(Please follow the link for the complete interview.)
George Takei: Captain Sulu to the Rescue!
Posted on Wednesday 29 April 2009
Just as Star Trek has reinvented itself over the years, so has George Takei. The actor is obviously best known to Trekkers for his iconic portrayal of helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original series of Star Trek (and subsequent movies), but he won new admirers with his role as Hiro’s father Kaito Nakamura in Heroes and even more fans with his unforgettable turn in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! With the Original Series and the first six movies out now on Blu-ray and Alternate Realities out on DVD, Takei talks to Matt McAllister about the eternal appeal of the show.
A brief excerpt:
It was a very optimistic show in many ways…
Oh yes. The 1960s was a dreadfully turbulent time for the United States racially, and racial conflicts were bursting out in the form of race riots in our major cities. I, as an Angeleno, I still remember the terror of the Watts riots in 1965. And at that time Star Trek had not only a multi-racial cast but also an inter-racial kiss between a black woman, Uhuru, and a white man, Kirk. Now, 40 years later, we have an enormously popular black president of the United States. What was hopeful back in the 1960s has become a powerful reality today! And thus Star Trek still remains very relevant.
I think it’s that human spirit of wanting to see a glimmer of hope – something President Obama is talking about in our current economic turmoil. That hope is essential. We need to have confidence in our ability to overcome challenges. I think it’s that core philosophy and those core values that has helped to maintain Star Trek’s popularity.
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