George Takei, who portrays Sulu, was born in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles. He and his family lived there until World War II when, after the attack on Pearl Harbour, they were relocated to a detention camp in Arkansas. From there they were once again moved to another camp at Tule Lake in Northern California. Takei went to college with thoughts of being an architect, but soon changed his major to Theater Arts. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, his minor was Latin American Studies. Takei made his acting debut in a "Playhouse 90" production when he was attending UCLA. While he was taking classes, Takei also trained at the Desilu Workshop. After a biking trip across Europe, George returned to California and began guesting on series such as "Perry Mason", "Mr. Novak", "Hawaiian Eye", "I, Spy", "It Takes a Thief", and "My Three Sons". His "Twilight Zone" episode, "The Encounter" was aired once but, due to its controversial content regarding a Japanese traitor in WWII, it has never been shown again. Takei appeared first on "Star Trek" on "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the second pilot for the show. In this episode, he was a mathematician, but as the show progressed to a weekly basis, Takei's role was promoted to helmsman. During the first season, Takei managed to make a guest appearance on "Mission: Impossible" and during the show's second season, took time off to film "The Green Berets", with John Wayne. Takei's film debut was in "Ice Palace" with Richard Burton. It was a role that required a lot of make-up, as he was seen in various times throughout his life. After "Star Trek's" cancellation, Takei guested on series such as "Kung Fu", "The Six Million Dollar Man", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", "Miami Vice" and a dual role on the long-running series, "Hawaii 5-0". In 1972, Takei was California representative in the Democratic National Convention and in the fall of 1973, he ran for Mayor of Los Angeles. He didn't win the election, but it did cause a local station to stop running "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Animated Series" until after the votes were cast. Takei's competition felt that his voice and image on television every week created an unfair advantage for him. In the eighties, Takei hosted in informational series for television called, "Expression East/West" which dealt with issues involving human relationships. Takei co-wrote (with Robert Asprin) the "Star Trek" novel, "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe". FILMOGRAPHY "A Majority of One" |
