Rise to Success: Career Highlights of George Takei

How George Takei built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

George Takei, born Hosato Takei, is an American actor, author, and activist, widely recognized for his portrayal of Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise. Beyond his acting career, Takei is a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice. His personal experiences, including his family's internment during World War II, have fueled his activism and storytelling, making him a significant voice on issues of equality and historical awareness. He has authored books and used social media to share his experiences and advocate for human rights.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1955: Voiceover in Godzilla Raids Again

In 1955, George Takei provided voiceover work for characters in the English dubbing of the Japanese monster film Godzilla Raids Again.

1956: Voiceover in Rodan

In 1956, George Takei began his career in Hollywood, providing voiceover work for characters in the English dubbing of the Japanese monster film Rodan.

1957: US Release of Rodan

In 1957, the movie Rodan was released in the US, featuring voice over work by George Takei.

1959: Appearance in Perry Mason

In 1959, George Takei appeared in "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" episode of the television series Perry Mason.

1960: Appearance in Hell to Eternity

In 1960, George Takei appeared alongside Jeffrey Hunter in the film Hell to Eternity.

1960: Appearance in Hawaiian Eye

In 1960, George Takei appeared in Hawaiian Eye during the 1960–61 season, including an eponymous episode as Thomas Jefferson Chu.

1961: Appearance in A Majority of One

In 1961, George Takei appeared alongside Alec Guinness in the film A Majority of One.

1964: Starring in Twilight Zone Episode 'The Encounter'

In 1964, George Takei starred as a landscaper of Japanese descent in "The Encounter", an episode of the Twilight Zone, which was later deemed "too disturbing" to be included in syndication due to its theme of US-Japanese hatred.

1965: Appearance in Red Line 7000

In 1965, George Takei appeared alongside James Caan in the film Red Line 7000.

1965: Cast as Sulu in Star Trek

In 1965, George Takei landed the role of Sulu in the original Star Trek television series.

1966: Appearance in Walk, Don't Run

In 1966, George Takei appeared alongside Cary Grant in the film Walk, Don't Run.

1966: Guest Starred in Mission: Impossible

In 1966, George Takei guest-starred in an episode of Mission: Impossible during the show's first season.

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1967: Appeared in The Big Mouth

In 1967, George Takei made an uncredited appearance in the Jerry Lewis comedy The Big Mouth.

1968: Role in The Green Berets

In 1968, George Takei's role in The Green Berets as Captain Nim caused him to miss some episodes of Star Trek's second season, leading to Walter Koenig joining the cast.

1969: Narrated The Japanese Sword as the Soul of the Samurai

In 1969, George Takei narrated the documentary The Japanese Sword as the Soul of the Samurai.

1970: Appeared in Which Way to the Front?

In 1970, George Takei appeared in the Jerry Lewis comedy Which Way to the Front?.

1972: Alternate Delegate and City Council Campaign

In 1972, George Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention. He subsequently ran for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, finishing second in the special election.

1973: Star Trek: The Animated Series

From 1973 to 1974, George Takei reprised his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series.

1973: Appointment to Southern California Rapid Transit District Board

In 1973, George Takei was appointed by Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, which spearheaded the planning for the Los Angeles subway system.

1974: Star Trek: The Animated Series

From 1973 to 1974, George Takei reprised his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Animated Series.

1978: Tie-Breaking Vote for Los Angeles Subway System

In 1978, George Takei was called away from the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to cast the tie-breaking vote for the creation of the Los Angeles subway system, as part of his role on the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District.

1979: Co-authored Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe

In 1979, George Takei co-wrote the science fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin.

1980: Withdrawal from California State Assembly Race

In 1980, George Takei withdrew from his campaign for California State Assemblyman (District 46) after a dispute over the airing of Star Trek episodes and concerns about interrupting his acting career.

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1984: End of Term on Southern California Rapid Transit District Board

George Takei's term on the board of directors for the Southern California Rapid Transit District ended in 1984, after serving since 1973 and contributing to the planning of the Los Angeles subway system.

1986: Induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 1986, Takei was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, receiving a star at 6681 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to television.

1989: Role in 'Return from the River Kwai'

In 1989, George Takei appeared as a sadistic Japanese POW camp commander in the World War II film 'Return from the River Kwai'.

1992: Release of 'The Encounter' on Video

In 1992, the 1964 Twilight Zone episode "The Encounter", starring George Takei, was released on video as part of the Treasures of the Twilight Zone collection, after being unseen since its initial airing.

1994: Publication of Autobiography

In 1994, George Takei's autobiography, To the Stars, was published. He also had plans to adapt chapters about his internment experience into a film.

1996: Guest Appearance in Star Trek: Voyager

In 1996, George Takei played Captain Sulu in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek.

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1997: Voice Acting in Star Trek: Captain's Chair

In 1997, George Takei lent his voice to the video game Star Trek: Captain's Chair, reprising his role as Captain Hikaru Sulu.

2004: Conferred the Order of the Rising Sun

In 2004, the government of Japan conferred upon Takei the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in acknowledgment of his contributions to US-Japanese relations.

2005: Coming Out and LGBT Activism

In 2005, George Takei publicly came out as gay and became a prominent advocate for LGBT rights, also becoming involved in state and local politics.

2006: Equality Trek Speaking Tour

In 2006, George Takei embarked on a nationwide 'Equality Trek' speaking tour, where he shared his experiences as a gay Japanese American, his relationship with Brad Altman, and his involvement with Frontrunners and Star Trek. He encouraged others to share their personal stories as well.

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January 2007: Appeared on Heroes

In January 2007, George Takei began appearing on Heroes as Kaito Nakamura, a successful Japanese businessman. The first episode featuring Takei included a Star Trek reference.

November 2007: Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego Asian Film Festival

In November 2007, Takei received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Diego Asian Film Festival.

2007: Mock PSA and Appearance at San Francisco Pride

In 2007, following Tim Hardaway's homophobic comments, George Takei recorded a mock public service announcement that aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Takei also appeared on the Google float at San Francisco Pride 2007.

2007: Role in Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II

In the summer of 2007, George Takei played Sulu in the fan-made Internet-based series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II episode "World Enough and Time".

October 13, 2009: Appearance on The Newlywed Game

On October 13, 2009, George Takei and Brad Altman appeared on a celebrity edition of The Newlywed Game TV show, aired on the GSN cable network. They were the first same-sex couple to be featured on the show and won $10,000 for the Japanese American National Museum.

2009: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Role

In 2009, George Takei appeared in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars as the Neimoidian general, Lok Durd, marking the first time a leading actor from Star Trek worked in a Star Wars production.

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2009: NASA Animated Short

In April 2009, George Takei voiced a fictitious version of himself in NASA's "Robot Astronomy Talk Show: Gravity and the Great Attractor".

February 2010: Appearance on All Star Mr & Mrs

In February 2010, George Takei and Brad Altman appeared on the British game show All Star Mr & Mrs, losing to rugby player Phil Vickery and his wife Kate.

November 2010: PSA Blasting Clint McCance

In November 2010, George Takei released a PSA calling Clint McCance 'a douchebag' in response to McCance's homophobic remarks. McCance subsequently resigned from his position.

2010: Public Service Announcements for Social Security

In 2010, George Takei recorded public service announcements for the Social Security Administration to promote applying for benefits online.

May 2011: PSA on Tennessee Legislation

In May 2011, George Takei released a PSA in response to Tennessee legislation prohibiting language alluding to homosexuality, suggesting people substitute 'Takei' for 'gay' in their language.

March 4, 2012: Fired from The Apprentice

On March 4, 2012, George Takei was fired from the third episode of the 12th season of The Apprentice.

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June 2012: LGBT Humanist Award from the American Humanist Association

In June 2012, the American Humanist Association presented Takei with the LGBT Humanist Award.

2012: Starred in Musical Allegiance

In 2012, George Takei starred in the musical Allegiance, based on his experiences with Japanese American internment during World War II, which premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego.

2012: Work on Broadway Show Allegiance

In 2012, George Takei worked on the Broadway show Allegiance, which highlights the internment experience, and he has been a vocal advocate of the rights of immigrants.

July 2013: NAAAP100 award for contributions to the Asian community

In July 2013, Takei was honored with the NAAAP100 award by the National Association of Asian American Professionals for his contributions to the Asian community.

September 2013: Defense of Nina Davuluri after racist comments

In September 2013, Takei used his Facebook page to defend Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014, after she was targeted with racist and xenophobic comments. He emphasized the 'Star Trek' creed of 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations'.

September 17, 2013: Hosted Takei's Take

Beginning September 17, 2013, George Takei hosted Takei's Take, a web series produced by AARP that reviewed consumer technology for viewers over 50 years in age.

2013: Guest Judge on King of the Nerds

In 2013, George Takei served as a guest judge on the TBS reality show King of the Nerds, evaluating the Cosplay Competition.

2013: Spokesperson for Rooms To Go

Starting in 2013, George Takei became a spokesperson for Rooms To Go, an American furniture retailer, appearing in commercials and using his "Oh Myyy!" tagline.

January 2014: Premiere of To Be Takei

In January 2014, the documentary film about George Takei, To Be Takei, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He also participated in Do I Sound Gay? that year.

May 2014: GLAAD Vito Russo Award

In May 2014, Takei was honored with the GLAAD Vito Russo Award by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The award is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community.

2014: Support for Camp Abercorn web series

In 2014, George Takei raised $100,000 to support the creation of Camp Abercorn, a web series about an adult Eagle Scout documenting his experiences after being forced to leave the Boy Scouts of America due to their anti-gay policy.

May 2015: Distinguished Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service

In May 2015, the Japanese American National Museum honored Takei with its Distinguished Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service at their gala dinner in Los Angeles.

November 8, 2015: Broadway Debut of Allegiance

On November 8, 2015, Allegiance, the musical starring George Takei based on his internment camp experiences, debuted on Broadway to mixed reviews.

2015: Produced It Takeis Two

In 2015, George Takei produced a YouTube mini-series titled It Takeis Two, featuring himself and Brad Altman as a parody-scripted reality series.

March 31, 2017: April Fool's Joke about challenging Devin Nunes

On March 31, 2017, George Takei announced his intention to challenge Devin Nunes, but revealed it as an April Fools' joke and declared support for Jon Ossoff in Georgia.

2017: Featured in Pizza Hut Commercials

In early 2017, George Takei was featured in television commercials promoting the restaurant Pizza Hut.

2018: Role in Allegiance and Departure from East West Players

In 2018, George Takei played Sam Kimura and Ojii-San in East West Players' production of Allegiance, and stepped down as chair of the Council of Governors of East West Players.

2019: Publication of 'They Called Us Enemy'

In 2019, George Takei published They Called Us Enemy, a 208-page memoir in the form of a graphic novel, focusing on his family's internment experience. The book was co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott, and illustrated by Harmony Becker.

2020: American Book Award and Narration of Who's on Top?

In 2020, George Takei's book, 'They Called Us Enemy', received an American Book Award. Additionally, Takei narrated the documentary 'Who's on Top?' in 2020.

June 2021: They Called Us Enemy part of USAFA reading initiative

In June 2021, Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre announced that George Takei's book, They Called Us Enemy, would be part of the United States Air Force Academy's new reading initiative for cadets, citing its detailing of Takei's internment struggle and understanding of American democracy.

2021: Jon Ossoff becomes Georgia's Senator

In 2021, Jon Ossoff, whom George Takei supported in 2017, became Georgia's Senator.

February 23, 2022: NCLS Kickoff Speaker at USAFA

On February 23, 2022, George Takei was the NCLS Kickoff speaker at USAFA, elaborating on his book, They Called Us Enemy, and explaining how his past experiences influenced his future perspectives.