George Takei was born in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles. He and his family lived there until World War II when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, they were relocated to a detention camp in Arkansas. From there they were again moved to another camp at Tule Lake in Northern California.
Takei went to college with thoughts of being an architect, but soon changed his major to Theater Arts. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, his minor was Latin American Studies.
Takei made his acting debut in a "Playhouse 90" production when he was attending UCLA. While he was taking classes, Takei also trained at the Desilu Workshop.
After a biking trip across Europe, George returned to California and began guesting on series such as Perry Mason, Mr. Novak, Hawaiian Eye, I, Spy, It Takes a Thief, and My Three Sons. His Twilight Zone episode, "The Encounter" was aired once but, due to its controversial content regarding a Japanese traitor in WW II, it has never been shown again.
Takei 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 5-0.
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 eighties, 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.'
Filmography:
"A Majority of One"
"Red Line 7000"
"Hell to Eternity"
"An American Dream"
"Walk, Don't Run"
"Never so Few"
"Josie's Castle"
"The Loudmouth"
"The Young Divorcees"
"PT 109 "
"Which Way to the Front?"
"Ice Palace"
"Star Trek The Motion Picture"
"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock"
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"
"Star Trek V: The Final Frontier"
"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"
"Year of the Dragon" (PBS)
"Return from the River Kwai"
"Prisoners of the Sun"