star trek sulu show

The One Thing Star Trek's George Takei Really Wanted For Sulu But Never Got

In the original "Star Trek," only three actors were credited at the start of the show: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. For many watching the series — and for the actors especially — those three were the leads, while the rest of the recurring ensemble were mere supporting players. Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley certainly had the most screen time on "Star Trek," yet they often advocated for more. Eventually, Shatner and Nimoy became such whiny spotlight hogs that show creator Gene Roddenberry had to write an angry letter , demanding the actors stop whining and get back to work.

Trekkies, however, knew better than Shatner and Nimoy. "Star Trek" was always an ensemble piece about a core cast of multiple characters. In addition to the three "leads," the show also regularly featured chief engineer Scott/Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney), and Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett). Meanwhile, always sitting at the helm and flying the ship was Lieutenant Sulu (George Takei).

Takei, along with most "Star Trek" viewers, saw the above group as a whole and vitally important senior staff on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Kirk might have been commanding the ship, but everyone else was just as capable and professional. Indeed, the whole point of "Star Trek" was to depict a future wherein a diverse cross-section of humanity could gather together, work without bickering, and devote themselves collectively to a mission of peaceful exploration.

Back in 2010, Takei was interviewed by StarTrek.com , and the actor admitted that during his tenure playing Sulu, he never got to talk about his family. It wouldn't be until 1994's "Star Trek: Generation" (which Takei wasn't in) that Sulu's family was mentioned.

Sulu finally got a daughter in Star Trek: Generations

Takei recalled his early days on "Star Trek" and the relief he felt in not playing a broad stereotype. Takei was born in Los Angeles to Japanese parents, but when he began acting professionally in the 1950s, roles for Asian and Asian-American men were limited. In his own words:

"From the very beginning I thought it was a breakthrough opportunity. Just to be able to play a member of the leadership team, without an accent, was hugely important. So many Asians back then were, first of all, stereotypes and spoke with a heavy accent. So I thought I could parlay that into something substantial for the character."

Sulu's backstory was never explored in "Star Trek," although the show's writers did think to give him a few iconoclastic hobbies. He was a botany enthusiast for one, and he kept his quarters filled with bizarre alien plants that he tended to closely. Sulu was also a fan of vintage firearms, knowing all about their models and functionality. In the episode "Shore Leave," Sulu fires a classic revolver across a lake, enjoying every shot.

We never learned, however, about Sulu's family, which irked Takei. It wasn't until Demora Sulu (Jacqueline Kim) appeared in "Generations" that Trekkies would learn anything on that front:

"I suggested Sulu having a family that he connects with. I suggested a lot of ideas to develop Sulu that never really happened. It was only after I turned down a role in ['Generations'] that they gave all my lines to a relative that I had lobbied for, my daughter. When the series ended and the films began, I was lobbying for parents, brothers, sisters, lovers, maybe a wife, all of that, but none of it ever happened. I wanted to see Sulu more dimensioned."

It was a missed opportunity.

Star Trek Beyond introduced Sulu's husband

Incidentally, Demora's mother wasn't named until the 1995 "Star Trek" novel "The Captain's Daughter" written by Peter David. That book named Demora's mother as a woman named Susan Ling. She was described as a "freelance adventurer" who had a one-time fling with Sulu while he was on shore leave ... and she was on the run from angry aliens. She had Demora nine months later.

Takei gave the above interview in 2010. It wouldn't be until 2016 that Sulu — this time played by John Cho — would be seen with additional family members. In Justin Lin's "Star Trek Beyond," Sulu discusses how worried he was about his marriage, seeing as he asked his spouse to relocate to a distant space station called Yorktown ( although that scene was cut ). Sulu's husband is a man named Ben (Doug Jung), and he is introduced holding a young Demora. There are no dialogue scenes between Ben and Sulu, but at least audiences saw that he had a family.

Takei, who came out in 2005 and married his longtime partner Brad Altman in 2008, famously objected to "Beyond" making Sulu a queer man. He told The Hollywood Reporter that Sulu was originally envisioned as a straight man and he played the character that way. "I'm delighted that there's a gay character," he explained. "Unfortunately, it's a twisting of Gene [Roddenberry]'s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate."

Takei would have preferred the makers of "Beyond" merely create a new queer character to introduce into "Star Trek" canon, rather than repurposing Sulu's sexuality.

Since then, "Star Trek: Discovery" has introduced numerous queer, trans, and nonbinary characters to "Star Trek,"  which is more in line with what Takei wanted.

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Star Trek: Sulu TV show reportedly in development

Published: 29 Sep 2022 10:59 AM +00:00 Updated: 29 Sep 2022 11:10 AM +00:00

Paramount‘s nostalgia-bait era of Star Trek is far from over. Despite the upcoming ending of Star Trek: Picard , the studio isn’t done with recycling old actors. Case in point: a new Star Trek: Sulu TV show is reportedly in the works.

Is Paramount making Star Trek: Sulu?

According to a report from Giant Freaking Robot , a new Trek series following The Enterprise‘s Hikaru Sulu is in the works. However, there is some confusion over which version of the character it will focus on.

Sulu first appeared in Star Trek in 1966’s The Man Trap, portrayed by George Takei. In all live action media except the J.J. Abrams movies , the character has been played by the same actor. At 85 years old, Takei could still play the role if they wanted him to.

However, Giant Freaking Robot believes that Paramount isn’t looking to continue the original series adventures of Sulu. Instead, they want to focus on the Kelvin Timeline version, played by John Cho.

With rumours of the first Kelvin timeline TV show in development , it could make sense to follow Sulu. In this universe, the character could have already become captain of the USS Excelsior between Star Trek: Beyond and the troubled Star Trek 4 .

Furthermore, there’s one other option on the table: a prequel. With Sulu undoubtedly coming to Strange New Worlds at some point, we could get a prequel series about his pre-Enterprise adventures.

Read More: Star Trek: Deep Space 9 sequel isn’t what fans want

Limitless possibilities, but are any of them real?

Paramount has a lot of room to work with a Star Trek: Sulu spin-off . Personally, we would hope that Paramount stops with this particular type of spin-off after the shockingly bad two seasons of Picard.

However, if they do go ahead with this spin-off, we would hope more for the prequel series. Similar to Strange New Worlds, there’s a lot of space to play with — pun not intended!

On the other hand, a Sulu show in the Kelvin Timeline could be very interesting. In a completely different canon, literally could happen to the iconic Enterprise crew member. Maybe a big green hand could grab his ship! Oh wait, that’s been done before…

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Published Apr 20, 2019

The Unstoppable George Takei

In honor of Takei's 85th birthday, we're resharing one of our favorite interviews with the legend himself.

StarTrek.com

This interview originally ran on August 20, 2014. It's reposted today in honor of George Takei's 85th birthday.

George Takei is an actor, Star Trek legend, LGBT rights activist, Howard Stern announcer, author, voiceover artist, real estate mogul, Internet sensation, and so much more. Thanks in part to great TV roles and an acclaimed role in a Broadway-bound musical ( Allegiance , a musical about his experiences at a Japanese American internment camp during World War II), Takei has enjoyed a career and cultural renaissance over the past decade, making the timing perfect for the new documentary To Be Takei .

Producer-director Jennifer M. Kroot convinced the Trek actor and his husband, Brad Altman, to participate in the making of the film, which centers around Takei's life and career. Joining Takei on screen are his fellow surviving Star Trek co-stars: Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and the captain himself, William Shatner. To Be Takei , will open in theaters on August 22, 2014 and, that same day, be available on all VOD platforms, including iTunes and Amazon Instant Video .

When we met with Takei in New York City he was in good spirits, impeccably dressed, and as talkative as ever as we asked him about the documentary, his other current projects, and the upcoming 50th anniversary of Star Trek .

StarTrek.com: How and when were you approached to do To Be Takei , and what was your initial reaction to the idea?

George Takei: I think it was 2010, and [Brad and I] didn’t know Jennifer at all. We’d never heard of her. So we immediately did some homework on her past works. So many actors get vanity projects done about them, which make them look more glamorous, more intelligent and more charming, and we didn’t want that. We saw the idea of a documentary as being a vehicle to help us with our advocacy for LGBT equality, and also to demonstrate the normalcy of our relationship, as well as the craziness of my career.

We wanted to trust the documentarian, so we had many, many meetings and meals together with Jennifer, to get a feel for her, for why she wanted to do a documentary on us. And we found that we shared common values and common aspirations. She’s a strong supporter of LGBT equality. So we said, “We don’t want a vanity project. We will not censor you. We will not ask for final cut approval. You have carte blanche . We trust you, and please honor that trust.”

The reality is that you’ve been a public figure and in the public eye for decades, but what was it like to have cameras on you pretty much 24-7 — even in your car — for such an extended period of time?

GT: [It took] three years. I’m used to cameras, even in our private moments. And I walked into this knowing that’s what it was going to take.

For Brad, it was not so easy. He liked to know when filming was beginning, and when it was finished. There’s a bit they kept in the movie, where we went out for a walk from our house. Brad didn’t want our front door shown because there are fans who drive around looking for people’s houses. He went hysterical, [saying] “No! Turn off the cameras!” I said, “It’s all right, it’s all right.” So, Brad was very uncomfortable with it. In retrospect, I kind of wish we could have asked her to excise certain parts.

How pleased were you that Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig participated. And, how shocked were you that your frequent sparring partner, William Shatner, participated too?

GT: We wanted everybody. The Star Trek family is a family, even if we squabble. I was very happy to have Leonard, Nichelle and Walter. Bill [Shatner], he demurred [at first]. Then Bill found something that he needed from me. He was doing that one-man show that he traveled the country with, and he wanted to use a clip of me from the [Comedy Central] roast. So I told Jennifer, “We have some bargaining chips.”

She’d approached him [initially] and was turned down. She came back to us and said, “Is there any way you can persuade him?” We said, “No, no, there isn’t.” Then when he came to me to sign a release for that roast footage, I said to Jennifer, “You want to dicker with him?” So we used that release as the commodity. [Bill] said, “No more than 10 minutes.” Then how he used that 10 minutes was silly, [saying] “I don’t know the man.”

Well, why did he make such a big fuss about not being invited to our wedding if he really doesn’t know me? It’s crazy, his carryings-on. Then we found out two months later why he made that big fuss. His talk show, Raw Nerve , was coming out and he wanted publicity. Just announcing that you have a new show won’t get you that kind of publicity, unless you have a little whoo-ha .

What’s the latest on your musical, Allegiance ? It had such a great run at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. Will the production eventually reach Broadway?

GT: We have been waiting for a year and a half now for a theater vacancy. We at first thought it was this unusual circumstance of every theater in New York City being booked up. So we got in line with other producers and patiently waited. But then, what we’re discovering is that these old, grizzled veteran producers, who have brought a lot of box office successes to the Shuberts or the Nederlanders, can sail in from left field and say, “Hey, old buddy, I’ve got another one here… When Bridges of Madison County closes, we’d like to take over.” It’s the Broadway Old Boys’ club and we think that’s awfully unfair, but that’s the way it is.

So you’re still on that line, waiting your turn?

GT: We are, but we also have a strategy. We are going to try to partner with one of the grizzled, old-time producers. So we hope to be on Broadway later this year or early next year. But we will be on Broadway.

What’s your relationship with Sulu and Star Trek these days? Is he still a part of your daily life? Is Star Trek still a part of your day-to-day existence?

GT: Sulu is a part of my life and Star Trek is a part of my life, but they’re a bit removed just because of the passage of time. Did you see the movie Boyhood ? Time does things. And, as I say in the documentary, “I’m a different guy.” I look different. I sound different. I think differently. But I’m proud of Sulu and I’m proud of my association with Star Trek . It’s just two years until we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek , the golden anniversary. To be associated with that kind of extraordinary phenomenon, with such an unusual, landmark production is something to be very proud of.

During the window between Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness Zachary Quinto revealed that he was gay. How proud were you, and how did you feel about him being able to do so so early in his own relationship to Star Trek ?

GT: I applaud him for doing so, and I also envy him that society has changed enough that an actor can come out and still be embraced and still work. At the height of my career as Sulu, I would probably never have returned in the [ Star Trek ] feature films if I had done that. Society was different then. They weren’t ready for it. Hollywood wasn’t ready for it. Now, it’s a measure of our society that people like Zachary or Neil Patrick Harris can be who they are, fully, and still have not only a viable career, but ascendant, growing careers. Zachary was brilliant in Angels in America and also in The Glass Menagerie .  His performance in The Glass Menagerie — that was the best Tom Wingfield that I’ve ever seen. And Zachary is going to be doing a lot more important work in the years to come.

You mentioned the upcoming 50th anniversary of Star Trek . You, in the past, have marveled about the franchise’s 25th anniversary, the 30th, the 35th, etc. But, really, 50 is a magic number, wouldn’t you agree?

GT: It’s remarkable. What other show can make that kind of claim? It’s especially remarkable because we were practically 'cellar dwellers' as a TV show. First of all, for it to come back as a feature film a decade after cancellation was unheard of. Then, for it to become a series of feature films, followed by a series of spin-off shows… it’s unprecedented. It’s a singular phenomenon, Star Trek . To be a part of that, I think, is something we all hold with pride.

What else are you working on these days?

GT: I still do a lot of voiceovers, for commercials and for animated shows. The days are blurring, but while we’ve been doing publicity for To Be Takei , I’ve also carved out time to do some voiceover work for a new Nickelodeon animated series. I voice a sea creature, and my name is Major Bummer [laughs] . Major Bummer is a big fish — a big fish that lords it over the other little fish, the mollies.

Some shows are done with the cast together, but this is me solo in a booth, recording my dialogue.  So, right now, my time is being spent promoting To Be Takei , doing the voiceovers, and trying to make sure that we get Allegiance to Broadway in the very near future. Hopefully the next time we talk it will be about Allegiance opening on Broadway!

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Be sure to follow Takei at his official site , on Facebook and on Twitter at @GeorgeTakei .

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George Takei

Is best known for his portrayal of mr. sulu in the acclaimed television and film series star trek..

He's an actor, social justice activist, social media mega-power, New York Times bestselling author, originated the role of Sam Kimura and Ojii-Chan in the Broadway musical Allegiance, and subject of To Be Takei: a documentary on his life and career.

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George Takei

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George Hosato Takei ( born 20 April 1937 ; age 87), pronounced "Ta-Kay", is a Japanese-American actor best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise.

He debuted as Sulu in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", with his character making the transition from the physics department to the helm by the next episode, " The Corbomite Maneuver ". In total, he appeared in 51 of the 79 original series episodes.

He later voiced Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series and displayed his vocal talents playing other guest characters. He then reprised the role in the first six Star Trek motion pictures , and the Star Trek: Voyager third season episode " Flashback ". His image also appeared in Star Trek Generations in a photograph in Kirk's cabin in the Nexus and again more prominently in Star Trek Beyond in a photograph that was among Spock 's possessions bequeathed to his alternate reality counterpart .

He has both narrated and recorded dialogue as Sulu in numerous audio novels and interactive games . Due to the fact that Sulu did not appear in the episode " The Trouble with Tribbles " (he was filming The Green Berets at the time), Takei was the only Original Series star not to appear in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 30th anniversary episode " Trials and Tribble-ations ". He did, however, appear as Captain Sulu in Star Trek: Voyager 's 30th anniversary episode, " Flashback ".

Takei most recently played Sulu in an episode of the fan films Star Trek: New Voyages entitled "World Enough and Time", which premiered in 2007 and featured fellow Trek performers Grace Lee Whitney , Majel Barrett Roddenberry , James Cawley , Jeffery Quinn , and John Carrigan . The episode was directed by Marc Scott Zicree and written by Zicree and Michael Reaves . Stuntman Tom Morga worked as fencing coach for Takei while stunt coordinator Leslie Hoffman served as his personal assistant.

Issue 356 of Starburst Magazine stated that Takei would be appearing in 2009 's Star Trek , directed and produced by J.J. Abrams . The magazine claimed that Takei would be featured in a "flash forward sequence" with Leonard Nimoy . [1] (X) TrekMovie.com subsequently confirmed this to be false. [2]

• 2 Early career
• 3 After Star Trek
• 4 Politics and activism
• 5 Awards and honors
• 6.1 Appearances as Sulu
• 6.2 Other characters
• 6.3 Other media
• 7.3 Web publishings
• 8 External links

Personal [ ]

Takei was born in Los Angeles, California, on 20 April 1937. According to Takei on the 9 January 2006 airing of The Howard Stern Show , he was named after King George VI, who had just become king of the United Kingdom.

In 1942, Takei and his family were interned by the United States at the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas, along with many other Japanese-Americans. They were later sent to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California and returned to Los Angeles after World War II. Takei discussed this experience in a 1996 interview, stating:

Takei was educated at Mount Vernon Junior High School (where he served as student body president) and Los Angeles High School. He attended the University of California in Berkeley but transferred to the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), where he began studying theater. He earned a bachelor of arts in theater from UCLA in 1960, followed by a master of arts in theater four years later. After attending the Shakespeare Institute in England and the Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, he returned to the States where he studied acting at the Desilu Workshop.

Takei has been with his husband, Brad Altman, since 1988, having met at a gay and lesbian running and walking club. On 28 October 2005, Takei decided to publicly "come out of the closet" as gay, though this had been open information for some time. The story was widely reported in the media and was hailed by LGBT communities as a positive step for the larger gay community as well as for Star Trek .

Takei and Altman currently reside in Los Angeles, California. In 2008, following the California Supreme Court's decision to overturn a ruling which banned same-sex marriages in the state, Takei announced that he and Altman were engaged to be married. [4] [5] [6] Takei and Altman married in the Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California on 14 September 2008 . Takei's TOS co-stars Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols were Takei's best man and "best lady", respectively. [7] Leonard Nimoy and his wife, Susan Bay , were among the invited guests. [8] Takei claimed to have invited his co-star William Shatner , for whom he'd had bitter feelings for years. Shatner remarked that he never received an invitation and lashed out at Takei, calling him a "poor man" and accusing him of having a "psychosis". The two have been feuding in the press since. [9] [10] [11]

In 2017, Takei was accused of sexually assaulting model Scott R. Brunton in 1981. [12] A year later, Brunton recanted his story. [13]

Early career [ ]

Takei's show business career began when he answered a newspaper advertisement for voice casting in 1957 and was hired to dub Japanese dialogue for the "monster movie" Rodan into English. He voiced eight different characters in the film. Shortly thereafter, he did voice dubbing for another Japanese monster movie, Gigantis the Fire Monster (also known as Godzilla Raids Again ).

Two years later, Takei made his acting debut on live television, appearing in an episode of Playhouse 90 with Dean Stockwell , which was followed by an appearance on Perry Mason . That same year, he acted in his first film, the drama Ice Palace . He soon after made an uncredited appearance in the war film Never So Few (which also featured Whit Bissell and John Hoyt ), although this film was actually released a month before Ice Palace . This was followed with a role in Hell to Eternity , a film starring Jeffrey Hunter , the man originally destined to play the captain of the Enterprise on Star Trek .

Takei went on to appear in the films A Majority of One (1961, with Madlyn Rhue ), PT 109 (starring James Gregory ), and Morituri (with Roy Jenson ). He had supporting roles in 1965's Red Line 7000 (co-starring Marianna Hill ) and 1966's Walk Don't Run (starring Samantha Eggar , with an appearance by Miko Mayama ) and An American Dream , as well as uncredited roles in the 1966 Matt Helm caper Murderers' Row (with James Gregory) and Jerry Lewis' 1967 comedy The Big Mouth .

In addition, he made guest appearances on numerous television programs, including The Twilight Zone , Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea , My Three Sons , I Spy (including an episode with John Abbott and Roger C. Carmel ), Felony Squad (with Ricardo Montalban ) and Mission: Impossible (with Eddie Paskey and Barry Russo ). It was around this time that Takei was cast as Sulu for the original Star Trek series.

Takei took leave from Star Trek to film a supporting role in the popular Vietnam War film The Green Berets . The filming of that movie, however, went over schedule and Takei was forced to miss work on a number of Star Trek episodes in the second season – most notably "The Trouble with Tribbles," in which Sulu was to have a "substantial role." His lines in the episode were given to Walter Koenig , the actor playing Pavel Chekov . [14] (X)

After Star Trek [ ]

Following Star Trek 's cancellation in 1969 , Takei appeared in another Jerry Lewis comedy, Which Way to the Front? , released in 1970. He appeared on a number of television shows, as well, including Ironside , Kung Fu , Baa Baa Black Sheep (starring John Larroquette and James Whitmore, Jr. ), an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man (with France Nuyen and Alan Oppenheimer ), an episode of Hawaii Five-O (with John Colicos ), and an episode of Hallmark Hall of Fame with ( Adrienne Barbeau ). In 1979, he and his fellow Star Trek castmates brought their characters to the big screen in Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

In 2004, he was in the commentary booth to record commentary alongside the cast of Invader ZIM ; the episode with his commentary is the first one, The Nightmare Begins .

Takei would go on to star in five more Star Trek films. His other credits throughout the years include guest spots on MacGyver (in an episode co-produced and co-written by Stephen Kandel ), Murder, She Wrote , Miami Vice , Kung Fu: The Legend Continues , and 3rd Rock from the Sun ("I'm George Takei, dammit!"). He also starred in films like Return from the River Kwai , Prisoners of the Sun (co-starring Terry O'Quinn ), Live by the Fist , and the science fiction westerns Oblivion , and Oblivion 2: Backlash . The latter two films – in which Takei plays the role of "Doc Valentine" – also stars the likes of Meg Foster , Julie Newmar , Jimmie F. Skaggs , Carel Struycken , and Musetta Vander . The 1998 B-grade movie Bug Buster featured both Takei and his former Star Trek co-star James Doohan , but the two did not share any scenes together.

Takei's more recent acting work includes the 2003 TV movie DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (co-starring fellow Trek alumni Gregory Itzin , Penny Johnson , Stephen Macht , Lawrence Pressman , and Allan G. Royal ) and the 2006 direct-to-DVD release A.I. Assault (co-starring Michael Dorn , Lisa LoCicero , Bill Mumy , Robert Picardo , and Terrell Tilford ), as well as guest spots on shows like The Young and the Restless , Will & Grace , and Scrubs . He also participated in the short film Roddenberry on Patrol , a comic look at Gene Roddenberry 's creation of Star Trek directed by Tim Russ and co-starring Russ, Robert Beltran , Richard Herd , Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols , Robert O'Reilly , Ethan Phillips , and Robert Picardo. He was also in the 2009 comedy movie The Pool Boys , which co-starred Enterprise regular John Billingsley .

In addition, Takei, known for his deep, low voice, has done voice-overs for a number of animated productions and video games. For Disney, he voiced the "First Ancestor" in 1998's Mulan (also featuring the voices of Miguel Ferrer and Frank Welker ), a role Takei would reprise in the 2005 direct-to-video sequel. Takei also provided the voice of Master Sensei in the Disney Channel series Kim Possible . Ricardo Montalban also had a recurring role on the series, and other Trek performers who appeared in the same episodes as Takei included John Cho and Clancy Brown . In 2009, Takei also voiced " Lok Durd " in two episodes of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series , becoming the first main Star Trek cast member to participate in a Star Wars television show production [15] ( Charles Rocket had previously been a Trek guest star who later did voice-overs for a Star Wars videogame spin-off).

Takei in Bender's Game

Takei has also supplied voice-overs for Hey, Arnold! , Batman Beyond (with Sherman Howard ), The Brak Show , the video game Freelancer , various episodes of The Simpsons , and Avatar: The Last Airbender , among many other projects. Perhaps most notably, Takei and many of his Star Trek castmates voiced parodies of themselves in the Futurama episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" . Takei also appeared in the direct-to-DVD Futurama movie, Bender's Game , and in the 2010 Futurama episode "Proposition Infinity", in which he served as a moderator in a debate on the aforementioned proposition which would legalize robosexual (humanoid/robot) marriages.

On 9 January 2006, Takei was named the official announcer of Sirius Satellite Radio's The Howard Stern Show . He has been a semi-regular on the show ever since. In addition, Takei has served as guest narrator for several symphony orchestras, the most recent being the Seattle Symphony Orchestra's Sci-Fi Favorites concert in September 2007.

Takei had a recurring role on the NBC series Heroes , playing Kaito Nakamura , the father of time-traveling Trekkie Hiro Nakamura. As an in-joke , Kaito's car's license plate is NCC-1701 . Among the other Star Trek actors who performed in the series are Joanna Cassidy , Michael Dorn , Greg Grunberg , Dominic Keating , Malcolm McDowell , Zachary Quinto , and Cristine Rose ; Takei's Star Trek co-star Nichelle Nichols appeared in the show's second season. He concurrently met fellow Japanese-American performer Tamlyn Tomita on the set who played Kaito's daughter Ishi . With Tomita, Takei had a personal connection as her father had been one of the internees of the Manzanar internment camp during World War II and whose plight became a prime motivator for Takei's social engagement activism in later live, having been one himself. Tomita went on to guest star in Star Trek: Picard .

John Cho and Takei

On April 08, 2008 George appeared on Secret Talents of the Stars , a celebrity talent competition series which lasted for one episode on CBS . On the show, he publicly expressed his hidden, "secret" interest and talent in country singing, going on to train with Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, whom he found out are both Star Trek fans. Takei then performed on the show.

Also in early April, Takei filmed a "last minute cameo" for the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess with the Zohan . He also plays a "snooty maître d'" in the comedy American Summer , from the producer of the American Pie films. [16] In addition, he recently co-starred with John Savage in the action film The Red Canvas .

Takei appeared in the 2008 video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 . In the first episode of the game show Wanna Bet? (broadcast 21 July 2008), Takei won $106,150 for his charity: The Japanese American National Museum. He was also a contestant in the 2008 series of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here .

Takei's most recent film roles are in the Tom Hanks starred and directed comedy Larry Crowne teamed with Margot Farley and Holmes R. Osborne and the drama Strange Fame:Love & Sax with Michael Dorn and Ron Glass . In September 2010, Takei performed in a benefit for the Washington Shakespeare Company, in which excerpts from Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing were performed in Klingon . [17]

The science fiction icons lamenting being typecast

In the same year Takei also appeared in the "The Hot Troll Deviation" episode of CBS' popular, heavily Star Trek referencing, sitcom The Big Bang Theory as a figment of the imagination of lead character Howard Wolowitz, trying to give him romantic advise. Dressed in his Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home outfit he appears alongside the equally imaginary actress Katee Sackhoff , likewise clad in her Battlestar Galactica outfit, trying to do the same. Sackhoff starts bickering with Takei, questioning his credentials to give Wolowitz romantic advice, while poking fun at Takei's homosexuality. Both however, are also lamenting and exchanging notes on being typecast as their science fiction alter egos Starbuck and Sulu respectively, with Takei complaining that while he had done stage plays by Strindberg and O'Neill , all people want to hear is " Course laid in, captain! ". Takei was the first Original Series regular to make an appearance on the popular show and was later followed by Leonard Nimoy as voice actor, with William Shatner following suit in the final season of the series.

Takei was one of the contestants on the seventh season of Celebrity Apprentice, appearing in fourteen episodes.

As of August 2012, Takei was in filming for the second season of Supah Ninjas on Nickelodeon, playing the Grandfather and his evil twin, Kagema Fukanaga. He is also currently in rehearsal for the new musical Allegiance, in which he stars as Old Sam Kimura and Ojii-san. The play opened on September 7 at The Old Globe in San Diego, CA.

Politics and activism [ ]

In 1973, while the animated Star Trek series was on the air, Takei ran for and narrowly lost a seat on the Los Angeles City Council. He ultimately chose to continue acting rather than to pursue a political career, though he would remain involved in civic affairs.

Takei served on the Southern California Rapid Transit District's board of directors from 1973 through 1984. He also once served as a vice president of the American Public Transit Association and served two terms on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, a position bestowed upon him by then-President of the United States, Bill Clinton.

He currently serves as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, America's foremost Asian Pacific American theater. He is also chairman emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum's board of trustees and was once a member of the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program's advisory committee. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation.

Takei is also a member of the Human Rights Campaign and was a spokesman for the organization's Coming Out Project. In April 2006, Takei spoke about being a gay Japanese American to audiences nationwide during a tour he called "Equality Trek".

Takei joined the many celebrities who took to protesting actor/comedian Tracy Morgan. Morgan onstage doing a stand-up routine, made several homophobic statements. Takei publicly declared Morgan, " A sad, sad man! " [18]

Takei frequently criticized Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, particularly for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated in 2020 that Trump calling COVID-19 "The Chinese Virus" sent "a cold chill throughout the Asian-American community, because he's sending a signal to the haters." [19]

Awards and honors [ ]

Takei received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986. The following year, he and Leonard Nimoy shared a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording" category for the audio version of the adaptation of The Voyage Home .

In 1991, Takei received the honor of placing his hand-prints and signature in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Emperor Akihito of Japan conferred Takei with the Order of the Rising Sun 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette in recognition of his work in Japan-United States relations.

Takei received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival in October 2007. [20] [21]

In 2007, the asteroid 7307 Takei was named for him, both in recognition for his work on Star Trek and also for his public service work. [22] [23] (X) [24]

On 29 June 2009, Takei received the Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award for his outstanding support on issues of marriage equality and sexual orientation discrimination and for his work on the Arts in Transit program. Screen Actors Guild Magazine , Volume 50, No, 3, page 21

Star Trek appearances [ ]

Appearances as sulu [ ].

• " Where No Man Has Gone Before "
• " The Corbomite Maneuver "
• " Mudd's Women "
• " The Enemy Within "
• " The Man Trap "
• " The Naked Time "
• " Balance of Terror "
• " The Galileo Seven "
• " Shore Leave "
• " The Squire of Gothos "
• " Tomorrow is Yesterday "
• " The Return of the Archons "
• " This Side of Paradise "
• " Errand of Mercy "
• " The City on the Edge of Forever "
• " Operation -- Annihilate! "
• " Catspaw "
• " Metamorphosis "
• " Friday's Child "
• " Who Mourns for Adonais? "
• " Amok Time "
• " The Doomsday Machine "
• " Wolf in the Fold "
• " The Changeling "
• " Mirror, Mirror "
• " The Deadly Years "
• " I, Mudd "
• " Return to Tomorrow "
• " The Ultimate Computer "
• " The Omega Glory "
• " Assignment: Earth "
• " Elaan of Troyius "
• " The Paradise Syndrome "
• " The Enterprise Incident "
• " And the Children Shall Lead "
• " Spock's Brain "
• " Is There in Truth No Beauty? "
• " The Empath "
• " The Tholian Web "
• " For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "
• " Day of the Dove "
• " Wink of an Eye "
• " That Which Survives "
• " Let That Be Your Last Battlefield "
• " Whom Gods Destroy "
• " The Mark of Gideon "
• " The Lights of Zetar "
• " The Cloud Minders " (stock footage; uncredited)
• " The Way to Eden "
• " The Savage Curtain "
• " Turnabout Intruder "
• " Beyond the Farthest Star "
• " One of Our Planets Is Missing "
• " The Lorelei Signal "
• " More Tribbles, More Troubles "
• " The Survivor "
• " The Infinite Vulcan "
• " The Magicks of Megas-Tu "
• " Once Upon a Planet "
• " Mudd's Passion "
• " The Terratin Incident "
• " The Time Trap "
• " The Slaver Weapon "
• " The Eye of the Beholder "
• " The Jihad "
• " The Pirates of Orion "
• " The Practical Joker "
• " Albatross "
• " The Counter-Clock Incident "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek Generations (picture only)
• Star Trek Beyond (picture only)
• VOY : " Flashback "
• ST : " Ephraim and Dot " (archive audio)

Other characters [ ]

Other media [ ]

• George Takei also appeared in the games Star Trek: Shattered Universe and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy .
• Transformations
• Takei co-wrote (with Peter David ) a comic book annual for DC Comics , " So Near the Touch ".
• Takei narrated the audio novel of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .
• Takei made an audio introduction to Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years .

Retrospectives [ ]

• Excelsior: The Many Lives of George Takei
• Lions and Tigers and Bears: The Internet Strikes Back [25]
• New Frontiers: The Many Worlds Of George Takei [26]
• Oh Myyy! (There Goes the Internet) [27]
• They Called Us Enemy [28]
• To the Stars
• Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe
• To Be Takei

Web publishings [ ]

• Takei's biography at his official site
• Interview with Takei (X) at StarTrek.com

External links [ ]

• GeorgeTakei.com – official website
• George Takei at Mastodon
• George Takei at the Internet Movie Database
• George Takei  at MySpace.com
• George Takei at the Miami Vice Wiki
• George Takei at Wikipedia
• George Takei interview at BBC – May 2006
• Interview at Archive of American Television
• George Takei at TriviaTribute.com – pictures, links, and trivia

George Takei’s Preference for Sulu’s Role in Abrams’ Star Trek Feature

F ans may not be privy to the fascinating saga of “Star Trek: New Voyages,” but anyone who embarks on learning about it is in for a treat. This unauthorized continuation of the original series, which aired from 2004 to 2016, was spearheaded by James Cawley and Jack Marshall in January of 2004, featuring a mixture of passionate fandom and surprising production value.

Playing Captain Kirk himself, Cawley made use of actual remnants of the original “Star Trek” set, offering an unrivaled authenticity to their portrayal of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Today, fans can explore this meticulously recreated set on Cawley’s tour.

The pilot episode of “New Voyages” quickly caught the attention of the “Star Trek” community, and the series saw contributions from franchise veterans such as writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold, and appearances from actors like Walter Koenig. One remarkable guest was George Takei, reprising his role as an older Sulu in the episode “World Enough and Time,” where he encountered the talented John Lim as the younger Sulu.

Takei found Lim’s portrayal powerful enough that he envisioned him taking on the Sulu role in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” film. He shared:

“I saw the man who plays me, as Sulu, as a young man, and he’s a wonderful actor, a powerful actor. There’s one scene where he breaks down in anguish and it’s very moving. John Lim is his name, and despite his success as an attorney, after having done this he wants to be an actor.” 

According to Takei, Lim’s performance, particularly in emotional scenes, demonstrated significant acting talent.

“Star Trek: New Voyages” is an unauthorized fan-made continuation of the original “Star Trek” series, which aired from 2004 to 2016.

The series was created by James Cawley and Jack Marshall, devoted fans of “Star Trek.”

George Takei appeared as an older version of Sulu in the episode “World Enough and Time.”

George Takei thought John Lim, who played a younger Sulu in “New Voyages,” would be a good choice for the role in Abrams’ film.

George Takei’s personal casting idea for Sulu in the J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reflects his admiration for the performance of John Lim in the fan series “Star Trek: New Voyages.” Though not officially part of the franchise, “New Voyages” allowed fans to continue the voyages of the Enterprise with a tangible link to the original series through meticulously recreated sets and cameos from franchise veterans. Lim, previously an attorney turned actor, impressed Takei – Sulu’s original actor – with his poignant portrayal, suggesting that the boundary between professional and fan-made productions can be beautifully blurred by passion and talent.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘There was one prima donna on Star Trek’: George Takei on William Shatner, love and life as an ‘enemy alien’

TV made him a star, but activism turned him into a hero. Now 85 and still going strong, the actor remembers his friendships and feuds, and his shameful treatment in the second world war

G eorge Takei is on a mission. But this time the Star Trek actor is not boldly going where no man has gone before. Now he’s boldly going where too many men went before, to ensure history does not forget them.

Takei is about to star in the British production of the musical Allegiance, inspired by his childhood as one of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans forced into internment camps after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Now a youthful 85, he says it remains the defining experience of his life – one that shaped him as an actor and an activist.

It’s 31 years since he played Sulu in the last of his six Star Trek movies, yet Takei is as prominent as ever. He is outspoken, has a huge social media following, and may be even better known these days as an author (in 2019 he published They Called Us Enemy, a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about his internment) and an LGBTQ+/anti-racist campaigner than he is for Star Trek.

We meet in the penthouse of a London hotel overlooking the city’s landmarks. Takei, who is here with his husband, Brad, is slight, smartly dressed and bright as a sunny day – even when talking about such a bleak subject. He grew up in Los Angeles, one of three children born to a Japanese American mother from California and a father who grew up in Japan. Takei’s father became a successful businessman, running a high-end dry-cleaning store in LA. The family were looking forward to a happy and prosperous future. But that all changed with Pearl Harbor and the designation of Japanese Americans as “enemy aliens”.

It was three weeks after George’s fifth birthday, in 1942, that the military came for the Takeis. “My father came into the bedroom I shared with my younger brother, Henry, and dressed us hurriedly and told us to wait in the living room while they did last-minute packing. Henry and I had nothing to do, so we gazed out of the window and saw two soldiers march up our driveway. They carried rifles with shining bayonets on them and banged on the front door. We were petrified. I can never forget that terror of their banging.” You sense that every time he talks about it he experiences the terror anew. “My father came out of the bedroom and answered the door and they pointed the bayonets at him. Henry and I were frozen. My father gave us each a box tied with twine to carry. He had two heavy suitcases and we followed him out on to the driveway and stood there waiting for our mother to come out. When she finally came out, escorted, she had our baby sister in one arm, a huge duffel bag in the other and tears were streaming down her cheek.”

What Takei didn’t realise at the time was that the terror had been going on for months. Like other Japanese Americans, the members of his family had not been allowed to leave their home between 8pm and 6am. The day after the curfew was introduced his father discovered their bank account had been frozen. “My parents were spat on in the street and yelled at. My father’s car was graffitied with three letters – JAP.”

The Takeis were transported more than 1,600 miles to an internment camp in Arkansas and forced to live in a converted stable. “To take innocent people who had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor and categorise them as enemy aliens was outrageous. At five years old I was an enemy.”

Takei’s father spoke fluent Japanese and English and was elected a block manager in what was the US’s largest internment camp. In 1943, internees were asked to swear their loyalty to the US and forswear allegiance to the emperor of Japan. Takei’s parents refused to do so because the question wrongly assumed their loyalty was to Japan, while demanding allegiance to a nation that had horrifically mistreated them. The family were then sent to the harsher Tule Lake segregation centre in California for “disloyals”. It was here that many prisoners were radicalised, Takei says. Allegiance, in which he stars, explores how internment and the oath of allegiance divided families such as his.

The story of racism and radicalisation has so many echoes with recent times, Takei says. He mentions Donald Trump’s executive order banning people from certain Muslim-majority countries entering the US. “At least we had made progress by the time Trump got into office, because when he signed that executive order, acting attorney general Sally Yates refused to enforce it. When Roosevelt signed the executive order nobody stood up to him.”

He talks about how Trump incited hatred towards the Chinese American population by labelling Covid the Chinese virus. “After he racialised the virus, elderly Asian Americans were physically attacked. In Oakland, California, a young man ran to an old Thai man and smacked him down on the sidewalk. His head hit the concrete and he died.” Takei has astonishing recall of names, events and dates. On the rare occasion he does forget, Brad, a former journalist, fills in.

When the Takeis were released from internment they had nothing left. Japanese Americans were given $25 and a one-way train ticket to re-establish their lives. The family ended up living on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. As a child, Takei says, it was terrifying. “That was the worst place. Smelly, scary people with eyes like this.” He mimes a zombified junkie. “This guy was staggering towards us one day. And he got closer and closer and he just collapsed in front of us and barfed. My baby sister was four or five and she said: ‘Mama, let’s go back home.’” He pauses. “She meant ‘home’ behind a barbed-wire fence.”

Takei often refers to his parents – the strength of his mother and wisdom of his father. To his great shame, he says, he never appreciated their courage at the time. As a young man, he criticised his father for refusing to sign the oath of allegiance. “I was an arrogant, self-centred teenager. I must have been 13, 14. I said to my dad: ‘You led us like sheep to slaughter back into the camps.’ He had been through the anguish and horror and sense of rage, the whole burden of it, and this young punk was saying to him: ‘You led us like sheep to slaughter.’” Those words still haunt him today. “After I said that my father was silent. I felt terrible. Then he looked up and said: ‘Well, maybe you’re right,’ and he got up and walked into his bedroom and closed the door.”

Takei wanted to apologise, but it felt too awkward, so he told himself he’d do it the following day. It still felt awkward the following day, so he left it another day. He never did apologise to his father. “That’s one of the painful regrets I have.”

Takei went on to study architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, but quit his course after two years to follow his passion – acting. He transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated with a degree and master’s in theatre. In the 1960s, he performed in the civil rights musical Fly Blackbird. The cast sang at civil rights rallies and marched with Martin Luther King. On one occasion, he met King after performing at an event where the church leader was a keynote speaker. “At the end we were ushered down to the basement dressing room to meet Dr King, and this hand shook Dr King’s hand.” He looks downwards and smiles. “This hand didn’t get washed for about three days till my mother put her foot down and said: ‘You must wash.’”

In 1966, Takei was cast as Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series. What he loved about the show was its idealism – all nations, races and extraterrestrial humanoid species working together for a better future. When I accidentally refer to it as Star Wars, he quickly corrects me. “We don’t make war – we make peace.” While the show was ostensibly pure entertainment, its originator, Gene Roddenberry, used its storylines to shine a light on contemporary realities such as racism, the cold war and the war in Vietnam.

Was the camaraderie on board the Starship Enterprise reflected on set? “Yes. Yes . YES ,” Takei says passionately. “Except for one, who was a prima donna.” He is alluding to the show’s star, William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk . “But the rest of us shared a great camaraderie. One of the gifts from Star Trek was not just longevity but colleagues that became lasting friends. My colleagues were part of my wedding party in 2008. Walter Koenig, who played Chekov, was my best man. We asked Nichelle [Nichols, communications officer Uhura] to be our matron of honour but she said: ‘I am not a matron! If Walter can be the best man, why can’t I be the best lady?’ So she became the best lady.”

Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock , was his great campaigning ally. “Leonard was another politically engaged person. We had wonderful discussions.” Did they see themselves as socialists? “No, liberals. I didn’t realise what a loyal friend Leonard was till the latter part of our lives.” He cites the 2014 premiere of the documentary To Be Takei as an example. He had invited Nimoy, but assumed he would not make it because he was so ill. “Leonard came in a wheelchair. He was suffering from COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], and had a tank of oxygen to breathe in, and he parked in the back of the theatre and watched it. I was so touched. I went to thank him, but he was gone by the time I got there. This was just months before he died.”

James Doohan, who played Scotty, was another great friend. “Jim was my favourite drinking buddy. He was a great drinker.” Did he drink Scotch? “He was an Irishman and a Canadian, but he drank enough Scotch to qualify playing a Scotsman!”

Did any of the cast get on with Shatner? He shakes his head. “No, none of us.” Earlier this month, Shatner told the Times that he was astonished that 60 years on cast members were still moaning about him. “Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness,” Shatner said, adding that Takei had “never stopped blackening my name”.

Today, Takei is reluctant to talk about Shatner. “I know he came to London to promote his book and talked about me wanting publicity by using his name. So I decided I don’t need his name to get publicity. I have much more substantial subject matter that I want to get publicity for, so I’m not going to refer to Bill in this interview at all.” He grins. “Although I just did. He’s just a cantankerous old man and I’m going to leave him to his devices. I’m not going to play his game.”

One question, I say: was he a cantankerous younger man? “He was self-involved. He enjoyed being the centre of attention. He wanted everyone to kowtow to him.”

Star Trek made Takei a household name, and he used his fame to remind people what had happened to Japanese Americans in the war. He testified at hearings to push for reparations and in 1988 President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, apologising for the US unjustly locking up a whole generation of Japanese Americans and granting surviving internees $20,000 each in compensation. Takei received his cheque three years later. “It was a massive thing. My cheque was signed by George HW Bush, in 1991. That whole amount went into the founding of the Japanese American National Museum.” Takei is a former chair of the museum.

Although Takei has been with Brad for the best part of 40 years, he didn’t come out until 2005. Ever since, he has campaigned on LGBTQ+ issues. He remembers first feeling attracted to boys when he was nine, had his first sexual relationship at 14 and found it exhilarating, and then for many years denied himself. He says it was hard enough being a Japanese American without being a gay Japanese American. “I knew that because we looked different we were punished and I didn’t want to be punished again for what I was feeling inside. I could hide it. So I started taking girls out for dates. I went out on double dates, but I was more interested in my buddy than my date.”

Takei adored the actor Tab Hunter, who was outed in the 1950s. “He was a matinee idol. Blond and beautiful, always taking his shirt off. He was my heartthrob. One of the scandal sheets exposed him as gay, and a torrent of abuse was thrown at him. I didn’t want to be like that. I must have been in my late teens. I ducked all these things.” Was he celibate? “Occasionally I went to gay baths and had very anonymous sex.”

Is it true that he met Brad at a running club? “Yes,” chimes in Brad, “and I was the most gorgeous member of the club. Drop-dead gorgeous!”

“He was!” Takei says. “Lean and taut.”

“When I first met George, there was a huge age difference,” Brad says. “I was in my early 30s, in the prime of my life. George was in his later 40s, almost over the hill! So he got my best years.”

“He was your toyboy?” I ask Takei.

“I was!” Brad says proudly.

Takei laughs. “No no no, I wouldn’t use that word. He was …” He looks for a suitable description. “My trainer for my first marathon.”

Takei says he worries that many of the gains in LGBTQ+ rights are now in danger of being reversed. In 2011, Tennessee senator Stacey Campfield introduced what became known as the “Don’t say gay” bill to ban teachers discussing homosexuality in classrooms. At the time, an appalled Takei suggested that they should substitute the name Takei for gay because it rhymed. “Now Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, is coming up with the same issue again.”

Takei is a busy man. He says he can’t see his activism easing up in the current climate. And he is writing more memoirs. Then there is the acting, of course – he can’t wait to be back on stage in London with Allegiance.

Before leaving, I ask for a photo with Takei. Brad asks if I can do the Vulcan salute – a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the middle and ring finger. I struggle, and ask if he can. “Oh yes! George wouldn’t let me be his husband till I could do this.” And now the pair are enjoying themselves. Takei shows me another trick. He wiggles his ears.

“He hasn’t done that for years!” Brad says. “Simon, you’re a very special person! To bring out George’s ear wiggle is very special.” He looks at Takei. “Go on, George – do the George Takei funny face to camera.” And now Takei scrunches his face into a magnificent gurn and the two of them roar with laughter.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that Takei is still so boyish. His grandmother lived until she was 104, and he says her favourite hobby was collecting birthdays. Does he hope to be around that long? He nods. “Rather than celebrate birthdays, I celebrate every day. Each day is a gift.” He looks down over London from the penthouse, taking in the old and the new on a wet and windy day. “Ah, this wonderful English greyness!” he hymns. “This city is dynamic. It’s constantly changing. It’s alive.” The same could be said of George Takei.

Allegiance is at Charing Cross theatre, London, from 7 January to 8 April

• The G2 interview

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George Takei

Who Is George Takei?

George Takei overcame the racial barriers of his time to launch a successful acting career. He starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu during the three-year television run of Star Trek , and later reprised the role for six movies. Prominently involved with gay rights and Japanese American groups, Takei has become a highly popular social-media presence.

Early Years

George Hosato Takei was born on April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of 5, he and his family were uprooted from their home and forced to live at Japanese internment camps in Arkansas and northern California. They returned to Los Angeles after World War II, and Takei enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley to study architecture.

Stage and Screen

While in college, Takei responded to a newspaper ad looking for Asian voiceover actors for the English version of the Japanese monster movie Rodan (1956). That led to more voiceover work, as well as small parts in television programs such as Perry Mason and the film Ice Palace (1960). Deciding to focus on acting full time, Takei transferred to the University of California Los Angeles, where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in theater.

In 1966, Takei became one of the few Asian Americans to be featured prominently on TV when he starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on the science-fiction series Star Trek. He returned after taking time off during the second season to film The Green Berets (1968), but his role as Sulu was temporarily shelved when Star Trek was canceled in 1969.

Takei continued to make regular TV appearances in the 1970s, on such programs as The Six Million Dollar Man and Hawaii Five-O , while providing the voice of Sulu for the Star Trek animated series. Momentum gathered for the making of the movie, and Takei reunited with the rest of his old castmates for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and five sequels over the next dozen years.

Takei was involved in a project close to his heart when he took on a starring role in Allegiance , a production about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans. The play premiered at San Diego's Old Globe Theater in September 2012.

Public Service and Private Revelations

Takei has remained a busy man away from show business. After narrowly losing his bid for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 1973, he joined the board of directors for the Southern California Transit District from 1973 to 1984.

Takei served on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission for President Bill Clinton and was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan in 2004. He is also chairman emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum's board of trustees and serves as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, a renowned Asian-American theater organization.

In 2005, Takei publicly announced his homosexuality to Frontiers magazine. He married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, in September 2008.

In recent years, Takei has earned a following from a new generation of fans with his funny, incisive posts on Facebook. His expansive social-media presence, along with the 2013 release of Star Trek Into Darkness , has helped keep this accomplished actor and activist in the public eye.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: George Takei
• Birth Year: 1937
• Birth date: April 20, 1937
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Los Angeles
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Japanese American actor George Takei played Lieutenant Sulu in the original 'Star Trek' television series and movies and is a popular social-media presence.
• Writing and Publishing
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• University of California at Berkeley
• Cultural Associations
• Asian American

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: George Takei Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/george-takei
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 30, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• Since I was a little boy, I was a ham. And there's a ham in everybody. Some of us are just better cured than others.

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A crucial piece of Mr. Sulu's (George Takei) backstory was planned for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , but the scene was never finished and was sadly cut from the film. Takei portrayed Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise, in Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: The Animated Series , and all six Star Trek movies starring the TOS cast. But Star Trek IV' s moment meant to shed light on Sulu's origins was lost.

In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Sulu's role was perfunctory and similar to his tasks in the previous Star Trek movies: sit at the helm of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey stolen by Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and pilot it as he did the Starship Enterprise. Sulu flew the Klingon warbird, nicknamed the S.S. Bounty, back in time to 1986 so that Kirk and his crew could exact their crazy plan to find two humpback whales and bring them back to save the Earth in the 23rd century. Sulu joined his crew on their excursion in San Francisco, but Takei didn't get to enjoy the spotlight moment intended for Sulu.

Related: Star Trek VI Has Spock's Most Controversial Mind Meld

Why Star Trek IV Cut Sulu's Backstory

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 's screenplay originally included a scene where Mr. Sulu would run into a young boy in 1986 San Francisco who he realized was his great-great-great grandfather. George Takei was delighted at the inclusion of this scene. However, when it became time to film Sulu meeting his ancestor, the young boy hired for the part had difficulty performing, and his domineering mother on set made things even worse. Unable to film the scene, the production chose to scrap it and move on, to Takei's heartbreak. Takei wrote about this disappointment in his 1994 memoir, To The Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei , as did William Shatner in his 1994 memoir, Star Trek Movie Memories .

Ultimately, the scene of Mr. Sulu meeting his 20th-century ancestor could be cut from Star Trek IV because, while it was a nice moment for the Enterprise's helmsman, it didn't move the Star Trek IV 's story forward. Sulu's later moment of 'borrowing' a helicopter to transport transparent aluminum to the Klingon Bird-of-Prey to build a holding chamber for the whales was more pivotal to the story. But George Takei was still understandably disappointed because Sulu's backstory had never been touched upon in Star Trek before. All that remains in the film is Sulu noting " I was born here" when Kirk and his crew arrive in San Francisco.

George Takei Got His Wish When Sulu Became Captain In Star Trek VI

In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , Mr. Sulu was back at his post flying the USS Enterprise-A, and he had little impact on the story of Sybok's (Lawrence Luckinbill) mad quest to meet God. But Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country marked a pivotal turning point for George Takei and Mr. Sulu, who was finally promoted to Captain and was in command of the USS Excelsior. Although he was removed from the main action aboard the Enterprise, Sulu as Captain of his own starship was a long-awaited leveling up for Takei's iconic character. Sulu and the Excelsior were also pivotal in helping Captain Kirk and the Enterprise save the galaxy one final time.

Captain Sulu has had a bit more canonical character development and backstory reveals since Star Trek IV. Star Trek Generations introduced Hikaru's daughter, Ensign Demora Sulu (Jacqueline Kim), who was a chip off the old block as the helmsman of the USS Enterprise-B. Captain Sulu also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager , and Takei voiced Sulu's comeback in Star Trek: Lower Decks . The disappointment of Sulu not meeting his ancestor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home hasn't impeded the icon's legend one bit.

More: 8 Good Things In Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock

• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

George Takei Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

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"Star Trek” actor and activist George Takei joins the show. Over beautiful sashimi, George tells me what it was like to be forced to leave his LA home and live in Japanese internment camps, only to return and become a successful actor. We also get into the meaningful “Star Trek” scene that never made it in and why he decided to come out at age 68. This episode was recorded at UKA in Japan House in Hollywood, CA.

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Allegiance - Masashi Fujimoto George Takei Aynrand Ferrer Photo Danny Kaan

Allegiance - The company Photo by Tristram Kenton

Allegiance - Telly Leung (Young Sammy) Megan Gardiner (Hannah Campbell) Aynrand Ferrer (Kei Kimura) and Patrick Munday (Frankie Suzuki) Photo Tristram Kenton

Allegiance - George Takei as Sam Kimura. Photo Tristram Kenton.

Allegiance - Aynrand Ferrer (Kei Kimura) Photo Tristram Kenton

Allegiance - Megan Gardiner and Telly Leung Photo Danny Kaan

Allegiance - Telly Leung Photo Danny Kaan

Allegiance - Aynrand Ferrer (Kei Kimura) and Telly Leung (Young Sammy) Photo Tristram Kenton

Allegiance - George Takei Photo Danny Kaan

George Takei’s Allegiance

George Takei, the original and beloved   Mr Sulu   from   Star Trek , film and television star, activist and social media icon makes his London stage debut at Charing Cross Theatre .

Their loyalty was questioned, their freedom taken away, but their spirit could never be broken. Inspired by the true events surrounding its star George Takei, Allegiance is the story of the Kimura family, whose lives are upended when they and 120,000 other Japanese-Americans are forced to leave their homes following the events of Pearl Harbor. Sam Kimura seeks to prove his patriotism by fighting for his country in the war, but his sister, Kei, fiercely protests the government’s treatment of her people. An uplifting testament to the power of the human spirit, Allegiance follows the Kimuras as they fight between duty and defiance, custom and change, family bonds and forbidden loves.

Legendary performer George Takei stars alongside Broadway star Telly Leung (Broadway’s Alladin, Glee) in this enthralling and epic new musical conceived just for the U.K.

Sam Kimura/ Ojii-chan - George Takei

Young Sammy Kimura - Telly Leung

Kei Kimura - Aynrand Ferrer

Ensemble - Iroy Abesamis

Ensemble - Mark Anderson

Tatsuo Kimura - Masashi Fujimoto

Hannah Campbell - Megan Gardiner

Ensemble - Raiko Gohara

Ensemble - Eu Jin Hwang

Ensemble - Hana Ichijo

Ensemble - Misa Koide

Frankie Suzuki - Patrick Munday

Ensemble - Rachel Jayne Picar

Ensemble - Sario Solomon

Ensemble - Joy Tan

Mike Masaoka - Iverson Yabut

Director And Choreographer - Tara Overfield Wilkinson

Musical Supervision And Orchestrations - Andrew Hilton & Charlie Ingles

Lighting Design - Nic Farman

Sound Design - Chris Whybrow

Casting - Sarah Leung Casting

General Manager - Something For The Weekend

Producer - Sing Out, Louise! Productions

Advisory Content

Show contains depictions of war and racism, and may contain rapid flashing lights and loud noises.

Age Suitability For This Show

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email our Customer Care team to find out more about your chosen show.

Tell Us In 10: George Takei

This week, we hear from George Takei, who is currently playing Sam Kimura/ Ojii-chan in George Takei’s Allegiance at Charing… Read More

Tell Us In Ten: Telly Leung

In our profile series, Tell Us In 10, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell… Read More

This show has now closed, however you may also be interested in:

Tina – the tina turner musical, priscilla the party, shrek the musical, get more from your ticket, stk steakhouse – free welcome drink, q-park – 50% off.

Unlike film, theatre doesn't have an official age classification organisation. That means all age recommendations are subjective and should be treated as guidelines unless otherwise stated. With this in mind, we ask you to use your judgement in regards to a show’s suitability prior to purchase. However, we are more than happy to help you make a decision. Please email [email protected] to find out more about your chosen show.

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In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 277 User reviews
• 99 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 31 nominations total

Episodes 80

Photos 1999

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk …

• Mister Spock …

• Lieutenant Leslie …

• Nurse Chapel …

• Ensign Freeman …

• Yeoman Rand …

• Announcer …

• Beta 5 Computer …
• Security Guard …
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Stellar Photos From the "Star Trek" TV Universe

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Did you know

• Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
• Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

• Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
• Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Connections Edited into Ben 10: Secrets (2006)
• Soundtracks Star Trek Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 277

• Jul 22, 2005
• How do they maintain Gravity on the the U.S.S. Enterprise ? .
• All aliens on all planets speak the English language?
• What does "TOS" mean?
• September 8, 1966 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Backlot, Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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15 Famous Actors You Probably Forgot Were in Old Star Trek Movies

Star Trek has been... and always shall be... filled with famous actors.

Throughout the years, Star Trek has taken various forms. And, be it a television series or film, there have been famous faces that were not a part of the consistent ensemble. This started with Star Trek: The Original Series , which featured recognizable guest stars such as Fred Williamson, Sid Haig, Charles Napier, and Joan Collins.

Then, over a decade after that show wrapped up its brief three-season run, a film franchise kicked off. And, like the original series and The Next Generation (which began between the releases of the fourth and fifth films), there were some big names attached. They may not have always held the spotlight for long in the films, but they were there. So, who's in what? Let's find out, but note that the films subject to inclusion were only the ones that featured either The Original Series cast members or The Next Generation cast members. In other words, no Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, or Zoe Saldaña here.

7 Stephen Collins in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Like some of the show's most deeply philosophical episodes , Star Trek: The Motion Picture tries to bite off a lot. But, in the case of the movie, it's more than it can chew. Yet, it does feature a former celebrity in a big role: 7th Heaven 's Stephen Collins as Willard Decker. Collins' Decker is always butting heads with Captain Kirk, who has suddenly replaced Decker as the captain of the Enterprise .

The Most Controversial Performer on this List

TV fans will recognize Collins not only from the long-running 7th Heaven , but also No Ordinary Family and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia . As for that latter show, he portrayed the biological father to Dennis and Dee Reynolds. Collins' career ended when he confessed to multiple instances of sexual misconduct against a minor, including once a few years before he nabbed the Star Trek role. Stream Star Trek: The Motion Picture on Max .

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

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6 Kirstie Alley, Paul Winfield, and James Horner in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

With tight pacing, the franchise's best villain , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best Star Trek movie to date. It also features a few familiar faces in The Terminator 's Paul Winfield and Cheers ' Kirstie Alley . The former plays Clark Terrell, the captain of the Reliant who is subjected to Khan's eel torture, while the latter plays Saavik, a protege to Spock. Not to mention, the late James Horner provided the film's music, but had a cameo role as an Enterprise crew member.

You've Certainly Heard Horner's Work

Widely regarded as one of the cinema industry's great composers, Horner tragically died in a plane crash in 2015. But he left a massive body of very impressive work, and The Wrath of Khan was one of his earliest projects. Throughout his career, Horner was nominated for Academy Awards for Aliens , An American Tail ("Somewhere Out There"), Field of Dreams , Braveheart , Apollo 13 , A Beautiful Mind , House of Sand and Fog , and Avatar . He also won both an Oscar and a Grammy for Titanic , the former for the score and the latter for "My Heart Will Go On." Stream Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on Max.

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan

Star trek’s j.j. abrams advised chris pine to be ‘less shatner’ while portraying james t. kirk, 5 christopher lloyd and miguel ferrer in star trek iii: the search for spock (1984).

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock may not be a fan-favorite when it comes to the original run of Star Trek movies, but it's generally viewed in a better light than the fifth film. And, unlike the fifth film, it features several big names on the cast list. These include Back to the Future 's Christopher Lloyd and RoboCop 's Miguel Ferrer .

Actors Not Unfamiliar with Sci-Fi

Lloyd portrays the main antagonist in the late Leonard Nimoy -directed film, and he impressively sheds most of the likability he possessed in Taxi and would again show two years later in Robert Zemeckis' classic sci-fi film, Back to the Future . His Kruge is a Klingon officer with his sights set on using a terraforming device called Genesis for evil. As for Ferrer, his role was far briefer, as he played a First Officer aboard a fellow Federation ship, the Excelsior . Stream Star Trek III: The Search for Spock on Max.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

4 christopher plummer, christian slater, and kim cattrall in star trek vi: the undiscovered country (1991).

The even-numbered Star Trek films, at least of the original six, are the best. So, until Star Trek: Generations rolled, the intergalactic film franchise left off on a high note with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . And a big part of that is the inclusion of The Sound of Music and Knives Out legend Christopher Plummer .

Plummer Steals the Show

It's essentially all a Cold War allegory with the Klingons standing in for the Russians. And, while many of the Klingons are ready to strive for peace, there's always someone who sews discontent. That'd be Plummer's general, eye-patch-adorned Chang. But, he's not the only familiar face with considerable runtime, as there's also Sex and the City 's Kim Cattrall as the Vulcan Valeris, the ambitious new helmsman of the Enterprise . Not to mention, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from Christian Slater, a fan of the franchise and son of the film's casting director, Mary Jo Slater. Stream Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country on Max .

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

3 whoopi goldberg, malcolm mcdowell, and alan ruck in star trek: generations (1994).

At one point, Star Trek writers wanted to bring William Shatner's Captain Kirk back , but with a villainous twist. That idea was nixed, but Shatner did find a way back into the universe after the initial film franchise had wrapped up. That said, his reprisal of the role in Star Trek: Generations was more or less to kill him off so the IP could change. But, it had a major similarity to the previous film: a big name in the antagonist role.

McDowell in His Element

In the case of Generations , that would be A Clockwork Orange 's Malcolm McDowell as Tolian Soran, who holds the distinction of actually killing William Shatner's Captain Kirk. Ghost 's Whoopi Goldberg also appeared as Guinan, a role she inhabited from 1988 to 1993 on Star Trek: The Next Generation . Succession 's Alan Ruck also has a substantial role as Enterprise -B captain John Harriman who, like his character on HBO's hit series, comes from a wealthy family. Stream Star Trek: Generations on Max .

Star Trek: Generations

Star trek: deanna troi’s 16 best quotes from the franchise, 2 f. murray abraham and gregg henry in star trek: insurrection (1998).

The third film to focus on The Next Generation 's cast after Generations and Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection , often feels like a feature-length episode of the series that inspired it. And, while Nemesis sealed the deal, Insurrection showed that the IP was swiftly dropping out of favor with general audiences. And, yet, Amadeus ' F. Murray Abraham is excellent in the main antagonist role.

An Unrecognizable Abraham

Covered in a great deal of makeup, one would be forgiven for not recognizing the Scarface star as Ru'afo, commander of the Son'a. The same could be said of Gregg Henry as his second-in-command, Gallatin. Though, if they can discern that it's him, they'll recognize him as Peter Quill's grandfather from another little sci-fi IP called Guardians of the Galaxy . Stream Star Trek: Insurrection on Max .

Star Trek: Insurrection

1 tom hardy in star trek: nemesis (2002).

Star Trek: Nemesis ' box office tallies showed the franchise's financial viability had run its course. And, if that wasn't enough, the reaction from critics and fans solidified that. But, it features one of Tom Hardy 's earliest performances, only his second big movie after Black Hawk Down and six years before he started gaining clout thanks to his title role in Bronson .

An Early Showcase for Hardy

Explaining where audiences know Hardy from seems pointless, as he's now one of the biggest performers in Hollywood thanks to Inception , Mad Max: Fury Road , and the Venom films. And, while his role as the villainous Captain Picard clone, Shinzon, isn't as much a showcase as his work in those films, it's still an early sign of his considerable talent. Not to mention, for someone who isn't one of the top-billed cast members, he gets quite a bit of screentime. Stream Star Trek: Nemesis on Max .

Star Trek: Nemesis

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Crowdfunded ‘Space Command: Redemption’ Released, Features Star Trek’s Doug Jones, Robert Picardo & More

| May 7, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 12 comments so far

A dozen years after its first crowdfunding campaign , the first installment of Marc Scott Zicree’s Space Command has been released, with several Star Trek actors in the cast. “Space Command: Redemption” is out now on Tubi, VOD, and physical media, with more installments from the series in the works.

Space Command finally arrives

Space Command is a sci-fi series inspired by Star Trek. The ensemble cast for “Space Command: Redemption” features Star Trek: Discovery’s Doug Jones in a leading role. Other franchise stars include Robert Picardo ( Voyager ), Armin Shimerman ( Deep Space Nine ), Faran Tahir (J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek ), and the late Nichelle Nichols (TOS). The cast also includes several Babylon 5 stars including Bill Mumy,  Bruce Boxleitner, and the late Mira Furlan.

Check out the release trailer…

Here is the official synopsis for “Space Command: Redemption”…

Captain Kemmer rescues xeno-archeologist Vonn O’Dara high above Mars, setting into motion a revolution that changes galactic history. The thrilling new space-set film follow the bold adventures in space of the United Planet’s Space Command, a dedicated group of scientists, soldiers and adventurers exploring and taming the vast expanse of our solar system for human colonization.

Here is how Doug Jones described his role in Space Command in a 2018 interview with TrekMovie :

Dorn Neven is an android in Space Command . I loved his character so much. He is much like other characters I have played, in that he is tall and lanky, but very poised and very mannered. He is an android that served as a servant for rich people in this future setting, but he ended up getting a heart and soul of his own, getting more human characteristics and asking questions he wasn’t supposed to ask. So, they end up demoting him and putting him in the salt mines, and that is how you meet him in the beginning of  Space Command .

Doug Jones with Robert Picardo, Jelena Mrdja, and Mira Furlan in Space Command

Space Command was written, directed, and produced by Marc Scott Zicree, who worked on shows like Sliders and Babylon 5 , as well as authoring the influential book The Twilight Zone Companion . Zicree has also been involved in Star Trek, writing the stories for the Next Generation episode “First Contact” and DS9’s “Far Beyond the Stars.” He also wrote and directed the 2007 Star Trek Phase II fan film “World Enough and Time,” starring George Takei. His concept for Space Command was to make something more like Star Trek, in reaction to the dark and dystopic sci-fi of the early 2000s.

“Our idea was an uplifting show like the original Star Trek , which came out when I was 10, blew my mind, and inspired my lifetime fascination for this whole realm. Star Trek was truly revolutionary,” says Zicree in a statement. “Like Star Trek , the stories we present in Space Command are hopeful, taking on various challenges that show we can make a future worth living and not just passively accept defeat. The whole philosophy of the film is that we can achieve all of this through empathy, compassion, and inclusivity. We want to change millions of lives for the better.”

The initial crowdfunding campaign brought in $221,000 in 2012, which helped launch the independent Space Command Studio based in Los Angeles, California. Over the past decade, Zicree has raised $4 million between crowdfunding and selling investment shares. Filming and post-production work on the Space Command series has been ongoing over the last decade with work recently completed on the 2-part pilot, which is the newly released “Space Command: Redemption” movie. Zicree has planned out a 12-part “season” for Space Command with filming for part 6 recently completed and parts 7 and 8 already begun.

For more about the development of Space Command , check out TrekMovie’s 2018 interview with Marc Zicree .

You can watch “Space Command: Redemption” now for free on the ad-supported streaming service Tubi . You can also rent or buy it at Amazon and Google Play . There is also a DVD and Blu-ray release with special features and director’s commentary available at the official site  spacecommand-theseries.com .

Keep up with more Trek-adjacent Sci-Fi news here at TrekMovie.com

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This looks like a slice of classic 80s Sci-Fi cheesiness. Hope it’s enjoyable in that way.

Looks like something I would have rented from Hollywood Video in 2001… So yep, I’ll watch it!

This has been out for years. Not sure what this is about.

Yeah, I wondered this as well when I saw it posted up on YouTube as if it was a new thing. Marc Zicree, bless him, can sometimes be a bit over the top with ‘marketing’. As in, reposting, clipping, whatever. Amusing that such a repost has made its way here as a story though. I guess a correction is in order!

I’ve never heard of this but I’m curious now. I am definitely interested in watching anything that has the classic Star Trek spirit of optimism and hope.

Mira Furlan passed away a couple years ago. A damn shame, she was an underrated actress, and her personal story was equally compelling.

Nichelle Nichols has been gone almost two years now as well…

How is this different from Space Command 2020? It’s on youtube as Space Command Streaming Series (10 parts). Very poor Imdb reviews, two fake 10*s. Space Command Redemption is also on Imdb, no reviews, incomplete cast list. Some poor acting in the trailer.

I watched the original version of “Space Command” some time ago and was not too impressed. Nevertheless, I wish Zicree nothing but the best in this project, and will hopefully get around to checking it out myself eventually. I met him many years ago at the Director’s Guild in Los Angeles for a screening of the Trek pilots which also included his excellent “World Enough and Time,” and he seemed like a very nice guy.

He’s a cool dude, for sure. And Space Command (2020-2022) is packed with cool people. I’m not sure what happened. Perhaps an avalanche of issues. Or maybe it’s just not for me – which is, you know, fine.

But I didn’t so much watch that production as I endured it!

Watching it myself, I went with the second possibility. And you’re correct; that’s fine. If I were 14 and had just finished reading my first Heinlein juvenile, where the characters tended to say things like “gadzooks!,” I probably would have loved it.

A dozen years??? I had thought that the Axanar crowd were the world – class slackers! LMAO.