George Takei plays the part of Sulu and in real life is a man with great curiosity concerning new places and people. George's wanderlust has taken him on camping expeditions to the rugged Rocky Mountains, a foray into the Alaskan panhandle, numerous trips into Baja California, and extensive tour of Europe.

George was born in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles and lived there until World War II, when his family moved to Arkansas. He began his college education as an architecture student at the University of California at Berkeley. He later transferred to the Los Angeles campus of the university, majoring in theater arts with a minor in Latin American Studies. In 1960 he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While a student at UCLA, George made his professional debut in a "Playhouse 90" production. concurrent with his studies, he furthered his training as an actor at the Desilu Workshop.

In 1962 George traveled to New York for what he describes as "the time-honored actor's ritual of existence in cold water flats, off-Broadway plays, add jobs, an occasional live TV appearance, but mostly stark, unadulterated experience."

The following year he went to Europe. During his "Leisure time" George racked up credits on such television shows as Perry Mason," "Hawaiian Eye," "The Wackiest Ship in the Army," "I Spy," "The islanders," "Alcoa Premiere," "Checkmate," "Mr. Novak," "The John Forsythe Show," and many more. His motion picture credits include Ice Palace, A Majority of One, Red Line 7000, From Hell to Eternity, An American Dream, Walk, Don't Run, and soon to be released Green Berets.

George resides in Hollywood and lists his hobbies as hiking, camping swimming, reading, cycling, and painting.

On the subject of Sulu, Gene Roddenberry recalls a letter he received about halfway through the first season:

IT WAS FROM THE ORIENTAL PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS LIKE THE NAACP. THE LETTER FIRMLY CHASTISED US BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE HAD WATCHED A NUMBER OF THE SHOWS AND HAD NOTICED IT WAS THE OCCIDENTALS WHO ALWAYS ENDED UP WITH THE GIRLS. THEY THREATENED TO BOYCOTT THE SHOW IF WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM A SATISFACTORY ANSWER.

SO, WITH GEORGE'S PERMISSION, I WROTE THEM BACK SAYING THAT OUR CONTRACT WITH MR. TAKIE WAS BASED ON THE KELLOGG-BRIAND TREATY OF 1925 IN WHICH JAPAN GOT THREE BATTLESHIPS FOR EVERY FIVE THAT GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES GOT. I PROMISED THAN THAT ON THAT BASIS MR. TAKEI WOULD RECEIVE THREE GIRLS FOR EVERY FIVE THAT KIRK AND MCCOY GOT. IT MUST HAVE SEEMED LIKE A REASONABLE ANSWER BECAUSE WE NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN.

One incident occurred with George that points out the unexpected problems that arise, simply in writing ideas into a script. during the rewrite session on "The Naked Time" by John D. F. Black (a story in which a disease is brought aboard the ship--a disease that strips away inhibitions and reveals the "core" of each person), someone suggested it would be funny if Sulu, as an Oriental secretly wanted to be the French swordsman, D'Artagnan. Gene thought it was a wild idea, so it was written into the script.

Little did anyone suspect that Oriental George Takei really did want to be a French swordsman! During the six days of filming, George continually wandered around the sets, lunging and parrying with his sword. The crew ultimately threatened to quit, en masse, if anyone ever gave Takei a sword again!