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TREKCORE >
THE ANIMATED SERIES
> CAST AND CREW >
Hikaru Sulu/George Takei
 Of
Asian descent, Sulu served as helm officer on board the
original U.S.S. Enterprise during one of its
five-year missions, after an initial stint as an
astrosciences physicist. He then was promoted to chief
helmsman on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, under James
T. Kirk.
Sulu was an active hobbyist with interests including
fencing, botany, and the martial arts of his native culture;
in fact, when the helmsman was infected with the Psi 3000
virus in 2366 he threatened the bridge with his foil.
Another of Sulu's hobbies was old-style hand guns, although
he had never managed to find a "Police Special" for his
collection.
He is also an accomplished pilot of craft from many eras and
cultures, piloting with little warm-up both an antique 20th
century Earth helicopter and a Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
George
Takei played Hikaru Sulu, the helm officer aboard the U.S.S.
Enterprise on the original Star Trek series.
Takei 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 Harbor, they were relocated to a detention camp in Arkansas.
From there, they were 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 guest starring on series such as "Perry Mason", "Mr. Novak",
"Hawaiian Eye", "I, Spy", "It Takes a Thief" and "My Three Sons."
Takei appeared in one "The Twilight Zone" episode ("The Encounter").
It was aired once, but due to its controversial content regarding a
Japanese traitor in WW II, it has never been shown again.
Takei first began his "Star Trek" adventure with "Where No Man Has
Gone Before," which was the second pilot that finally sold the
series. In that episode he was said to be a mathematician. Once the
series went into weekly production, he became the helmsman and a
part of the bridge crew. During the first season of "Star Trek",
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" was canceled, Takei did guest
stints on many prime time series, including "Kung Fu", "The Six
Million Dollar Man", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", "Miami Vice" and a dual
role on the long-running series "Hawaii Five-O."
In 1972, Takei was a 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: The 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 Takei.
In the '80s, Takei hosted an informational series for television
called, "Expression East/West", which dealt with issues involving
human relationships. Takei co-wrote (with Robert Asprin) the science
fiction novel, "Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe." In 1994 he penned his
memoirs in "To the Stars."
In 2005, Takei publicly admitted that he is gay.
Biographies derived and edited from the
Official
Site.
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