of

154-579: A "parody-scripted reality series" that also includes Internet culture. The series ran for nine episodes. In early 2017, Takei was featured in television commercials promoting the restaurant Pizza Hut . In 2019, Takei published They Called Us Enemy , a 208-page memoir in the form of a graphic novel , with a particular focus on his family's time in internment, co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and illustrated by Harmony Becker. The book received an American Book Award in 2020. He narrated

231-702: A 1964 episode of the Twilight Zone . CBS considered the episode's theme of US-Japanese hatred "too disturbing" to include when the series was syndicated. "The Encounter" was not seen after its initial airing until it was released on video in 1992 as part of the Treasures of the Twilight Zone collection. Takei guest-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 (uncredited, 1967) and Which Way to

308-877: A South Korean lieutenant. He appeared in an episode of the series The Time Tunnel as Lt. Nakamura in 1967. He appeared in an episode of the series Kung Fu as Wong Ti Lu in 1972. In 1974, he appeared in the Ironside episode "Terror on Grant Avenue". He appeared as a Japanese chef in the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" (1978). He was the blind philosopher Li Sung in two episodes of The Incredible Hulk . He also appeared on an episode of Magnum, P.I. entitled "The Arrow That Is Not Aimed" (1983). Mako also appeared in an episode of F Troop . He appeared as Lo Sing, fighting Bruce Lee 's Kato character in The Green Hornet episode "The Preying Mantis". He played

385-516: A bombastic and generic Broadway musical". Variety wrote, "In their sincere efforts to 'humanize' their complex historical material, the creatives have oversimplified and reduced it to generic themes." The Hollywood Reporter said "the powerful sentiments involved are too often flattened by the pedestrian lyrics and unmemorable melodies of Jay Kuo's score". USA Today called Allegiance "as corny as Kansas in August and as obvious as Lady Gaga on

462-605: A fictitious version of himself in the NASA animated short "Robot Astronomy Talk Show: Gravity and the Great Attractor", part of the web-series IRrelevant Astronomy produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Takei (and his husband Brad Altman) appeared in a documentary short titled George & Brad in Bed (2009) that profiled their relationship and was a guest on NPR 's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! . In 2010, Takei recorded

539-615: A formal dinner followed by a silent auction. Proceeds from the event go directly toward funding the theatre's many educational and artistic programs. English adaptations by Marc Blitzstein Lyrics by Fred Ebb Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Mako (actor) Makoto Iwamatsu ( 岩松 信 , Iwamatsu Makoto , December 10, 1933 – July 21, 2006) was a Japanese-American actor, credited mononymously in almost all of his acting roles as simply Mako (マコ). His career in film, on television, and on stage spanned 5 decades and 165 productions. He

616-526: A handful of times in Hawaiian Eye during the 1960–61 season, including an eponymous episode as Thomas Jefferson Chu. He originated the role of George in the musical Fly Blackbird! , but when the show traveled from Los Angeles to Off-Broadway the West Coast actors were forced to audition and the role went to William Sugihara instead. Eventually Sugihara had to give up the role and Takei closed out

693-567: A member of its board of trustees. Walter Koenig was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols , eschewing the title "matron of honor", was "best woman". Reverend William Briones of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles presided. Takei and Altman appeared in a celebrity edition of The Newlywed Game TV show, which the GSN cable network aired October 13, 2009. They were the first same-sex couple to be featured on

770-659: A naturalized U.S. citizen in 1956. Mako's first film role was in Never So Few (1959). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as engine-room worker Po-Han in the film The Sand Pebbles (1966). Other roles include the Chinese contract laborer Mun Ki in the epic movie The Hawaiians (1970) starring Charlton Heston and Tina Chen ; Oomiak, the Inuit guide, in Disney's The Island at

847-461: A prominent proponent of LGBT rights and active in state and local politics. He has been a vocal advocate of the rights of immigrants, in part through his work on the 2012 Broadway show Allegiance , about the internment experience. Takei spoke both English and Japanese growing up and remains fluent in both languages. He has won several awards and accolades for his work on human rights and Japan–United States relations , including his work with

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924-489: A rare sort, shedding light in a dark corner of our history with uncommon generosity of spirit". The New York Times praised the "well-intentioned and polished" play for tackling a difficult subject while trying at the same time to entertain its audience, but said Allegiance "struggles to balance both ambitions, and doesn't always find an equilibrium". The Associated Press said Allegiance tries to tackle internment camps, discrimination and war, "but does so unsuccessfully in

1001-697: A red carpet. But darned if it won't get a grip on your heartstrings." In 2013, Takei was a guest judge in the TBS reality show King of the Nerds , in which he is one of three judges of the Cosplay Competition. Beginning September 17, 2013, Takei hosted Takei's Take , a web series reviewing consumer technology in a manner for viewers over 50 years in age. The series is produced by AARP . Takei made an appearance in issue no. 6 of Kevin Keller where

1078-488: A seat on the Los Angeles City Council , finishing second of five candidates in the special election and losing by 1,647 votes; the winner, David Cunningham Jr., received 42% of the votes cast and Takei received 33%. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the city council caused one local station to stop running the repeats of the original Star Trek series until after the election and KNBC -TV to substitute

1155-636: A series of public service announcements for the Social Security Administration to help promote applying online for benefits. In 2011, he appeared with husband Brad Altman in All Star Mr & Mrs , a show on ITV in Britain presented by Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton . Takei was one of the celebrities in the 12th season of The Apprentice . He was fired in the third episode, which aired on March 4, 2012. Takei

1232-458: A successful Japanese businessman and father to one of the main characters, time/space-travelling Hiro Nakamura , who also happens to be an obsessive fan of Star Trek . In the first episode in which Takei appears, " Distractions ", the license plate of the limo he arrives in is NCC-1701 , another reference to the Star Trek series. He appeared in all four seasons of the show. Takei appeared on

1309-559: A week, Takei apologized for his wording. Takei was criticized for his response on Twitter to the shooting of Steve Scalise in June 2017. Calling Scalise "bigoted" and "homophobic", Takei criticized his previous opposition to same-sex marriage and commented that Crystal Griner, the officer who saved Scalise, was a lesbian. Takei's response was widely criticized, with Jake Tapper calling it "unfathomable". On May 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Altman would be getting married. They were

1386-490: Is gay and had been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for 18 years; the move was prompted by then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger 's veto of same-sex marriage legislation . Takei 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." Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had been an open secret among Star Trek fans since

1463-642: Is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu , helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise. Takei was born to Japanese American parents, with whom he lived in Tule Lake Segregation Center during World War II . He began pursuing acting in college, which led in 1965 to the role of Sulu, to which he returned periodically into the 1990s. Upon coming out as gay in 2005, he became

1540-572: 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. In

1617-558: Is the David Henry Hwang Theater, housed within the historic Union Center for the Arts in downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district. The theater serves over 15,000 people each year, including low income audiences of whom are provided free and discounted admissions as well as deaf audiences via ASL -interpreted productions. EWP hosts an annual awards dinner to celebrate the achievements of individuals who have "raised

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1694-777: The Desilu Workshop . Takei began his career in Hollywood in the late 1950s, providing voiceover for characters in the English dubbing of the Japanese monster films Rodan (1956, US: 1957) and Godzilla Raids Again (1955, US: Gigantis the Fire Monster , 1959). He appeared in the anthology television series Playhouse 90 , the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" (both 1959), and

1771-828: The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. Takei was born Hosato Takei on April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California, to Japanese American parents Fumiko Emily Nakamura (born in Sacramento, California ) and Takekuma Norman Takei (born in Yamanashi Prefecture ), who worked in real estate. His father named him George after King George VI of the United Kingdom , whose coronation took place in 1937 , shortly after Takei's birth. In 1942, following

1848-636: The U.S. Office of War Information and were later granted residency. They arranged for him to join them in 1949, when he was fifteen years old. Iwamatsu's father owned an art studio in New York City, and as a teenager he became acquainted with painter Hiroshi Honda . Though he faced racial discrimination , Iwamatsu bonded with his high school peers over baseball , and was scouted by the Cleveland Indians . Though he had an interest in dramatics, Iwamatsu did not believe an artistic career

1925-558: The atomic bombing that destroyed the city . In Takei's own words, "My aunt and baby cousin [were] found burnt in a ditch in Hiroshima." At the end of World War II , after leaving Tule internment camp, Takei's family was left without any bank accounts, home or family business; this left them unable to find any housing, so they lived on Skid Row, Los Angeles for five years. He attended Mount Vernon Junior High School and served as Boys Senior Board President at Los Angeles High School . He

2002-1059: The 1966 film The Sand Pebbles saw him nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other various roles included Kichijiro in the 1971 film adaptation of Silence , Oomiak "The Fearless One" in The Island at the Top of the World (1974), Akiro the Wizard in Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984), and Kungo Tsarong in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He

2079-590: The 1970s, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in LGBTQ organizations, including Frontrunners , where he developed public friendships with openly gay couples such as Kevin and Don Norte . In an on-air telephone interview with Howard Stern in December 2005, Takei explained, "[We (gay people)] 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

2156-497: The Asian Pacific American experience and has facilitated over 1,000 readings and workshops. Its emphasis is on building bridges between East and West; attendance estimates are 56% Asians and 44% non-Asians. In 1998, EWP Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang led the company’s move from a 99-seat Equity Waiver " black box ” into a new 240-seat venue at an Actors' Equity Association contract level. EWP’s mainstage

2233-478: The BSA still boots out gay Scouts when they turn 18. This web series will help educate and inform, as well as entertain. That gets a big thumbs up from me. Let's make this happen." In 2015, after the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision, Obergefell v. Hodges , Takei was critical of Clarence Thomas 's dissent and called Thomas "a clown in blackface ". After defending his comments for over

2310-922: The Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer ; the confidant to Chuck Norris ' rogue cop in the thriller An Eye for an Eye (1982); the Japanese spy in the comedy Under the Rainbow . In 1990, he had a minor role in the psychological thriller Pacific Heights along with Matthew Modine , Melanie Griffith and Michael Keaton ; Yoshida-san in Rising Sun ; Mr. Lee in Sidekicks ; Kanemitsu in RoboCop 3 (1993); and Kungo Tsarong in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He also appeared in some Japanese television dramas and films, such as Masahiro Shinoda 's Owls' Castle and Takashi Miike 's The Bird People in China . Mako

2387-590: The East-West Players." Current mission statement: As the nation's premier Asian American theatre organization, East West Players produces artistic works and educational programs that foster dialogue exploring Asian Pacific experiences. Current vision statement: East West Players has been called “the nation’s pre-eminent Asian American theater troupe” for their award-winning productions blending Eastern and Western movement, costumes, language, and music. EWP has premiered over 100 plays and musicals about

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2464-579: The Front? (1970). Takei narrated the documentary The Japanese Sword as the Soul of the Samurai (1969). In 1965, producer Gene Roddenberry cast Takei as astrosciences physicist Sulu in the second pilot for the original Star Trek television series. When the series was accepted by NBC, Takei continued in the role of Sulu, who was now the ship's helmsman. It was intended that Sulu's role be expanded in

2541-699: The Midland school board. Takei was praised for his response to McCance and garnered much media attention with the PSA. In May 2011, in response to a Tennessee State Legislature bill that prohibited school teachers or students from using any language that alludes to the existence of homosexuality, Takei released another PSA in which he offered up his name, suggesting that people could just substitute that for 'gay'. For example, they could support Takei marriage or watch Takei pride parades ; or even use slurs such as That's so Takei , or sing Don we now our Takei apparel during

2618-750: The River Kwai (1989). In November 2010, Takei released a PSA blasting Clint McCance, who was at the time the vice president of the school board for the Midland School District in southern Independence County, Arkansas . In the video, Takei repeatedly called McCance "a douchebag". Takei's video was made as a response to McCance making blatantly homophobic remarks, stating that he "enjoys the fact that [gay people] give each other AIDS and die". McCance went on to encourage gay people to commit suicide, and stated that he would disown his children if they were gay. McCance later resigned his seat on

2695-543: The Top of the World (1974); Yuen Chung in the film The Killer Elite (1975) directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring James Caan, Robert Duvall, and the martial artist Takayuki Kubota ; the sorcerer Nakano in Highlander III: The Sorcerer ; Jackie Chan 's uncle/sifu in Chan's first American movie The Big Brawl (1980); the wizard Akiro opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the two Conan movies Conan

2772-658: The age of 72 from esophageal cancer . Mako was born Makoto Iwamatsu in Kobe , Japan, the son of children's authors and illustrators Tomoe Sasako and Atsushi Iwamatsu, better known by their pen names Mitsu and Taro Yashima . In 1939, his parents, who were political dissidents, moved to the United States, leaving Mako in the care of his grandmother. Because his parents lived on the East Coast, they were not interned during World War II ; instead they opted to work for

2849-795: The age of 72, from esophageal cancer . Prior to his death, he had completed voice work for TMNT as the voice of Splinter , with the film being dedicated to him. The Avatar: The Last Airbender episode " The Tales of Ba Sing Se " is dedicated to Mako. In the sequel series The Legend of Korra , main cast member Mako is named after him. After Mako's death, Greg Baldwin replaced him as Aku in Samurai Jack and Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra . George Takei George Takei ( / t ə ˈ k eɪ / , tə- KAY ; born Hosato Takei ( 武井 穂郷 , Takei Hosato ) ; April 20, 1937)

2926-612: 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 on the board from 1973 to 1984. In 1980, Takei began a campaign for California State Assemblyman (District 46) from

3003-680: The character Lin Duk Coo in an episode of The A-Team . He guest-starred in an episode of season one of Frasier as well as in an episode of Tour of Duty as a Vietnamese scout. He also was a guest star in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk vs. The Cobra". He guest-starred in the Walker, Texas Ranger episodes "Heart of the Dragon" (1997) and "Black Dragons" (2000), and appeared on Charmed in 2003, creating magic for Chris (played by Drew Fuller ). He

3080-649: The company until 1989. Mako's Broadway career included creating the roles of the Reciter, the shōgun , and the Chicago-based inventor of the rickshaw , in the original 1976 production of Stephen Sondheim 's Broadway musical Pacific Overtures , for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical . Mako's landlord at the time, Jerry Orbach , was also nominated for his role in Chicago ; both lost, however, to George Rose from

3157-763: The documentary Who's on Top? in 2020. In June 2021, dean of the United States Air Force Academy Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre announced that They Called Us Enemy , which details both Takei's struggle with internment and understanding of American democracy , would be part of the Academy's new reading initiative for cadets. On February 23, 2022, George Takei was the NCLS Kickoff speaker at USAFA, elaborating on his book and how his past influences his future. In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he

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3234-762: The ending theme of Dexter's Laboratory and voiced Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender from 2005 to 2006 . He had a guest appearance in the Nickelodeon film Rugrats in Paris: The Movie as the boss of Coco. He guest-starred in The West Wing episode " A Good Day " as an economics professor and former rival of President Bartlet . He was also featured in Season 3 Episode 13 of The Facts of Life , entitled "The Americanization of Miko". Mako made his video game debut with

3311-530: The fan-made Internet based series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II episode " World Enough and Time ". In 1979, Takei co-wrote the science fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin . Takei's autobiography, To the Stars , was published in 1994. At one point, he had hoped to make a film or telefilm based on chapters dealing with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, of which he had personal experience. In January 2007, Takei began appearing on Heroes , as Kaito Nakamura,

3388-514: 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 2008, he appeared on the 8th season of the reality TV series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! on the British ITV television network. He lived in the Australian bush for 21 days and nights, doing tasks along with fellow campers to gain better meals and survive eviction from

3465-424: The first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. On June 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. They were married on September 14, 2008, at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, of which Takei is one of the founders and serves as

3542-431: The greater Los Angeles area. However, he chose to withdraw after his opponent challenged the airing of episodes of Star Trek on local television under the Federal Communications Commission 's Fairness Doctrine "equal time" regulations, saying also that "this is the wrong time to interrupt my career as an actor and author." He also appeared as a sadistic Japanese POW camp commander in the World War II film Return from

3619-426: The holiday season . Takei marked the 70th anniversary of the internment of Americans of Japanese descent, including himself as a child, by asking his readers to contact the US Congress to block S. 1253, the National Defense Authorization Act , that "would authorize a similar sweeping authority, granted to the President, to order the detention—without charge or trial—of any person even suspected of being associated with

3696-439: The image of the officers sharing the ship's helm panel side-by-side became iconic. Takei has since appeared in numerous television and film productions, reprising his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series from 1973 to 1974, and in the first six Star Trek films, the last of which promoted his character to captain of his own starship. Meanwhile, he became a regular on the science fiction convention circuit throughout

3773-415: The limited roles available to Asian-American actors, Mako and six others formed the East West Players theater company, first performing out of a church basement. During the company's 1981 season, to coincide with the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians ' hearings on redress , Mako exclusively produced plays about the Japanese American incarceration. He remained artistic director of

3850-411: The limited run of the play Shimada in 1992. Mako appeared on the television series McHale's Navy several times, playing Imperial Japanese officers, soldiers and sailors. In 1965, he appeared on Gidget as a member of a rival surf group. He later appeared on the television series M*A*S*H , playing multiple roles such as a Chinese doctor, a North Korean soldier, a South Korean medical doctor and

3927-454: The musical Allegiance , which Takei described as his legacy project. The show is based on Takei's own experiences and research into the Japanese American internment of World War II and premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Allegiance debuted on Broadway on November 8, 2015, to mixed reviews. The Guardian said it was "unexceptional though often affecting"; Deadline called it "a triumph of

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4004-1009: The opportunity to work with many respected artists and faculty such as actors Dennis Dun , Danny Glover , Bill Macy , Takayo Fischer , George Takei , Tsai Chin , and Nancy Kwan , directors, Lisa Peterson and Oskar Eustis , musician Dan Kuramoto and instructors Calvin Remsberg and Fran Bennett . Over seventy-five percent of all Asian Pacific performers in the acting unions living in Los Angeles have worked at EWP. East West Players has provided training and opportunities to many emerging and professional artists who have gone on to win Tony Awards , Obie Awards , Emmy Awards , LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards , and Academy Awards . East West Players has collaborated with many organizations though its history, including Center Theatre Group , Robey Theatre Company , Cornerstone Theater Company , Ma-Yi Theatre Company , and Cedar Grove OnStage . EWP hosts an annual gala fundraiser in order to honor "individuals [as well as corporations and foundations] who have raised

4081-751: The past to maintain accessibility for students. Notable EWP alumni include actors Mako , Nobu McCarthy , Pat Morita , James Hong , Yuki Shimoda , John Lone , Rodney Kageyama , BD Wong , James Saito , Freda Foh Shen, Lauren Tom , Amy Hill , Alec Mapa , Alan Muraoka , Emily Kuroda , Sala Iwamatsu, Chris Tashima , Anthony Begonia, John Cho , Kal Penn , Daniel Dae Kim , Matthew Yang King , Parvesh Cheena , James Kyson -Lee, Masi Oka , Francois Chau , Jeanne Sakata , Rachna Khatau , Greg Watanabe, Dante Basco , and dramatists Wakako Yamauchi , Hiroshi Kashiwagi , David Henry Hwang , Philip Kan Gotanda , Roberta Uno, R.A. Shiomi , Judith Nihei and Soji Kashiwagi , and Clyde Kusatsu. East West Players has also had

4158-432: 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, even without his image on television every week, created an unfair advantage. Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley later appointed Takei to

4235-446: The revival of My Fair Lady . Mako recalled being awoken at 4:30 in the morning after the Tony ceremony by Orbach, who was shouting from the floor below: "Hey, Mako! What the fuck happened? I can't believe it; we lost to a fucking revival!". Mako reprised the role and directed the musical's production with the East West Players, and further reprised the role in a production at the San Jose Civic Light Opera in 1991. He also starred in

4312-576: The role of the goblin Grubjub in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (2003). In the same year, he also voiced General Han Yu Kim in True Crime: Streets of LA , Masataka Shima in Medal of Honor: Rising Sun , and various voices in Secret Weapons Over Normandy . In 2004, Mako voiced the narrator in the game Wrath Unleashed , and Aku in Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku . Mako was married to actress Shizuko Hoshi , with whom he had two daughters (both of whom are actresses) and three grandchildren. Mako died in Somis, California , on July 21, 2006, at

4389-415: The second season of Star Trek , Takei said of Shatner: "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 2006 Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner in which the two mocked each other in good humor and embraced, Takei noting that he

4466-546: The second season, but Takei's role in The Green Berets (1968) as Captain Nim, a South Vietnamese Army officer alongside John Wayne 's character, took him away from Star Trek filming and he only appeared in half the episodes of that season. Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov substituted for him in the other episodes. When Takei returned, the two men had to share a dressing room and a single episode script. Takei admitted in an interview that he initially felt threatened by Koenig's presence, but later grew to be friends with him as

4543-431: The show's final months. Takei subsequently appeared alongside such actors as Frank Sinatra in Never So Few (uncredited, 1959), Richard Burton in Ice Palace , Jeffrey Hunter in Hell to Eternity (1960), Alec Guinness in A Majority of One (1961), James Caan in Red Line 7000 (1965), and Cary Grant in Walk, Don't Run (1966). He starred as a landscaper of Japanese descent in " The Encounter ",

4620-425: The show. Takei and Altman won the game, winning $ 10,000 for their charity, the Japanese American National Museum. In February 2010, Takei and Altman became the second same-sex couple to appear on the British game show All Star Mr & Mrs , losing to rugby star Phil Vickery and wife Kate. Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the 1972 Democratic National Convention . The following year he ran for

4697-435: The show. His politeness and calmness made him popular with the other campers. Out of 12 participants the British public voted him into 3rd place behind 2nd placed Martina Navratilova and winner Joe Swash . In 2009, Takei appeared in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the Neimoidian general, Lok Durd, the first time a leading actor from Star Trek worked in a Star Wars production. In April that year, he voiced

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4774-576: The signing of Executive Order 9066 , the Takei family was forced to live in the converted horse stables of Santa Anita Park before being sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for internment in Rohwer, Arkansas . The internment camp was in swamplands and surrounded by barbed wire fences. The family was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California for internment. Takei had several relatives living in Japan during World War II . Among them, he had an aunt and infant cousin who lived in Hiroshima and who were both killed during

4851-457: The titular character cites Takei as one of his heroes. Upon reading about Kevin with his partner, Takei decides to travel to Riverdale and surprise Kevin. Takei also wrote the foreword for the second volume of the Kevin Keller comics. Takei appeared in the viral video for Bonnie McKee 's song " American Girl " lip syncing the lyrics to her song. Starting in 2013, Takei became spokesperson for Rooms To Go , an American furniture retailer. He

4928-568: The visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft." EWP offers a growing array of educational programs training over 200 multicultural artists each year – the Actors Conservatory (performance workshops and an intensive Summer Conservatory); David Henry Hwang Writers Institute; the career program, Alliance of Creative Talent Services (ACTS); and the touring Theatre for Youth (reaching an estimated 50,000 K-8th graders and their families via in-school performances and festivals). Scholarships have been offered for these programs in

5005-419: The visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft." There are five awards: the Visionary Award, Corporate/Foundation Visionary Award, Made in American Award, Breakout Performance Award, and the Founders Award. Past honorees include Tia Carrere , John Cho , Tim Dang , Prince Gomolvilas , Amy Hill , Mako , Mike Shinoda , BD Wong , and Michelle Yeoh . The event itself comprises

5082-413: The wake of the 2007 controversy over former NBA player Tim Hardaway , who had stated "I hate gay people", Takei recorded a mock 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, gay people love him and other "sweaty basketball players", and promising Hardaway that "I will have sex with you". This

5159-403: 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 played Captain Sulu in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager . Takei has spoken about personal difficulties with William Shatner . However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD set for

5236-414: Was "honored" to be there "despite our past tensions". Takei is also one of six actors (the others being Jonathan Frakes , Kate Mulgrew , Michael Dorn , Avery Brooks and Majel Barrett ) to lend his voice to the 1997 video game Star Trek: Captain's Chair , reprising his role of Captain Hikaru Sulu when the player visits the bridge of the original Enterprise . In the summer of 2007, Takei played Sulu in

5313-521: Was a member of Boy Scout Troop 379 of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple . Upon graduation from high school, Takei enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley , where he studied architecture. Later, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles , where he received a Bachelor of Arts in theater in 1960 and a Master of Arts in theater in 1964. He also attended the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-upon-Avon in England and Sophia University in Tokyo. In Hollywood , he studied acting at

5390-411: Was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Takei also appeared on the Google float at San Francisco Pride 2007. In 2014, Takei raised $ 100,000 for an adult Eagle Scout to start a web series, titled Camp Abercorn , documenting his experiences in the Boy Scouts of America after he was forced to leave, due to their anti-gay adult policy. Takei stated, "As a former Boy Scout myself, it pains me deeply that

5467-445: Was an Academy Award , Golden Globe Award and Tony Award nominee. Born and raised in Kobe , Mako moved to the United States after the Second World War , where his dissident parents had moved to escape political persecution. After serving with the U.S. Army during the Korean War , he trained in acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and later co-founded the East West Players . His role as Po-Han (his second credited role on film) in

5544-555: Was cast as the historic Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the epic drama Pearl Harbor (2001). He also had a role in Bulletproof Monk (2003). In 2005, Mako had a cameo role in Memoirs of a Geisha . Mako's last leading role was in the film Cages (2005), written and directed by Graham Streeter . He voiced Master Splinter in the film TMNT , released posthumously in 2007 as his final credited role. In 1965, frustrated by

5621-687: Was featured with Martin Sheen and Jamie Lee Curtis in a performance of Dustin Lance Black 's play 8 —a staged reenactment of the federal trial Perry v. Brown that overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as William Tam. The production was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights . In 2012, Takei starred in

5698-630: Was financially viable, and enrolled in the Pratt Institute School of Architecture while working in his father's print shop. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1953 and served until October 1955, during which he performed in plays for his fellow soldiers. He then trained at the Pasadena Playhouse and adopted the mononym Mako , as he found most people had difficulty pronouncing his full name. He became

5775-534: Was part of the original cast of Stephen Sondheim 's 1976 Broadway musical Pacific Overtures , which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical . Later in his career, he became well known for his voice acting roles, including Mr. Yamaguchi in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie , Aku in the first four seasons of Samurai Jack (2001–04), and Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender ( 2005 – 06 ). He died on July 21, 2006, at

5852-576: Was seen in a series of television commercials where he used his famous "Oh Myyy!" tag line. In January 2014, Jennifer Kroot's documentary film about Takei, To Be Takei , premiered at the Sundance Film Festival . He also participated in Do I Sound Gay? , a documentary film by David Thorpe about stereotypes of gay men's speech patterns. In 2015, he produced a YouTube mini-series It Takeis Two featuring himself and Altman, described as

5929-401: Was the voice of Aku , the main antagonist in the animated series Samurai Jack for the first four seasons produced from 2001 to 2004, and again in the series finale which used his original audio. He also voiced Achoo (a parody of Aku) and the annoying alarm clock Happy Cat in a Samurai Jack -parodying episode of Duck Dodgers entitled "Samurai Quack". He provided the introductory voice for

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