George Takei has had some kind of life. He was, of course, Sulu in the original Star Trek series, making him one of the first Asian actors with a regular recurring role on a primetime American network program, a role he played until 1989’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (where he gets command of his own ship, bee tee dubs). But he’s also gone on to be an outspoken gay rights activist after coming out in 2005, and he’s also won the internet a million times over with his hilarious Twitter and Facebook accounts.
At the age of 77, Takei is still as active as ever, as evidenced by a new documentary film about him, To Be Takei, out today on DVD and Amazon exclusively. The film, directed by Jennifer M. Kroot, covers Takei’s eclectic and fascinating life, from being in an internment camp during WWII, to his rise to prominence in the acting field, to his accruing over 7 million Facebook fans.
He’s also obsessed with William Shakespeare (not Shatner, I bet you thought I was going to type) and has been quoting the Bard ad nauseum for decades. In the exclusive clip from the film below, Takei’s sister Nancy reveals how he would chase her around the house shouting lines from various plays at her until she’d scream for their mother. Can you imagine running from culture? If it’s annoying culture delivered by your older brother, it’s probably fairly easy.
To Be Takei Shakespeare h264 1080 from Monica Delamater on Vimeo.
To Be Takei is out now exclusively on VOD and DVD from Amazon and features appearances from all your favorite Star Trek folk, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig, to give you an idea of what it’s like to be George Takei, every day.
