Asian Heritage Issue
Page 10 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
May 5, 2014
Where no man has gone before
To Be Takei
Screening May 18 at 7:00pm
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 N.E. 33rd Avenue, Portland
By Marie Lo
The Asian Reporter
eorge Takei may still be best
known for his role as Mr. Sulu in
the groundbreaking television
show “Star Trek,” which not only explored
controversial topics of its day such as
racial equality, Cold War anxieties, and
the Vietnam War, but it was also the first
primetime show to feature a multiethnic
cast. In Jennifer Kloot’s biographical docu-
mentary To Be Takei, it becomes quickly
evident that Takei has consistently taken
on pioneering roles both on and off the
screen.
The film opens with Takei and his hus-
band, Brad Takei, going on a power walk
through their Los Angeles neighborhood.
Though George is older, he is clearly the
fitter and sprier one, leaving Brad a few
meters behind. Brad complains that
George normally doesn’t walk this fast.
They bicker a bit, negotiate over which
direction to go next, and then the film leads
us through the different avenues of Takei’s
life.
What unfolds is a life that is “stranger
than science fiction,” and the film explores
a varied career that includes actor, public
servant, activist, and cultural critic.
Born on April 20, 1937, Takei was just a
boy when he and his family were sent to
internment camps during World War II.
Later, when the war finally ended and
they returned to Los Angeles, the family
G
current struggle for marriage equality,
Takei has again taken a vocal position on
behalf of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and questioning) rights,
often appearing with Brad to promote
marriage equality.
The details of his life are presented
through a self-conscious film that fore-
grounds blurring of the personal, the pub-
lic, and the political. To Be Takei explores
how the personal details of Takei’s life,
notably his childhood experiences in the
internment camp and the struggles of be-
ing a gay Asian-American actor, also be-
come the platform of advocacy in his later
years, suggesting that the roles he has tak-
en on — activist, actor, civil servant, per-
former — are inseparable from each other.
The film also explores the process and
constraints of documentary filmmaking
Continued on page 13
ACTOR & ACTIVIST. Filmmaker Jennifer Kloot’s biographical documentary To Be Takei, which screens
Sunday, May 18 at 7:00pm at McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland, follows the life of actor, public servant,
activist, and cultural critic George Takei. After playing the role of Mr. Sulu in the groundbreaking television show
“Star Trek,” Takei entered local politics (right photo). (Photos courtesy of Starz Digital Media)
struggled to find a place in the racist
climate of the post-war period. From an
early age, Takei always knew he wanted to
act, and he took on a series of demeaning
stereotypical roles to make a living,
something he now regrets. His big break,
however, came when he was cast by Gene
Roddenbury to play Mr. Sulu. And the rest,
as they say, is history.
After the series ended, Takei entered
local politics, running for Los Angeles City
Council and later serving with the
Southern California Rapid Transit Dis-
trict from 1973 to 1984. He testified before
congress in support of redress for
Japanese-American internment. With the
resurgent popularity of the “Star Trek”
television show and movies, Takei again
returned to acting and to the stage. This
time, however, instead of remaining in the
closet about his sexuality to protect his
acting career, he came out as gay.
And when he did, he did so widely, going
on television to take on homophobia, often
with a fearless hilarity that has earned
him a whole new generation of fans. In the
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