George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937) is an American actor, author, and activist. He is known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with whom he lived in Tule Lake Segregation Center during World War II. He began pursuing acting in college, which led in 1965 to the role of Sulu, to which he returned periodically into the 1990s. Upon coming out as gay in 2005, he became a prominent proponent of LGBTQ rights and active in state and local politics. 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.
Takei spoke both English and Japanese growing up and remains fluent in both languages. 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.
Early life
thumb|upright|Takei in 1956
Takei was born Hosato Takei on April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California, to Japanese American parents Fumiko Emily Nakamura who worked in real estate. His father named him George after King George VI of the United Kingdom, whose coronation took place in 1937, shortly after Takei's birth. In 1942, following the signing of Executive Order 9066, the Takei family was forced to live in the converted horse stables of Santa Anita Park before being sent to the Rohwer War Relocation Center for internment in Rohwer, Arkansas. The internment camp was in swamplands and surrounded by barbed wire fences. The family was later transferred to the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California for internment.
Takei had several relatives living in Japan during World War II. Among them, he had an aunt and infant cousin who lived in Hiroshima and who were both killed during the atomic bombing that destroyed the city. In Takei's own words, "My aunt and baby cousin [were] found burnt in a ditch in Hiroshima." At the end of World War II, after leaving Tule internment camp, Takei's family was left without any bank accounts, home or family business; this left them unable to find any housing, so they lived on Skid Row, Los Angeles for five years. He attended Mount Vernon Junior High School and served as Boys Senior Board President at Los Angeles High School. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 379 of the Koyasan Buddhist Temple.
Upon graduation from high school, Takei enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied architecture. Later, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in theater in 1960 and a Master of Arts in theater in 1964. He also attended the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-upon-Avon in England and Sophia University in Tokyo. In Hollywood, he studied acting at the Desilu Workshop.
Career
Early career
Takei began his career in Hollywood in the late 1950s, providing voiceover for characters in the English dubbing of the Japanese monster films Rodan (1956, US: 1957) and Godzilla Raids Again (1955, US: Gigantis the Fire Monster, 1959). He appeared in the anthology television series Playhouse 90, the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" (both 1959), and a handful of times in Hawaiian Eye during the 1960–61 season, including an eponymous episode as Thomas Jefferson Chu. He originated the role of George in the musical Fly Blackbird!, but when the show traveled from Los Angeles to Off-Broadway the West Coast actors were forced to audition and the role went to William Sugihara instead. Eventually Sugihara had to give up the role and Takei closed out the show's final months. a 1964 episode of the Twilight Zone. CBS considered the episode's theme of US-Japanese hatred "too disturbing" to include when the series was syndicated. "The Encounter" was not seen after its initial airing until it was released on video in 1992 as part of the Treasures of the Twilight Zone collection.
Star Trek
thumb|upright|Takei as Lieutenant [[Hikaru Sulu]]
In 1965, producer Gene Roddenberry cast Takei as astrosciences physicist Hikaru Sulu in the second pilot for the original Star Trek television series. When the series was accepted by NBC, Takei continued in the role of Sulu, who was now the ship's helmsman.
It was intended that Sulu's role be expanded in the second season, but Takei's role in The Green Berets (1968) as Captain Nim, a South Vietnamese Army officer alongside John Wayne's character, took him away from Star Trek filming and he only appeared in half the episodes of that season. Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov substituted for him in the other episodes. When Takei returned, the two men had to share a dressing room and a single episode script. Takei admitted in an interview that he initially felt threatened by Koenig's presence, but later grew to be friends with him as the image of the officers sharing the ship's helm panel side-by-side became iconic. However, in an interview in the 2004 DVD set for the second season of Star Trek, Takei said of Shatner: "He's just a wonderful actor who created a singular character. No one could have done Kirk the way Bill did. His energy and his determination, that's Bill. And that's also Captain Kirk." He appeared alongside Shatner on the 2006 Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner in which the two mocked each other in good humor and embraced, Takei noting that he was "honored" to be there "despite our past tensions".
Takei is also one of six actors (the others being Jonathan Frakes, Kate Mulgrew, Michael Dorn, Avery Brooks, and Majel Barrett) to lend his voice to the 1997 video game Star Trek: Captain's Chair, reprising his role of Captain Hikaru Sulu when the player visits the bridge of the original Enterprise. In the summer of 2007, Takei played Sulu in the fan-made Internet based series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II episode "World Enough and Time".
After Star Trek
In 1979, Takei co-wrote the science fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin.
Takei's autobiography, To the Stars,
In 2011, he appeared with husband Brad Altman in All Star Mr & Mrs, a show on ITV in Britain presented by Phillip Schofield and Fern Britton.
Takei was one of the celebrities in the 12th season of The Apprentice. He was fired in the third episode, which aired on March 4, 2012.
Takei was featured with Martin Sheen and Jamie Lee Curtis in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play 8—a staged reenactment of the federal trial Perry v. Brown that overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as William Tam. The production was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
In 2012, Takei starred in the musical Allegiance, which Takei described as his legacy project. The show is based on Takei's own experiences and research into the Japanese American internment of World War II and premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. Allegiance debuted on Broadway on November 8, 2015, to mixed reviews. The Guardian said it was "unexceptional though often affecting"; Deadline called it "a triumph of a rare sort, shedding light in a dark corner of our history with uncommon generosity of spirit". The New York Times praised the "well-intentioned and polished" play for tackling a difficult subject while trying at the same time to entertain its audience, but said Allegiance "struggles to balance both ambitions, and doesn't always find an equilibrium". The Associated Press said Allegiance tries to tackle internment camps, discrimination and war, "but does so unsuccessfully in a bombastic and generic Broadway musical". Variety wrote, "In their sincere efforts to 'humanize' their complex historical material, the creatives have oversimplified and reduced it to generic themes." The Hollywood Reporter said "the powerful sentiments involved are too often flattened by the pedestrian lyrics and unmemorable melodies of Jay Kuo's score". USA Today called Allegiance "as corny as Kansas in August and as obvious as Lady Gaga on a red carpet. But darned if it won't get a grip on your heartstrings."
In 2013, Takei was a guest judge in the TBS reality show King of the Nerds, in which he is one of three judges of the Cosplay Competition.
Beginning September 17, 2013, Takei hosted Takei's Take, a web series reviewing consumer technology in a manner for viewers over 50 years in age. The series is produced by AARP.
Takei made an appearance in issue no. 6 of Kevin Keller where the titular character cites Takei as one of his heroes. Upon reading about Kevin with his partner, Takei decides to travel to Riverdale and surprise Kevin. Takei also wrote the foreword for the second volume of the Kevin Keller comics.
Takei appeared in the viral video for Bonnie McKee's song "American Girl" lip syncing the lyrics to her song.
Starting in 2013, Takei became spokesperson for Rooms To Go, an American furniture retailer. He was seen in a series of television commercials where he used his famous "Oh Myyy!" tag line.
In January 2014, Jennifer Kroot's documentary film about Takei, To Be Takei, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He also participated in Do I Sound Gay?, a documentary film by David Thorpe about stereotypes of gay men's speech patterns.
thumb|Takei at a June 2025 signing for his second graphic novel memoir, It Rhymes with Takei, in which he recounts his journey from a [[closeted actor to gay icon, at Midtown Comics in Manhattan]]
In 2015, he produced a YouTube mini-series It Takeis Two featuring himself and Altman, described as a "parody-scripted reality series" that also includes Internet culture. The series ran for nine episodes.
In early 2017, Takei was featured in television commercials promoting the restaurant Pizza Hut.
In February 2010, Takei and Altman became the second same-sex couple to appear on the British game show All Star Mr & Mrs, losing to rugby player Phil Vickery and his wife Kate.
On July 16, 2019, Top Shelf Productions released They Called Us Enemy, a 208-page graphic novel memoir that focused on his family's internment in a World War II concentration camp. It was co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott, and illustrated by Harmony Becker. The book received an American Book Award in 2020. He narrated the documentary Who's on Top? in 2020. In June 2021, dean of the United States Air Force Academy Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre announced that They Called Us Enemy, which details both Takei's struggle with internment and understanding of American democracy, would be part of the Academy's new reading initiative for cadets. On February 23, 2022, Takei was the NCLS Kickoff speaker at USAFA, elaborating on his book and how his past influences his future.
On April 16, 2024, Crown Publishing released Takei's children's book memoir titled My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story, in which Takei recounts how his family was forced to leave Los Angeles after Japan's attack upon Pearl Harbor, and forced to live in a series of concentation camps. The book is illustrated by Michelle Lee, whose artwork was based not only the text provided by Takei via his memories, but also from the research she did at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, on whose board Takei served as a member, her meetings with the museum's education director, who gave her access to the museum's archives. The book was praised by Kirkus Reviews, which dalled Takei's story "an unflinchingly honest, child's-eye view of these events", which Kirkus noted, Takei deftly told for the sensiblities of its young audience, in which he "interweaves moments of levity and escape: movie nights," and in which, Kirkus wrote, "His parents’ courage shines through, too." in which Takei again collaborated with Scott, Eisinger, and Becker to recount his personal journey from closeted actor to coming out on October 27, 2005 at age 68, after which he became an international gay icon.Kirkus Reviews called the book "a heartwarming journey that, yes, goes boldly where few men have gone before."
thumb|upright|Takei at the 2019 Phoenix Comicon
Takei has garnered attention for his Facebook page, where he posts daily humorous pictures, many of which are related to science fiction, LGBT culture, and political satire. Takei's Facebook account has attracted over 9 million followers, some of whom are unfamiliar with Takei or Star Trek. He has been lauded as "the funniest guy on Facebook". In September 2013, Takei used his Facebook page to defend Nina Davuluri, who was targeted by a backlash of racist and xenophobic comments after being named Miss America 2014. He later appeared in a joint ABC interview with Davuluri, in which she revealed that she is a Trekkie. Takei told her, "In Star Trek we have this creed: 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations'. That's what Starfleet was all about so you're a part of that." Davuluri ended the interview by stating, "I have to say 'Live Long and Prosper at which point Takei offered her the Vulcan salute, which she returned. However, Takei also attracted criticism from some people with disabilities in 2014 for his posting of a meme on Facebook and Twitter which shows a wheelchair-using woman standing up to reach something from the top shelf in a store and is captioned "there has been a miracle in the alcohol isle" [sic]. Disabled people responded that people need not be paralyzed to need wheelchairs; Takei then removed the post and apologized on Facebook for his comments.
Legal issues
In November 2017, former actor and model Scott R. Brunton told The Hollywood Reporter that Takei drugged and groped him in Takei's condo in 1981, when Brunton was 23 years old. Takei denied the allegation, writing on Twitter: "I have wracked my brain to ask if I remember Mr. Brunton, and I cannot say I do. ... Non-consensual acts are so antithetical to my values and my practices, the very idea that someone would accuse me of this is quite personally painful." In response to the allegation, Mic, Slate, Refinery29, Upworthy, GOOD and Futurism announced they would be cutting ties with Takei.
On May 24, 2018, the New York Observers Shane Snow reported that Brunton had "changed his story", describing his encounter with Takei as a "great party story" and confessing to "not remembering any touching" of his genitalia. Snow also consulted toxicologists, who suggested Brunton likely had postural hypotension rather than a drugged drink, and a former senior deputy district attorney, who contended "there's nothing to prosecute" if it was the case that Takei stopped physical contact with Brunton after being denied consent. That same month, Takei posted Snow's article on his social media platforms while publicly forgiving Brunton for his misdeeds, stating: "despite what he has put us through, I do not bear Mr. Brunton any ill will, and I wish him peace."
Activism and advocacy
Takei was an alternate delegate from California to the 1972 Democratic National Convention. The following year he ran for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council, finishing second of five candidates in the special election and losing by 1,647 votes; the winner, David Cunningham Jr., received 42% of the votes cast and Takei received 33%. During the campaign, Takei's bid for the city council caused one local station to stop running the repeats of the original Star Trek series until after the election and KNBC-TV to substitute the premiere episode of the Star Trek animated series scheduled by the network with another in which his character did not appear, in attempts to avoid violating the FCC's equal-time rule. The other candidates in the race complained that Takei's distinctive and powerful voice alone, even without his image on television every week, created an unfair advantage.
Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley later appointed Takei to the board of directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, making him part of the team that initiated and planned the Los Angeles subway system. Takei was called away from the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1978 to cast the tie-breaking vote for the creation of the Los Angeles subway system. He served on the board from 1973 to 1984.
In 1980, Takei began a campaign for California state assemblyman (District 46) from the greater Los Angeles area. However, he chose to withdraw after his opponent challenged the airing of episodes of Star Trek on local television under the Federal Communications Commission's Fairness Doctrine "equal time" regulations, saying also that "this is the wrong time to interrupt my career as an actor and author." as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project". In 2006, he embarked on a nationwide "Equality Trek" speaking tour sharing his life as a gay Japanese American, his 18-year relationship with Altman, Frontrunners, and Star Trek, encouraging others to share their own personal stories. In the wake of the 2007 controversy over former NBA player Tim Hardaway, who had stated "I hate gay people", Takei recorded a mock public service announcement which began as a serious message of tolerance, then turned the tables on Hardaway by proclaiming that while he may hate gay people, gay people love him and other "sweaty basketball players", and promising Hardaway that "I will have sex with you". This was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Takei also appeared on the Google float at San Francisco Pride 2007.
In November 2010, Takei released a PSA blasting Clint McCance, who was at the time the vice president of the school board for the Midland School District in southern Independence County, Arkansas. In the video, Takei repeatedly called McCance "a douchebag". Takei's video was made as a response to McCance making blatantly homophobic remarks, stating that he "enjoys the fact that [gay people] give each other AIDS and die".<!-- Video is dead, not link itself, to clarify --> McCance went on to encourage gay people to commit suicide, and stated that he would disown his children if they were gay. McCance later resigned his seat on the Midland school board. Takei was praised for his response to McCance and garnered much media attention with the PSA.
thumb|left|Takei in September 2012
In May 2011, in response to a Tennessee State Legislature bill that prohibited school teachers or students from using any language that alludes to the existence of homosexuality, Takei released another PSA in which he offered up his name, suggesting that people could just substitute that for 'gay'. For example, they could support Takei marriage or watch Takei pride parades; or even use slurs such as That's so Takei, or sing Don we now our Takei apparel during the holiday season.
Takei marked the 70th anniversary of the internment of Americans of Japanese descent, including himself as a child, by asking his readers to contact the US Congress to block S. 1253, the National Defense Authorization Act, that "would authorize a similar sweeping authority, granted to the President, to order the detention—without charge or trial—of any person even suspected of being associated with a 'terrorist organization.
In 2014, Takei raised $100,000 for an adult Eagle Scout to start a web series, titled Camp Abercorn, documenting his experiences in the Boy Scouts of America after he was forced to leave, due to their anti-gay adult policy. Takei stated, "As a former Boy Scout myself, it pains me deeply that the BSA still boots out gay Scouts when they turn 18. This web series will help educate and inform, as well as entertain. That gets a big thumbs up from me. Let's make this happen."
In 2015, after the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision, Obergefell v. Hodges, Takei was critical of Clarence Thomas's dissent and called Thomas "a clown in blackface". After defending his comments for over a week, Takei apologized for his wording.
On December 8, 2015, following Donald Trump's call to ban all Muslims from traveling to the United States, Takei appeared on MSNBC to denounce him: "It's ironic that he made that comment on December 7, Pearl Harbor Day – the very event that put us in those internment camps", Takei said. "[A congressional commission] found that it was three things that brought that about. One was racial hysteria, second was war hysteria and third was failure of political leadership. Donald Trump is the perfect example of that failure. ... What Donald Trump is talking about is something that's going to make his logo 'America disgraced again'." During the transition following Trump's election, Carl Higbie cited the internment of Japanese Americans as a historical precedent for a register of Muslims. Takei described Higbie's comments as "dangerous" and went on to say on The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell that "[r]egistration of any group of people, and certainly registration of Muslims, is a prelude to internment."
On March 31, 2017, Takei announced his intent to challenge Devin Nunes, Republican incumbent House representative for the 22nd District of California. A few hours later, he acknowledged that it had all been an April Fools' joke and instead announced his support for Jon Ossoff, who was running in Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017. While Ossoff did not win the House seat, he did become Georgia's senator in 2021.
Takei formerly served as chair of the Council of Governors of East West Players, one of the pioneering Asian Pacific American theaters in the United States, until 2018. That same year, he played the parts of Sam Kimura and Ojii-San in East West Players' and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center's joint production of Allegiance. Throughout the press tour of the production, he spoke openly about parallels he saw between the WWII-setting of the musical and the current political climate of the United States.
Takei and his husband Brad Altman own a New York City-based digital publication called Second Nexus, which publishes "news with commentary from a progressive perspective".
In the run-up to the 2024 United States presidential election, Takei came out strongly for Kamala Harris while criticizing Donald Trump. He wrote in an opinion piece in the Daily Beast that he viewed Trump as a creator of "cruel chaos" who must be prevented from taking office again. Takei also criticized Gaza war protesters for not backing Harris' presidential campaign claiming that "I doubt they speak for most progressives."
On September 22, 2025, Takei was named the honorary chair of the 2025 edition of Banned Books Week. Takei mentioned his upbringing as having a "lack of access to books and media," and called on people to fight against censorship of books.
Personal life
Relationships
thumb|Left to right: Takei, [[They Called Us Enemy co-author Steven Scott, and Takei's husband Brad Altman at Midtown Comics in New York]]
thumb|right|Takei at the [[Chicago Pride Parade in 2006]]
In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay and had been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for 18 years; the move was prompted by then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of same-sex marriage legislation. Takei said "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen." In an on-air telephone interview with Howard Stern in December 2005, Takei explained, "[We (gay people)] are masculine, we are feminine, we are caring, we are abusive. We are just like straight people, in terms of our outward appearance and our behavior. The only difference is that we are oriented to people of our own gender." Takei also described Altman as "a saint" for helping to take care of Takei's terminally ill mother.
On May 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Altman would be getting married. They were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. On June 17, shortly after Takei and Altman obtained their marriage license, they spread the news by holding a press conference outside the West Hollywood city auditorium. They were married on September 14, 2008, at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, of which Takei is one of the founders and serves as a member of its board of trustees. Walter Koenig was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols, eschewing the title "matron of honor", was "best woman". Reverend William Briones of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles presided.
Takei and Altman appeared in a celebrity edition of The Newlywed Game TV show, which the GSN cable network aired October 13, 2009. They were the first same-sex couple to be featured on the show. Takei and Altman won the game, winning $10,000 for their charity, the Japanese American National Museum.
Religious beliefs
Takei is a Buddhist. His father practiced Zen Buddhism and his mother practiced Shin Buddhism. He kept a small shrine when the family was incarcerated at an internment camp during World War II. After the war, Takei attended Sunday school at Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, California. Takei and husband Brad Altman were married in 2008 at a Buddhist ritual performed by the Reverend William Briones.
Awards and recognition
thumb|George Takei and [[David Henry Hwang discussing Allegiance at Columbia University in late 2015]]
In 1986, Takei was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star at 6681 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in television.
In 2004, the government of Japan conferred upon Takei the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, which represents the fourth highest of six classes associated with the award. This decoration was presented in acknowledgment of his contributions to US–Japanese relations.
Asteroid 7307 Takei is named in his honor. Upon learning of the decision to name the asteroid after him, he said, "I am now a heavenly body. I found out about it yesterday. ... I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky—just like an asteroid."
In November 2007, Takei was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
In June 2012, the American Humanist Association gave Takei the LGBT Humanist Award.
In July 2013, the National Association of Asian American Professionals honored Takei with the NAAAP100 award for his contributions to the Asian community.
In May 2014, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation honored Takei with the GLAAD Vito Russo Award, which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community.
In May 2015, the Japanese American National Museum honored Takei with its Distinguished Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement and Public Service at the Japanese American National Museum's 2015 Gala Dinner in Los Angeles.
On June 10, 2016, California State University, Los Angeles presented Takei with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his contributions.
On April 1, 2020, it was announced that Takei would be the final torchbearer for the delayed 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. On April 2, he announced it was an April Fools' joke.
On September 28, 2022, Takei was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of South Australia in recognition of his distinguished service to the community.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Format
! class="unsortable" | Notes
! class="unsortable" | Refs
|-
| 1957
| Rodan
| Professor Kashiwagi (voiceovers only)
| English voice only
| U.S. version
|
|-
| 1958
| Ice Palace
| Wang
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1959
| Battle of the Coral Sea
| Japanese Radio Operator (uncredited)
|
|
|
|-
| Godzilla Raids Again
| Commander of Landing Craft (voiceovers only)
| English voice only
| U.S. version
|
|-
| Never So Few
| Soldier in hospital (uncredited)
|
|
|
|-
| 1960
| Hell to Eternity
| George
|
|
|
|-
| 1961
| A Majority of One
| Butler
|
|
|
|-
| 1963
| PT-109
| Helmsman aboard Japanese destroyer (uncredited)
|
|
|
|-
| 1965
| Red Line 7000
| Kato
|
|
|
|-
| 1966
| Walk, Don't Run
| Police Captain
|
|
|
|-
| 1968
| The Green Berets
| Captain Nghiem
|
|
|
|-
| 1970
| Which Way to the Front?
| Yamashita
|
|
|
|-
| 1972
| Josie's Castle
| Ken Tanaka
|
|
|
|-
| 1979
| Star Trek: The Motion Picture
| Lt. Commander Sulu
|
|
|
|-
| 1982
| Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
| rowspan="4" | Commander Sulu
|
|
|
|-
| 1984
| Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
|
|
|
|-
| 1986
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1989
| Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
|
|
|
|-
| Return from the River Kwai
| Lieutenant Tanaka
|
|
|
|-
| 1990
| Blood Oath/Prisoners of the Sun
| Vice-Admiral Baron Takahashi
|
|
|
|-
| 1991
| Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
| Captain Sulu
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| Live by the Fist
| Uncle Coronado
|
|
|
|-
| Bruce Lee: The Curse of the Dragon
| Self - Narrator (Voice)
| Documentary
|
|
|-
| 1994
| Oblivion
| rowspan="2" | Doc Valentine
|
|
|
|-
| 1996
| Oblivion 2: Backlash
|
| Direct-to-video
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| Mulan
| First Ancestor
| Voice
|
|
|-
| Bug Buster
| Dr. Hiro Fujimoto
|
| Direct-to-video
|
|-
| 2004
| Mulan II
| First Ancestor
| Voice
|
|
|-
| Ninja Cheerleaders
| Ninja Sensei Hiroshi
|
|
|
|-
| Futurama: Bender's Game
| Himself
| Voice
| Cameo
|
|-
| You Don't Mess with the Zohan
| Himself
|
| Cameo
|
|-
| 2009
| Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword
| Old Man Samurai
| Voice
|
|
|-
| 2016
| Kubo and the Two Strings
| Hosato
| Voice
|
|
|-
| 2017
| Yamasong: March of the Hollows
| Elder Masook
| Voice
|
|
|-
| 2022
| Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
| Ohga
| Voice
|
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Show
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1959
| Perry Mason
| Toma Sakai
| Episode: "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" S3E4
|-
| 1960
| Assignment: Underwater
| Kenji
| Episode: "A Matter of Honor"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1960–1961
| rowspan="4" | Hawaiian Eye
| Hiroshi Kawagani
| Episode: "Sword of the Samurai" S1E18
|-
| Yen Fu
| Episode: "Jade Song" S2E5
|-
| Larry Chang
| Episode: "The Manchu Formula" S2E34
|-
| Thomas Jefferson Chu
| Episode: "Thomas Jefferson Chu" S3E5
|-
|1964
| Twilight Zone
| Arthur Takamori
| Episode: "The Encounter"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1964–1965
| rowspan="3" | My Three Sons
| Jimmy Soo
| Episode: "My Fair Chinese Lady"
|-
| Won Tsun
| Episode: "The Hong Kong Story"
|-
| Ham Radio Operator
| Episode: "Lady in the Air"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1965
| Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
| Major Lee Cheng
| Episode: "The Silent Saboteurs"
|-
| Death Valley Days
| Wong Lee
| Episode: "The Book"
|-
| 1966
| I Spy
| Yuze
| Episode: "The Barter"
|-
| 1966–1969
| Star Trek
| Lt. Sulu
| Main cast, 52 episodes
|-
| 1966
| Mission: Impossible
| Roger Lee
| Episode: "The Carriers"
|-
| 1968
| It Takes a Thief
| Wo
| Episode: "To Catch a Roaring Lion"
|-
| 1969
| The Courtship of Eddie's Father
| Mr. Sato
| Episode: "Gentleman Friend"
|-
| 1970
| Marcus Welby, M.D.
| Fred
| Episode: "To Get Through the Night"
|-
| 1971
| Ironside
| Tsutomu Watari
| Episode: "No Motive for Murder"
|-
| 1973–1974
| Star Trek: The Animated Series
| Lt. Sulu
| Voice, main role
|-
| 1974
| The Six Million Dollar Man
| Chin Ling
| Episode: "The Coward"
|-
| 1975
| Hawaii Five-0
| Nathaniel Blake
| Episode: "Death's Name Is Sam"
|-
| 1976
| Black Sheep Squadron
| Maj. Kato
| Episode: "Up for Grabs"
|-
| 1978
| Vega$
|Dr. Takahama
| Episode: "Ghost of the Ripper"
|-
| 1985
| General Hospital
| Diem
| recurring
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1986
| MacGyver
| Dr. Shen Wei
| Episode: "The Wish Child"
|-
| The New Adventures of Jonny Quest
| Chin
| Episode: "Secret of the Clay Warriors"
|-
| Blacke's Magic
| Casey Watanabe
| Episode 10: "A Friendly Game of Showdown"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1987
| Miami Vice
| Kenneth Togaru
| Episode: "By Hooker by Crook"
|-
| Murder She Wrote
| Bert Tanaka
| Episode: "The Bottom Line is Murder"
|-
| 1991–2016
| The Simpsons
| Restaurant Owner, Akira, Waiter, Wink, Game Show Host, Himself
| Voice, 5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| Kissinger and Nixon
| Lê Đức Thọ
| Television film
|-
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
| Colonel Ong
| Episode: "The Return of Sing Ling"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1996
| 3rd Rock from the Sun
| Himself
| Episode: "Hotel Dick"
|-
| Spider-Man: The Animated Series
| Wong
| Voice, episode: "Doctor Strange"
|-
| 1999
| Batman Beyond
| Mr. Fixx
| Voice, episode: "Rebirth"
|-
|Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
|Master Cheng
|Voice, episode: "The Real Dragon Warrior"
|-
| 2017
| Fresh Off the Boat
| Bernard
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2019
| The Terror
| Yamato-san
| Season 2
|-
|Star Trek: Short Treks
|Hikaru Sulu
|Archive audio used in episode: "Ephraim and Dot"
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2020
| Love Monster
| Elder Panda
|
|-
| Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
| Himself
| Voice, episode: "Hollywood Knights!"
|-
| 2021; 2025
|Star Wars: Visions
|Senshuu, Toad
|Voice, 3 episodes; English dub
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2022
|Jellystone!
|So-So
|Voice, episode: "Balloon Kids"
|-
|He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
|Mer-Man
|Voice, 3 episodes
|-
|Resident Alien
|Grey Alien
|Voice, 2 episodes
|-
|Star Trek: Lower Decks
|Hikaru Sulu
|Voice, episode: "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus"
|-
|Call Me Kat
| Himself
|Episode: "Call Me Chrismukkah"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
|Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
|Noggin
|Voice, 5 episodes
|-
| 2023
| Blue Eye Samurai
| Seki
| Series regular
|}
Commercials
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|2011
|Social Security advertisement
|Himself
|
|-
| 2013
| Rooms to Go
| Spokesperson
|
|-
| 2017
| Pizza Hut
|Himself
|
|}
Stage/theater
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Production
! Role
!Notes
|-
|1961
|Fly Blackbird!
|George
|Inner City Cultural Center
|-
| 1974
| The Year of the Dragon
| Fred Eng
| Off-Broadway
|-
|1987
|Aladdin
|Genie
| The Hexagon
|-
|1988
|Undertow
|
|Edinburgh Fringe Festival
|-
|1990
|The Wash
|Sadao Nakasato
|Mark Taper Forum
|-
|2002
|Pacific Overtures
|Reciter
|Loft Theatre
|-
|2005
|Equus
|East West Players
|-
|2009
| Aladdin
| Emperor of China
| The Central Theatre, Chatham
|-
|2012
|8
|William Tam
|Ebell of Los Angeles
|-
| 2012–2015
| Allegiance
| Sam Kimura (present day) / "Ojii-San" (Grandpa) (1940s)
| Old Globe Theatre and Broadway
|-
|2017
|Pacific Overtures
|Reciter
|Signature Theatre Company
|-
|2018
| Allegiance
| Sam Kimura (present day) / "Ojii-San" (Grandpa) (1940s)
| East West Players
|-
|2023
| Allegiance
| Sam Kimura (present day) / "Ojii-San" (Grandpa) (1940s)
| Charing Cross Theatre
|}
Bibliography
Notes
References
External links
- on the Fediverse
- George Takei and Pat Morita's Harrowing Childhood Experiences in Japanese American Internment Camps - Biography Channel, May 4, 2021.