George Takei acceptance speech -- 2016 MPAC Media Awards ...
New York, NY, USA
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George Takei BiographyBorn in Los Angeles, California, George Takei overcame the racial barriers of his time to launch a successful acting career. He starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu during the three-year television run of “Star Trek,” and later reprised the role for six movies. Prominently involved with gay rights and Japanese-American groups, Takei has become a highly popular social-media presence.
At the age of 5, Takei and his family were uprooted from their home and forced to live at Japanese-American internment camps in Arkansas and northern California. They returned to Los Angeles after World War II, and Takei enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley to study architecture.
While in college, Takei responded to a newspaper ad looking for Asian voiceover actors for the English version of the Japanese monster movie “Rodan” (1956). That led to more voiceover work, as well as small parts in television programs such as Perry Mason and the film “Ice Palace” (1960). Deciding to focus on acting full time, Takei transferred to the University of California Los Angeles, where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in theater.
In 1966, Takei became one of the few Asian Americans to be featured prominently on TV when he starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on the science-fiction series “Star Trek.” He returned after taking time off during the second season to film “The Green Berets” (1968), but his role as Sulu was temporarily shelved when Star Trek was canceled in 1969.
Takei continued to make regular TV appearances in the 1970s, on such programs as “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Hawaii Five-O,” while providing the voice of Sulu for the “Star Trek” animated series. Momentum gathered for the making of the movie, and Takei reunited with the rest of his old castmates for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) and five sequels over the next dozen years.
The 1990s brought a steady stream of voiceover gigs, with Takei's signature baritone surfacing in the Disney animated feature “Mulan” (1998) and episodes of “The Simpsons.” The veteran actor also became a semi-regular guest on the Howard Stern Show, and in 2006, he was named Stern's official announcer following the shock-jock's move to Sirius XM Radio.
Takei was involved in a project close to his heart when he took on a starring role in “Allegiance,” a production about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans. The play premiered at San Diego's Old Globe Theater in September 2012.
Takei has remained a busy man away from show business. After narrowly losing his bid for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 1973, he joined the board of directors for the Southern California Transit District from 1973 to 1984.
Takei served on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission for President Bill Clinton, and was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan in 2004. He is also chairman emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum's board of trustees and serves as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, a renowned Asian-American theater organization.
In 2005, Takei publicly announced his homosexuality to Frontiers magazine. He married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, in September 2008.
In recent years, Takei has earned a following from a new generation of fans with his funny, incisive posts on Facebook and Twitter. His expansive social-media presence, guest stints on some of today’s most popular sitcoms and the 2013 release of “Star Trek Into Darkness,” has helped keep this accomplished actor and activist in the public eye.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on George Takei and other top speakers and celebrities.
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To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu
George Takei as Mr. Sulu in the original series. Paramount. The new "Star Trek Beyond" movie will take the classic character Mr. Sulu in a new direction by ...
John Cho hasn't spoken to George Takei since the original Sulu expressed his displeasure with the decision to portray the character as gay.
In the summer of 1968, George Takei attended a pool party at the Hollywood Hills home of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. The actor, then 31 and famous ...
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Born in Los Angeles, California, George Takei overcame the racial barriers of his time to launch a successful acting career. He starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu during the three-year television run of “Star Trek,” and later reprised the role for six movies. Prominently involved with gay rights and Japanese-American groups, Takei has become a highly popular social-media presence.
At the age of 5, Takei and his family were uprooted from their home and forced to live at Japanese-American internment camps in Arkansas and northern California. They returned to Los Angeles after World War II, and Takei enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley to study architecture.
While in college, Takei responded to a newspaper ad looking for Asian voiceover actors for the English version of the Japanese monster movie “Rodan” (1956). That led to more voiceover work, as well as small parts in television programs such as Perry Mason and the film “Ice Palace” (1960). Deciding to focus on acting full time, Takei transferred to the University of California Los Angeles, where he earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in theater.
In 1966, Takei became one of the few Asian Americans to be featured prominently on TV when he starred as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu on the science-fiction series “Star Trek.” He returned after taking time off during the second season to film “The Green Berets” (1968), but his role as Sulu was temporarily shelved when Star Trek was canceled in 1969.
Takei continued to make regular TV appearances in the 1970s, on such programs as “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Hawaii Five-O,” while providing the voice of Sulu for the “Star Trek” animated series. Momentum gathered for the making of the movie, and Takei reunited with the rest of his old castmates for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) and five sequels over the next dozen years.
The 1990s brought a steady stream of voiceover gigs, with Takei's signature baritone surfacing in the Disney animated feature “Mulan” (1998) and episodes of “The Simpsons.” The veteran actor also became a semi-regular guest on the Howard Stern Show, and in 2006, he was named Stern's official announcer following the shock-jock's move to Sirius XM Radio.
Takei was involved in a project close to his heart when he took on a starring role in “Allegiance,” a production about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans. The play premiered at San Diego's Old Globe Theater in September 2012.
Takei has remained a busy man away from show business. After narrowly losing his bid for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 1973, he joined the board of directors for the Southern California Transit District from 1973 to 1984.
Takei served on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission for President Bill Clinton, and was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan in 2004. He is also chairman emeritus of the Japanese American National Museum's board of trustees and serves as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, a renowned Asian-American theater organization.
In 2005, Takei publicly announced his homosexuality to Frontiers magazine. He married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, in September 2008.
In recent years, Takei has earned a following from a new generation of fans with his funny, incisive posts on Facebook and Twitter. His expansive social-media presence, guest stints on some of today’s most popular sitcoms and the 2013 release of “Star Trek Into Darkness,” has helped keep this accomplished actor and activist in the public eye.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on George Takei and other top speakers and celebrities.
George Takei is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book George Takei for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. George Takei generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Daymond John, Andy Cohen, Hill Harper, Bill Nye and Spike Lee. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling George Takei for an upcoming event.
George Takei as Mr. Sulu in the original series. Paramount. The new "Star Trek Beyond" movie will take the classic character Mr. Sulu in a new direction by ...
John Cho hasn't spoken to George Takei since the original Sulu expressed his displeasure with the decision to portray the character as gay.
In the summer of 1968, George Takei attended a pool party at the Hollywood Hills home of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. The actor, then 31 and famous ...
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent, and wish to request removal from this catalog or report an issue with your profile, please click here.
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