George Takei

PHOTO GALLERY
Date of Birth : Apr 20th 1937

Takei first began his Star Trek adventure with Where No Man Has Gone Before, which was the second pilot that finally sold the series. In that episode he was said to be a mathematician. Once the series went into weekly production, he became the helmsman and a part of the bridge crew. During the first season of Star Trek, Takei managed to make a guest appearance on Mission: Impossible, and, during the show’s second season, took time off to film The Green Berets with John Wayne.

Takei’s film debut was in Ice Palace with Richard Burton. It was a role that required a lot of make-up, as he was seen in various times throughout his life. After Star Trek was canceled, Takei did guest stints on many prime time series, including Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Miami Vice and a dual role on the long-running series Hawaii Five-O.

In 1972, Takei was a California representative in the Democratic National Convention, and in the fall of 1973, he ran for Mayor of Los Angeles. He didn’t win the election, but it did cause a local station to stop running Star Trek and the Star Trek animated series until after the votes were cast. Takei’s competition felt that his voice and image on television every week created an unfair advantage for Takei.

In the ’80s, Takei hosted an informational series for television called, Expression East/West, which dealt with issues involving human relationships. Takei co-wrote (with Robert Asprin) the Star Trek novel, Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe. In 1994 he penned his memoirs in To the Stars.