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George Takei
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Miami Vice Character
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Born
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April 20, 1937, Los Angeles, California
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Active
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1958-present
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Spouse
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Brad Altman (2008-present)
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George Hosato Takei (born April 20, 1937, Los Angeles, California) is an American actor who appeared as money launderer Kenneth Togaru in the episode "By Hooker by Crook" of the series Miami Vice.
Career[]
Takei's acting career began in 1955 as a voiceover in Godzilla Raids Again. He was first featured on-screen in the 1959 TV show Playhouse 90, other roles included the TV series The Twilight Zone, Death Valley Days, Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, and I Spy.
Star Trek[]
In 1965, Takei received a role in the second pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", for the sci-fi series
Takei as Sulu in Star Trek
Star Trek. He played physicist Hikaru Sulu, and the role would transform his life forever. When the series was picked up in 1966, Sulu was transferred to the helm, and he remained on the show for the three seasons it aired. In the second season, Sulu's role was to be expanded, but due to a commitment he had made to film The Green Berets, and the filming delays encountered, caused him to miss ten episodes of the second season, and the lines meant for Sulu went to his young co-star, Walter Koenig, and his character, Chekov. After the show ended in 1969, he actively participated in the conventions that kept the show alive in the 1970s, lent his voice to Sulu (and several alien characters) in the 1973-75 animated Star Trek series, and appeared in all six Star Trek movies featuring the original cast from 1979-1991 (including Sulu's "promotion" to captain in the sixth movie, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (with Iman)). His other Trek related appearances include reprising his Sulu character in Star Trek: Voyager (marking the original's 30th anniversary), and in 2007 appeared in the fan-made Star Trek: New Voyages, an internet-based series.
After Trek[]
Takei continued to get roles, despite his fear of being type-cast after his run on Trek. His TV appearances include Kung Fu (with Keye Luke), The Six Million Dollar Man, Matt Houston, The Simpsons, Will & Grace, Kim Possible, Heroes, The Big Bang Theory, Celebrity Apprentice (with Penn Jillette, the third contestant eliminated), Supah Ninjas, and his most recent TV appearance, Gremlns: Secrets of the Mogwai (with James Hong). His movie appearances include New World Order, Red Canvas, The Pool Boys, Larry Crowne (with Julia Roberts and Pam Grier), Money Fight (with Ving Rhames), Free Birds (with Robert Beltran), Entourage, and his most recent movie appearance, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.
Personal life[]
Takei's family was interred in two relocation centers during World War II, first in Arkansas, then in California, where they remained until the war ended. Takei is heavily involved in keeping what happened to his and other families in the public consciousness, especially the Japanese-American National Museum.
In 2005 Takei announced he was gay, and that he had been in a committed relationship with Brad Altman since 1987. In 2008, after California's Supreme Court overturned the state laws against same-sex marriage, Takei and Altman were married in a public ceremony. In 2009, they were the first same-sex couple ever to appear on The Newlywed Game, and won $10,000 for the Japanese-American National Museum.