His father named him George after King George VI of the United Kingdom, whose coronation took place in 1937, shortly after Takei's birth. Takei was born Hosato Takei on April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California, to Japanese American parents Fumiko Emily Nakamura (born in Sacramento, California) and Takekuma Norman Takei (born in Yamanashi Prefecture), who worked in real estate.
He has won several awards and accolades for his work on human rights and Japan–United States relations, including his work with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. Īlthough Takei was born and raised in California, he spoke both English and Japanese growing up and remains fluent in both languages. He has been a vocal advocate of the rights of immigrants, in part through his work on the 2012 Broadway show Allegiance, about the internment experience. Upon coming out as gay in 2005, he became a prominent proponent of LGBT rights and active in state and local politics. He began pursuing acting in college, which led in 1965 to the role of Sulu, to which he returned periodically into the 1990s. Takei was born to Japanese American parents, with whom he lived in U.S.-run internment camps during World War II. George Takei ( / t ə ˈ k eɪ/, tə- KAY born Hosato Takei ( 武井 穂郷, Takei Hosato) April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise.
