George Takei, born April 20, 1937, in Los Angeles, California, is an American actor, author, and activist best known for portraying Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series. He has also been a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and Japanese-American civil rights.

     Takei's early life was marked by hardship. During World War II, his family was forcibly relocated to Japanese internment camps, first at Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas and later at Tule Lake Segregation Center in California. After the war, they returned to Los Angeles, where they struggled to rebuild their lives.

     Takei studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to UCLA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) in Theater. His acting career began with voiceover work for Japanese monster films, including Rodan (1956). He later appeared in Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, and Mission: Impossible before landing his iconic role as Sulu in Star Trek (1966–1969).

     Beyond Star Trek, Takei starred in The Green Berets (1968), Mulan (1998), and Allegiance (2012), a Broadway musical inspired by his internment experience. He has also been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, publicly coming out as gay in 2005 and marrying Brad Altman in 2008.