To Be Takei (2014) - full transcript

Damn it.

How are you going to be

in the George Takei
documentary like this?

Oh.

I forgot about that.

Oh, that's right, the
George Takei documentary.

All right, let's
get that over with.

Sorry.

Sweet Pea got scared.

Walk as fast as possible,
so our camera man

has to run to catch up with us.



Well, no.

I'm doing the
natural, normal thing.

Normal, normalcy.

That should be the title of the
film... George Takei, Normalcy.

You don't normally
walk this fast.

I always do this.

You know, this is our house.

- No.
- This is our...

No.

It's all right.

This is our house.

They're not filming
in front of our house.

He gets so nervous.

At 11:00 AM you have
a voice over...



You need to polish your speech
you're giving on Sunday.

Julius Caesar...

Yeah, we can rehearse Julius Caesar.

You can see with your TV's

three color technology.

As if we planned this

But you can see this.

Whoa!

Oh, my.

Quattron from Sharp.

You have to see it to see it.

Wow, another
residual check coming in.

We're a good fit because
Brad is detail orientated.

But he sometimes gets a little
overwhelmed and pessimistic.

That footage that you got
this morning of me having

a temper tantrum,
I'm more willing...

To have a take two.

He worries more when
I'm on stage than I do.

He's a nervous wreck,
and he knows it.

The best that you will
get involving Brad Altman

is when I'm actually
talking about the process

of making the film.

See, he talks in the third person.

If you only think the film
is about removing the process,

actually the process is the
most interesting part to me.

I told him, why did
you get involved with me

when I make you so nervous?

He says, he loves me.

Oh what do you know?

There's a billboard
with Bill Shatner,

and he's got this tape over his
mouth, as well there should be.

Speaking of fat alcoholics,
good evening, Bill.

My name is George
Takei, not Tak-i

as you've insisted
on pronouncing

it for the last 40 years.

Remember, Tak-a like in toupee.

I don't have a relationship
with George Takei.

I haven't seen
him in many years.

I knew him briefly and very
casually about 50 years ago.

The original group
of people that we had

were trained, professional
people who had a good chemistry

and knew how to do their work.

And they came to work
ready, prepared, and looking

to make a contribution
to every episode.

And that describes George.

When I walked in to Gene
Roddenberry's office,

he described the series that
I was being interviewed for,

a starship out in space
with a multiethnic crew.

And I desperately
wanted that role.

A couple weeks later,
my agent called

to tell me that I was cast.

I was overjoyed.

Trouble aboard the Klingon
ship, evidence of explosions,

massive destruction.

This is when we were
watching a zenith, you know,

with the clicker.

And there weren't many
Asians on television,

so when George would come on,
it would be a special thing.

We'd yell.

And he wasn't Korean, but
he was Asian, you know.

It's also sort
of groundbreaking to see,

for something of that era,
an Asian guy who's A, hot, B,

has agency, shoots a
gun every now and then.

And he was kind of a sex symbol.

Hey, why don't you come
down to the gym with me?

Can you, my lad?

Now I don't know if there was
gay subplots, or what it was,

or you know.

I had a crush on Mr. Sulu.

And you know we were always
trying to read things.

And you know the
deal was that Captain

Kirk was not a man's man.

I mean, he had his macho,
but he was always in torment.

Mr. Sulu, there's nothing there.

I don't think there
was any relationship

between Kirk and Sulu.

I mean it was go left, go right,
and on to the next adventure.

Hard to port, Mr. Sulu.

All power, Mr. Sulu.

Maximum now, Sir.

She's spiking.

So I hate to make this joke,

but you're kind of the helmsman.

I'm a terrestrial helmsman,
as well as the galactic one.

And put to rest all that
stereotype about Asian drivers.

And I was the best
helmsman in the galaxy.

Hello, Jerry.

Your turn, George.

Nice to see you.

Welcome back.

Good.

Always good to be back.

Nice to have you back.

George was the Class
of 1956 at LA High.

You were Class of 1957?

-'56

Oh, you guys were
the same class.

Same class.

Same class, right.

No.

No.

But you guys knew each other.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Glee club.

I mean, glee class.

George was in the drama department.

One of those.

And I was in the choir.

We were the theatre.

They were musical people.

That's right.

Exactly.

LA High prepares you

well for this big,
exciting, challenging world.

How long have you and
Diane been married, Jerry?

In July it will be 46 years.

I tell my friends 46,000.

It feels much longer, I know.

Well, next year will
be Brad and my being

together for 25 years.

That's a long time.

A quarter century.

Oh, it feels much longer.

See, he talks like you do.

Same thing, you know.

Yep.

George, what's your
acceptance speech going

to be at the dinner
that's honoring you?

I was just thinking, I got
to start preparing my speech.

The 2011 Visionary Award
to Mr. George Takei.

Mr. George Takei.

George Takei.

Mr. George Takei.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

This is a glorious day.

Thank you very much
for that warm welcome.

On December 7 of 1941, the US
was bombed by the Japanese.

And that plunged
into World War II.

Flash... the Japanese attack

on Pearl Harbor.

Japan struck

first and declared
war afterwards.

When the Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor,

our West Coast became a
potential combat zone.

Living in that zone are
more than 100,000 persons

of Japanese ancestry,
but no one knew

what would happen among
this concentrated population

if Japanese forces
invade our shores.

My life has
been transformed almost as

fantastically as science
fiction, because as a boy,

I looked out on the
world imprisoned

behind the barbed wire fences
of American internment camps.

We were incarcerated
simply because we happened

to look like the people
that bombed Pearl Harbor.

In 1942, President
Franklin D Roosevelt

signed Executive
Order 9066 which

ordered all Japanese-Americans
on the West Coast

to be summarily rounded up
and put in 10 barbed wire

internment camps in some of
the most God-forsaken, desolate

places in this country with
no charges, with no trial.

The pillar of our justice
system, due process,

just disappeared.

Shopkeepers lost their
shops, the stock.

Farmers lost their farms.

And all our bank
accounts were frozen.

It was catastrophic event
for Japanese Americans.

I'll never be able to
forget that scary day when

two American soldiers
with bayonets shining

on their rifles came stomping
up to the front door of our Los

Angeles home to
order my family out.

When they came,
we picked up what

we could carry and
walked out of the house.

I remember tears were streaming
down my mother's cheek.

We were taken downtown
to Union Station

and loaded onto trains
with armed guards

at both ends of each
car like prisoners.

And we were transported 2/3
of the way across the country

to the swamps of Arkansas.

I'll never forget those barbed
wire fences that confined us.

I still remember those
tall sentry towers

with machine guns pointed at us.

I remember the searchlights
that followed me

when I made the night
runs to the latrine.

It became normal for me to
line up three times a day

to eat lousy food in
a noisy mess hall.

It became normal for me
to go to school every day

in a black tar paper barrack.

There they taught us the Pledge
of Allegiance to the flag.

I could see the barbed wire
fence and the sentry tower

right outside my
schoolhouse window

as I recited the words
"with liberty and justice

for all," irony that
I didn't understand.

George has this experience
in the back of him.

And for anyone to go
through this experience

and still love this
country, that's something.

My father took
a leadership position in camp.

It was block manager.

I remember we wanted
our daddy to ourselves.

And how come Daddy had to go to
meetings and other activities

that were other
people's business

and not be with us,
particularly during

those horrific thunderstorms.

We all clinged on to my mother.

And the thunder was
breaking ripping up the sky.

And no Daddy, Daddy was out
there helping other people.

My father, I'd say, was
the kindest person on Earth.

If someone said or did
something that would be hurtful,

he was the type of
person who was so patient

and would turn the other cheek
and then would continue on.

My father was
born in Japan, near Tokyo.

And he was brought
to the United States

when he was about 10 years old.

And so he was educated and
reared in San Francisco.

And he always considered
himself a San Franciscan.

He went to business school and
he was in the cleaning business

when the internment came.

My mother was born
in Sacramento.

In those days, they had
segregated education.

And my grandfather
didn't like that,

so he sent all his children to
Japan to get their education.

I was born right
here in Los Angeles.

My parents met here.

I was named after
King George VI,

incidentally, because my
father was an Anglophile.

George, I think, is
closer to my mother.

Even in childhood, she and
my brother George were close.

My mother would go
out of her way to say,

my son is George Takei.

If they asked, am
I George's sister,

I'd say, yeah and
just drop it at that.

I'm not into the celebrity bit.

I've never been.

Oh my goodness.

They're lining up outside.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I met George a couple years ago

and told him about the
Kevin Keller character.

And he was really
supportive of it.

Since he's the first openly
gay Archie character,

it just seemed sort of like
a natural sort of storyline

that Kevin would be
inspired by George.

Hello.

How are you?

That's very impressive.

Thank you.

Can you put "oh, my" on there.

Oh, my.

Life is reality TV.

For the rest of your
life, you're a young man.

And what's going to
happen is pretty soon you

just pretend the
cameras aren't there.

That's how I do it.

You determine your destiny.

I don't believe in negativity.

If I did believe it,
that usually comes true.

I, in my own life, have
been the beneficiary

of an optimistic view of life.

My life today is much better
than when I was a child.

There you are.

Thank you very much.

My pleasure.

I appreciate it.

Good to see you.

Good night.

In about the fifth
or sixth grade,

I was already finding
other boys much

more interesting and exciting.

I knew that that
wasn't what boys

were supposed to get excited by.

Certainly the other guys
didn't, so I held that in.

At the drugstore, they
had this magazine stand.

And you find that
on the far reaches,

there are these
muscle magazines.

And some of those posing
straps were very brief.

You really don't put
a name on it yet.

You know, it was
just the way I felt.

And I was different
from everybody else.

No one else felt like that.

Then you go to a summer camp.

And there was a counselor
who was, I thought, gorgeous.

He was blond.

And one night I was in the
cabin, and he came in to visit.

And he was a very friendly.

And that was the first time.

And it was both frightening
and exciting and delicious and

terrifying, a new sensation,
a very confusing feeling.

And then, you know,
you start remembering

the delicious part of it more.

And you start thinking, maybe
that's what I really like.

I'm George Takei.

I need to talk to you about
something very important,

marriage equality.

What defines a marriage isn't
necessarily man and a women

because of what you said.

It's the bond of love.

Marriage was our theme,
not what you said, sir.

And we're protecting our marriage.

I reject that.

This is a civil rights issue, and it

doesn't happen overnight.

Some of the people I've
worked with 25 years,

I love them, dearest in the
world, live a gay lifestyle.

It's not a lifestyle.

It's an orientation.

I am confident that
Proposition Eight will be gone

before the end of the
year, and marriage equality

will be back in California.

How do two men
consummate a marriage?

Give me a break.

It's all about love.

And that's what I say to
people that don't understand.

It's about love.

That was a great stop at
JR's Convenience Store.

George, are you ready to
go up the mountain now?

It's going to be a thrilling
ascent to the mid-level.

Check surroundings far safety.

Can you open the Fritos please?

Oh, the rainbow's getting paler now.

Oh.

Well all rainbows
eventually disappear.

Mm-hmm.

As do pots of gold.

Our pots of gold in here.

Take my hand.

The Buddhist belief

is that we're who we are
only for a brief moment,

and then we go back to being
part of a larger whole.

And what a glorious
whole to be a part of.

Do you want me to hold this?

Okay.

I'm going to read something, okay.

"Dear Mom, George
and I are standing

here at the Mogollon Rim
to scatter your ashes."

Oh my god.

Just like your dad.

Okay, you do it.

They want to be part of us.

-"Having your ashes
scattered at this

location is very appropriate.

You loved mountains."

Don't hold me.

Well, I'm going to have to hold you.

It's dangerous.

"You loved to backpack
in the high country.

When I was seven years old we
hiked the 250 mile long John

Muir trail in the High Sierra.

My mother, Vera Eleanor
Altman, we love you."

Well some of it should
go into the canyon.

Well it's too late.

It's too dangerous.

Oh, I just got some in my eye.

She got in my eye too.

This is exactly where
my dad's ashes are.

Now my mom's ashes are here.

So being at this beautiful
place, my mom and my dad

would be happy that George and I
could come here in future years

and reflect on my parents.

I told my mom when I
was like 16, I'm gay.

And you know what
my mom told me?

I'm gay also.

I had all my aunts
growing up, you know.

And later it turned
out that my aunts

weren't really officially aunts.

They were my mom's girlfriends.

Coming out was very
challenging and full

of angst and all
that stuff for me

personally because
I had all the fears

that my parents
wouldn't accept me.

I never really considered
the straight lifestyle,

to call it a lifestyle.

It's not a lifestyle.

I know.

It's an orientation.

And it should not...
I always correct

people when they say lifestyle.

I was doing gay quote marks.

And it was the irony.

No, but you shouldn't use lifestyle.

Okay.

How can we correct other people...

I just went through a
very emotional experience.

Do I not... do I get five
minutes without being lectured?

No.

I'm just...

This is on camera.

I thought we'd do
some good material.

But we have a long journey ahead
of us, so we should get going.

He had a hard time losing his mom.

And when he came here, we had
to go over to the mortuary

to sign some stuff.

She was being
cremated, but you still

have to go through
that rigmarole.

And I said, can we see her?

And the guy said, sure.

And so he brought her out.

And then we went into that room.

And it just knocked him flat.

I think it was the
realization that she

was not going to
be there anymore.

It's hard.

It was hard for me.

There wasn't a day while my mom was

living that I didn't call her.

I had a daily phone... a daily
phone conversation with my mom

my whole life.

So that would show
a special bond

that a gay son would
have with his mother.

And I definitely had that.

That may be a cliche,
but I definitely

felt that intensity with my mom.

Do you want to go
to dinner first?

No, no, no.

Let's unload and wash up.

Yeah, especially after
having my mom on my hands.

And all over me.

Yeah.

And I think your mom's going
to be at the cleaners too.

In high school, I
was on the track team,

but I was not as an
athlete, as the manager.

Even in those days, I
was very detail orientated.

And running was never anything
I really thought about.

But then I guess in my mid-20s
I started running socially

because I joined a gay
and lesbian running club.

This was before I
officially came out,

but you know still
out and about.

And I was at a gay bar and
they had these free newspapers.

And there was an article
on a gay running club.

And I thought, hm,
I'll check that out.

I remember the Silver
Lake Reservoir, running,

and there was George, but I
don't remember when he first

said... or I first recognized him
as that actor from Star Trek.

I heard the whispering.

They recognized me.

I don't remember being overwhelmed

in the sense of being
impressed or anything.

There was one guy who was
a fantastic marathoner.

And I thought Brad
could train me.

We were in San Francisco,
and we ran together

for two hours in pounding rain.

And then we went
back to the hotel.

And we were sharing
a room, but we

hadn't done anything
at that point.

You know, it was just awkward
that we weren't doing anything.

And then I just realized
that there was something

about George that I liked a lot.

Well, I've never told
anybody that story.

It's not really a
very good story,

but it happens to be my life.

So life isn't always
about stories.

That's what happened.

Did that answer your question?

My question for you is... what
was the transition like going

back to California... you're
from California... going back

to California from Southeast
Arkansas and the internment

camps that you
were imprisoned in?

Well actually a
year into internment,

they came down with
what they called

the loyalty questionnaire.

It asked, "Will you swear your
loyalty to the United States

of America and
forswear your loyalty

to the Emperor of Japan."

If you answered yes,
you were fessing up

that you had been
loyal to the Emperor.

And so that justified
the internment.

My parents said, they took my
business, our home, my freedom.

But the one thing they're
not going to take from me

is my dignity.

And so they answered
no to that question.

And they were deemed disloyal.

Because of the answer
that they gave,

we were sent to the high
security camp, Tule Lake

which was in
northern California.

Three layers of
barbed wire fences

and about a half a dozen tanks
patrolling the perimeter.

It was a much, much
more terrorizing place.

There is a Japanese
word called gaman

that means to
endure with dignity,

to have fortitude under the
most adverse circumstances.

I think my parents had
to have that in order

to go through those
terrible years

that we were incarcerated.

The musical that
we're working on,

"Allegiance," deals with that.

A musical.

Why a musical?

A musical about internment,
that's quite a challenge.

It began as if it were prophetic.

We went to an
off-Broadway production.

We sat down.

There are two guys
in front of us.

And we were talking
about the play

that we'd seen the night before.

We hear two people behind us
talking about "Title of Show."

And I hear a voice, well the
next show we're going to see

is "Title of Show."

So I turned around because
the voice was so interesting.

And I said, oh you're going
to love "Title of Show."

And I stopped mid sentence.

Which I'm like, why are
you stopping talking?

He was like, turn around.

One of the guys in front
of us recognized my voice

and turned around said,
you're George Takei.

Aren't you?

The next night we went to see
the Tony award winning musical,

"In the Heights."

And who should be in
our row, but George Takei

and his husband Brad.

It was such a huge coincidence.

That's the way George tells it.

Near the end of the first act, there's

a moving song sung by the father.

George is watching
intensely, and just tears

just streaming down his face.

I'm a softy at these tear jerkers.

I said, Mr. Takei.

I'm just so curious.

During that song, the
father was singing.

Why were you so emotional?

For some odd reason, that song took

me back to our Arkansas camp.

And Jay said, you know I'm thinking

about writing a musical.

That's a great subject.

I feel him twitching next to me.

And I'm like, are you
thinking what I'm thinking?

So we got together for
dinner the next night.

And we had sort of
a kind of a draft

of a concept for the show.

A couple of weeks later he
sent a song titled "Allegiance."

You call me a traitor,

your eyes full of shame.

You ask me to swear
my allegiance again.

This country...

I heard it and I was bawling
because I saw my father

and his both anguish
and pride and refusal

to grovel before
this government.

So I say no.

She must show her
allegiance first.

Will he?

This is crazy.

No one's going to
see this thing.

Don't you hear how
boring this is?

Or do you...

You weren't there.

You know very little about it.

If you just make the whole movie me,

then people will go watch it.

If you start talking about
that Japanese internment camp,

we're ruined.

Not Japanese, Japanese-American.

Right.

We were in an American,
US, internment camp.

But George, I'm doing a radio show.

I have to abbreviate it.

Be idiosyncratic.

Right.

And nobody cares.

Or idiotic.

Was it hard to be a
Japanese-American and get into

acting?

I'm sorry.

Was it hard being
a Japanese-American

and getting into... raise your
hands, so we can see you.

Right there at the back.

See him back there?

Oh, you are born an actor.

And my parents knew
that from the time

I was a little child because
they'd have friends over

and suddenly this
bouncing, singing, dancing

show-off child would appear.

And he'd say, I
learned how to say

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Would you like me
to do it for you?

And I'd perform.

So my parents knew from a
very early stage of my life

that they were
saddled with a ham.

My father knew that
I was passionate

about acting and theatre.

But he told me, look at TV.

Look at the movies.

Look at kind of roles
that Asians are playing.

But you know, I was a young,
arrogant, idealistic kid.

And I said, Daddy, I'm
going to change it.

I was a student at the
University of California

at Berkeley, and I
didn't have a summer job.

And my father was looking
through the newspaper.

He said, here's an
ad where they're

casting voices for this
Japanese monster film.

I had to match the lip
movement of the actor

speaking in Japanese.

These Rodan are reptiles, a
member of the snake family.

That was my
first paying gig as an actor.

Look, over there.

It's Rodan.

When I was doing the dubbing,

I met this theatrical agent.

And he said, you're
a talented young man.

I'd like to represent you.

About four or five months
later he called and said,

I've got an audition for you.

And it's for "Playhouse 90."

It was classiest 90 minute
live drama on television.

I wish to see my
father and my sister.

I was nervous, but the nervousness

helped me bring some tears
glimmering in my eyes.

They say the Americans
are the conquerors.

And the conquerors
are the mighty.

And the mighty are the right.

Well, that will be taken care of.

Tomorrow you'll be free.

I would like to have you train
my men in hand to hand combat.

I am simple Japanese gardener.

I am willing to pay $25,000 in cash.

I did two Jerry Lewis comedies.

Initially I did not
want to do that.

But my agent, Japanese-American
agent, Fred Ishimoto

said that Jerry Lewis
is big, big box office.

And that is going to be
good for your career.

I said, but Fred.

Look at the roles.

I mean these are
the kind of roles

that we didn't want to do.

He says, if you really want
to make your career ascend,

you've got to do
some parts like this.

Speak!

You coward, speak!

It was the plastic.

It's not hot enough.

You pass for inspection too.

It... it... it was an accident.

I regret that.

I'm sorry I did it.

I don't think it really
helped my career.

No, no no, no, no, no!

The history of television include

a lot of racial stereotyping.

And that racial
stereotyping played

a very conflicted role
in my self esteem.

I remember that, as an Asian-American,

you always felt a real
strong sense of excitement

when you saw Asian people on TV.

And what's amazing to me now
is how often those Asian people

that you saw on TV
were embarrassing.

George is this kind
of beacon of dignity,

in my eyes, that shines
through all of that.

My home is in Hanoi.

I go home to someday.

You see.

First, heroes.

Then go home.

John Wayne was the great American hero.

And I walked in, and there...
He looked exactly like the John

Wayne that we saw on the screen.

He said, I want the
best people we can have.

And I want to have you.

Easy, Charlie.

While we were filming,
he called me Captain Sulu.

I said, no, no.

On Star Trek I'm
playing Lieutenant Sulu.

He says, you're a captain
in this movie, Captain Nim.

And so you're going
to be a captain.

He was very prophetic.

It is a lovey-dovey day.

Yes.

The temperature is perfect.

Do you want to go to the left or
do you want to go to the right?

Well I ordinarily in
life I go to the left,

but I think to the right.

I think it's dangerous to go to the right.

I will go...

Yeah, that's a good idea.

I wanted to go in a different direction.

Well this is the way I like to go.

And the loving you
accommodates me.

Right?

All the time.

George is the love of my life.

I'm proud of him.

I've heard that before.

He's... he's wonderful.

Well if you see him
talking to me sometimes,

you wouldn't think so.

I didn't understand that answer.

He's argumentative, and I'm defensive.

Notice every time George
says something serious

about our
relationship, he always

laughs immediately afterward.

What does that mean?

I don't know.

I think is psychological.

I find it amusing, like bringing joy.

Like he'll say, notice Brad's gained

a few, some weight over the decades.

Ha ha ha.

Well that is funny.

I find it eminently amusing.

Well maybe I don't.

I'm sorry.

I'm very sensitive about it.

Oh I miss Reine when I see these dogs.

Would you like to have a pet?

We would love to have a pet.

We had a Papillon dog.

We're gay... gay men, single.

Of course we'd love to have pets.

We have Reine in our
bedroom, her ashes.

La Reine Blanche.

The White Queen.

Usually when we're talking to
journalists, this segue ways

into the question...
Well you once had a dog.

Why don't you have children?

Taking on a child where same
sex relationships were anathema

wouldn't be fair to the child.

I don't... I don't agree with you.

I mean in the kind
of environment

that... all your life you've
been a pioneer and a trailblazer

for civil liberties for people.

It would have been great
for you to be a model for...

No, but it was inconceivable.

If I came out back
then, do you think

my career would be
where it is now?

I have no idea.

It would not.

McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O.
I understand you

have top secret clearance.

Yeah, I learned early
to keep my mouth shut.

I was doing television
series guest appearances,

and I wanted to protect
that by not being out.

I was closeted.

I don't think I'm cut
out for this kind of work.

I faked a lot.

I went to parties
with beards, women.

It's putting on a
facade, which also means

putting on another
layer of tension.

And there's always that
fear of making a mistake,

letting something slip out.

I don't feel well.

What am I doing here?

I've got to get out of here.

Box office, ratings, all equate
to survival in the business.

If you're known as who you
are, there are consequences.

And you might as
well forget that.

And so that adds to
another layer of tension.

I can't imagine what it would be

like to have to
hide that identity.

I really can't imagine it.

It just seems so
difficult, so draining

and tiring and dis-spiriting.

Brad knew that it
was necessary in order

for me to have a viable career.

Brad was incredibly
supportive and understanding.

And that tension wasn't there.

He was in one
of those internment camps

during World War II
when he was a kid.

You're kidding.

He's angry then.

No, he says he has
a pretty good sense of humor.

There he is.
Hold it.

I'm looking at him.

I'm looking at him right now.

There he is.

That's you, man.

Hi, good to be here.

Listen to your voice.

What a set of pipes on you.

Well thank you.

He says, oh, you
have a deep voice.

Anyone with a voice that
that deep has to have...

Genitals the size of Tokyo.

And I said, I beg your pardon.

Are we on the air?

You are so masculine.

I just want you to wrap
me up in your arms.

You don't want
someone to accuse you of homo.

I don't mind being homo.

You're kind of cute yourself.

Really?
You don't go that way, do you?

You're not a homosexual?

No, no.

No, no.

Not with a voice like that.

In 1990, when George
was denying he was gay,

it was... it was...
It was fantastic.

It was great radio.

Everyone... I mean
deaf people knew.

Blind people knew.

Everyone in America knew
George Takei was gay.

And he's going around,
I'm a perfectly straight.

In fact, I got a letter after
that interview from the Pope

himself, who said that
guy's as gay as gay can be.

I thought I was a
pretty good actor.

I want to touch you.

Stop, or I'll shoot.

I don't want to have
to kill a woman.

I have a question about filming Star Trek.

What was your favorite episode to film?

Oh, my favorite one from the TV series

is "Naked Time" where I got
unchained from that console

and got a chance to whip my shirt off

and accost everybody with my fencing foil.

The writer came down
on the set and told me

he was thinking of putting
a Samurai sword in my hand.

I said, well that's interesting.

When I was kid I saw Errol Flynn
in "The Adventures of Robin

Hood," and I was
swept away by that.

So why not put a fencing
foil in Sulu's hand

rather than being so
ethnically defined.

He said, that's a great idea.

Do you fence?

George was scaring the
hell out of everybody.

He was around there
rehearsing, pulling this sword

and swinging.

People were ducking.

I recently read an article
about a conversation

you had with Gene Roddenberry
about having an openly gay

or lesbian character
on Star Trek.

Could you talk a
little bit about that.

I talked around the issue with Gene.

I said, you know we've dealt
with many controversial issues

using science fiction
as the metaphor...

The Vietnam War that was
tearing the country apart,

the Cold War that
had the Soviet Union

and the US threatening each with
nuclear annihilation, the Civil

Rights movement, but we've
not addressed the gay issue.

I do remember him saying, I don't

think we will get to the point
where we'll see two men walking

hand in hand down the
corridors of the Enterprise.

On the other hand,
we may come to learn

about a homosexual relationship.

Oh, those Fansies.

That's when we discovered
that people are looking at it

with a different
eye, particularly

the relationship
between Spock and Kirk.

In doing research for this,

I came upon the homoerotic
imagery that's around.

I wondered if you...

There were
drawings of Kirk and Spock

embracing and very muscular.

Wearing?

Most of them
were barely clothed.

Barely clothed.

Barely clothed, like loin cloth.

Where did you find this material?

Just all over the internet.

I have seen a little bit of it.

The relationship between
Spock and Kirk was intense.

And I think it was always
intended to be platonic,

but I can see where some
fans would go there.

They called it slash
comics, I think.

Slash.

Yes.

Yes.

When somebody told me about
them, I was astonished.

One of the magazines

had me as a centerfold.

It was realistic enough for
me to be quite credible,

but it was exaggerated enough
for me to feel flattered.

You know, at the beginning
of each episode we announced

that we were boldly going
on a five year mission.

Well that five year mission was
aborted by the real Klingons,

the programming
executives at NBC.

Our ratings were low from
the very first season

on, so they had the numbers
to justify cancellation.

My colleagues all
said, we're stereotyped

in the science fiction genre.

And I figured well if that's
going to be, the thing to do

is to commit myself to
working in a whole totally

different arena.

When our councilman, Tom
Bradley, ran for mayor,

I became the chair of
the Asian-Americans

for Tom Bradley.

And he became the first
African-American mayor

of Los Angeles.

But that was a vacancy
in the city council seat.

And so I decided,
well this is part

of what being active
in the public arena is,

so I threw my hat in the ring.

It was an exciting
and exhausting and

exhilarating and
enervating experience.

On election night,
it was a sliver.

I think it was like 3,000
votes that I lost by.

Hello out there.

I'm Mr. Sulu of Star Trek.

When I'm out in space,
I use the Starship

Enterprise to get around.

When I'm here in
Milwaukee, I ride

the bus to save time and money.

When Mayor Tom Bradley asked
me to serve on the Southern

California Rapid
Transit District Board,

it was an area where I thought
I could make a contribution.

Mayor Bradley's
mandate was to get

started on building
a subway system.

It was challenging,
but I also like

to think that I was able to
bring a great deal of support

from the public.

I was appointed in '72 and
then I resigned in '83.

By that time, the
Star Trek movies

were becoming a
series of movies.

And I wanted to
be a part of that.

Captain.

There we were in that
circular bridge set.

It was a thrilling
coming home of sorts.

Warp speed, Mr. Sulu.

Star Fleet was
supposed to be a meritocracy.

And sure enough, with each
film we became commanders.

And there was Sulu
at the console.

He may have been a
commander, but still

saying, aye-aye,
sir, warp three.

But when the script
for Star Trek Six came,

there on the front
page is Captain Sulu.

I was blown away.

Star date 9521.6, Captain's log USS

Excelsior, Hikari Sulu commanding.

I do remember one moment
in which he said to me,

I'm going to be the captain
and be on another ship.

I was astonished that
a character, an actor,

a knowledgeable
actor, would want

to be removed from where
all the action was.

At that climactic
point when Captain Kirk is

about to be blown away to
smithereens by that Klingon

captain, out of the
darkened galaxy sky

comES the Starship
Excelsior with Captain Sulu.

Target that explosion and fire.

Thus saving the Enterprise
and Captain Kirk.

Thank you, Captain Sulu.

Don't mention it, Captain Kirk.

That's the Captain Sulu movie.

Right now cloudy skies and
light rain around the area.

We have 48 degrees
in Seattle at 4:16.

Take us in, Jane.

Take us in, or beam us up.

Or what is it?

Okay, we have a very special
guest in the studio.

It is the man everyone
knows as Sulu.

How you doing?

Well, it's always good to be in Seattle,

even when it's wet and cold.

You're appearing at Comicon here in Seattle.

George Takei, what a thrill.

Brad or somebody lead the way.

I don't know where we're going.

I wasn't too impressed
with that green room, Gary.

These people are all ready here.

You can start signing.

George, this is Paul.

Paul.

Jessie's next, and then Mark.

This is how much
we're charging today.

Every time George signs
a signature, that's $35.

That's 60, 80, and 100.

And you have your photo?

Okay, great.

Okay, that's $70 even.

This is the tick sheet.

And every time we
sign a signature,

we tick it off so that
at the end of the day,

the promoter knows exactly how
many signatures he's given.

No, you're in front, right?

I'm sorry.

This is the contract.

I always keep it on my body.

And then there's no
misunderstandings when

the promoters suddenly say,
oh I don't recall that detail.

Well then let me pull
out the contract.

I know it's tough,
but if you can

squeeze down as
tight as possible.

You have to move
them down faster.

Move them down faster over here.

Normally you know how
warm and friendly I am.

At the conventions,
I get a little cold.

You'll see me very focused.

You want George to
sign that for you?

My job is to make George
not worry about the details.

I think about
everything in advance.

I become what we
call the Klingon

in the business, kind
of the tough guy.

I'm the one that's going
to make sure that George

can always be
friendly to the fans.

My pleasure.

Well you guys came in full regalia.

Yes.

We do what we can.

That's partly a control thing.

I like to show that I can control.

You can control diplomatically
and with a smile on your face.

Yeah, that face.

Where's the mirror?

You're so adorable.

Okay, even change.

Thanks a lot.

On behalf of the Rebel Legion, we

would like to
formally induct you

as an honorary member
in our... in our club.

So we'd like to present
you with this plaque.

Oh, it's handsome.

Very nice.

Come on down.

You should come by and
see our booth tomorrow.

We are actually just right over there.

So it's not to far away.

Great.

So when it closes down, come see us

and take a picture with us.

All right, we'll do that.

It's kind of unseemly business
to show him stuffing money

into my thing at the end of
the day, but it's how we do it.

Oh my goodness.

My voice is giving out on me.

I'll give you a long distance hug.

Hi, Wil.

Just great.

It's good to see you.

You have gained weight.

You need to work on that.

Well I work out a little bit.

Really?

George does that to me
all the time too, but...

You're like... you're like
an athlete under there?

Well you've got to maintain.

George, you know you
really embarrassed Wil.

You're not doing goodwill when
you do that sort of thing.

Oh, I'm sorry.

No, you're not sorry.

Well he is a little...

He has a thing about people's weight.

He loves to attack people
for being overweight.

I can't believe that.

Yeah, I know.

It's hard to believe.

And now I'm going to get
back to something interesting.

Just ask me a question, George,
about Japanese internment.

All right.

When did I come out of
the internment camp?

You were nine.

I was eight.

All right.

Close enough.

I wish they'd lock them
back up in that camp.

I don't know where that camp
is, but please lock him up.

When it
came time for us to leave,

it was such a shocking feeling
because camp became home.

And to be leaving,
it was painful.

I got my understanding
of hate and prejudice

when we came out
of those internment

camp barbed wire fences.

My parents decided to
go back to Los Angeles.

Housing was impossible.

Jobs were very difficult to get.

Our first home was on Skid Row,
and that was terrifying to us.

My father's first job
was as a dishwasher

in a Chinatown restaurant.

Only other Asians would hire us.

Even when I started school, I
had a teacher who continually

called me the Jap
boy, which stung.

And so I wanted to
hide the fact that I

was of Japanese ancestry,
but I couldn't hide it.

After Skid Row, my father got
a cleaner's shop in East LA.

And he bought a radio for us.

And I heard "Don't Fence Me In."

By that time, I was
understanding what those barbed

wire fences meant, and that song
had a double meaning for me.

Oh give me land, lots
of land, under starry skies

above.

Don't fence me in.

Let me ride through to the
wide open country that I love.

Don't fence me in.

Let me be by myself
in the evening breeze.

I listen to the murmur
of the cottonwood trees.

Send me off forever, but I ask
you please, don't fence me in.

Come on.

Come on.

Sturdy and sure, keep
faith and endure.

I will tell you this.

I... you know damn
it because I know

this is what you're
going to use.

See now I'm starting to sweat
because this is the truth.

This is a musical.

Well George Takei, he's
not a professional singer.

Even when all hope seems gone.

He has a loud voice, but I wouldn't

say his voice is a
voice that stays in key.

Come on.

But he does sing in "Allegiance."

And maybe he'll be
able to pull it off.

It's a high risk business.

This has been a
pretty insane process,

as I'm sure George has told
you too, of workshopping

a brand new musical
from scratch.

All the things that happened
then, I'd sooner forget.

Then you must come
with me, begin again, Sam.

The play is essentially a
memory play of that internment

experience and how damaging
the internment was.

How destructive it was.

I'm tired of this, Gloria.

Can't you stay dead
like a normal person?

Come on.

Come on.

It's just one of those
lessons that today's generation

of Americans can learn
from where you marginalize

a group of people based
purely on how they look.

And you know there is
always that tendency

for that to happen.

There are
enough glorious chapters

in our history books, but
there's more that Americans can

learn from the points in
history where we faltered.

And we need to know how
we dealt with those issues

if we're going to
succeed as a nation.

I've been active in
the redress movement

to advocate for a formal
apology from the United

States government.

And I testified at the
congressional hearing on that.

I do remember the
barbed wire fence

from which my parents
warned me to stay away.

I remember the sight
of high guard towers.

I remember soldiers
carrying rifles.

And I remember being afraid.

And as we testified... as
much as I wanted to make sure

that it didn't
become so emotional,

it's hard to prevent.

We lost our businesses.

We lost our farms.

But worst of all, we lost
our most basic human rights.

We gather here today
to right a grave wrong.

The legislation that
I'm about to sign

provides for a
restitution payment

to each of the 60,000 survivors.

There's no doubt that
George has been very

helpful in the whole issue
of getting redress passed.

When President
Clinton was elected,

he appointed me to the
US-Japan Friendship Commission.

Because of that, I was
recognized by the government

of Japan with the Order
of the Rising Sun.

We could have gotten the
medal here in Los Angeles,

but we thought if
we went to Tokyo,

it would be granted by the
Emperor at the Imperial Palace.

And wouldn't that be a
fantastic experience.

The honorees were all
there with their spouses.

And we were taken on a bus.

And we all filed out.

But the Chamberlain... but when
he saw that my partner was

a male, he said, he
cannot step off the bus.

You have to stay on the bus.

And we said, well
he's my partner.

And he said, it's
only married couples

that are allowed to come
into the Imperial Palace.

I looked at Brad,
and he looked at me.

And he turned around and
went back into the bus.

Literally, I had
to stay on the bus.

And I couldn't go
into the Palace

and watch George get
this distinguished award.

I'm not that eloquent to say
what that meant to me, but it...

It felt horrible.

It was very unfair.

It was a painful moment there.

Almost 3,200 same sex couples

have tied the knot at the
San Francisco City Hall.

But state law says that marriage
is between a man and a woman.

Mark Leno, a gay member
of the State Assembly,

has introduced legislation
to change that.

My office, working with
Equality California,

decided it would
be a perfect time

to put before the
California Legislature

an Equal Marriage Rights Bill.

Both houses of our legislature,
the Assembly and the Senate,

passed a same sex marriage bill.

The only other signature that
was needed for that to become

the law of the state
was the signature

of the Governor,
Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And when he ran for
governor, his rhetoric

was I'm from Hollywood.

I've worked with
gays and lesbians.

Some of my best friends
are, that whole thing.

And so I was confident that
he was going to sign it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it.

You don't believe in gay marriage,

but you just said now to me that you

don't have a problem with it.

That seems...

I don't have a problem with it.

I'm against it, but I
have no problem with it.

So you are against it still.

No, I have no problem with it.

I was shocked and aghast

when Arnold Schwarzenegger
vetoed that bill.

I had been closeted publicly.

And that's when I decided
that I needed to speak out.

A Star Trek
star's stunning secret.

I started noticing boys.

And they were more
interesting to me than girls.

Sulu comes out of the closet.

I thought, good for him.

I Got a sense that it was a
healthy thing for him to do.

And an important
thing for him to do.

I wish George had been
in a place in his life

where he could have
been out much earlier.

You know it would
have helped me.

My brother was a
huge Star Trek fan.

Maybe that would have greased
the skids for me a little bit

when they were realizing
that I was gay.

But he's out now, and for
me that's what matters most.

I didn't check with my agent

because I know that
my agent and others

would try to dissuade me.

And I did not want to hear that.

I wanted to present a
fait accompli to my agent.

We're here to tell people that marriage

is a man and woman... not
two men, not two women.

And what's next?

Are they going to
start having weddings

for people and farm animals?

We are hated by some people.

It's just the truth.

And so that's what
the struggle is about.

Tennessee Republicans

have proposed a "Don't say Gay"
law for Tennessee's schools.

Now one celebrity has come up
with an ingenious workaround

for schoolchildren.

I am lending my name to the cause.

Any time you need
to say the word gay,

you can simply say Takei.

It's okay to be Takei.

What's one of the
things is changing about being

queer in America
is we are achieving

a degree of integration,
some would say assimilation,

where there are
powerful LGBT people out

there, powerful LGBT voices.

And our voices can be as strong
and as loud and as aggressive

as the voices of the bigots.

Tim Hardaway, how
do you deal with gay teammate?

Oh, you know, I hate gay people.

So I let it be known.

I don't like to be
around gay people.

I don't, you know...
I'm... I'm homophobic.

I don't like it.

What he's saying is, I'm
afraid they're going to do me.

And then along comes George.

As a gay man and a human being,
I was shocked and saddened.

But I want you to know,
Tim, on behalf of gay people

everywhere that despite your
ugly words, we don't hate you.

As a matter of
fact, we like you.

We like you very much.

We particularly like your
large, powerful calves.

It's not just an older
gentleman being creepy

by feeling up a
basketball player.

It's a gay guy saying...

I will have sex with you.

And in that moment you realize
how ridiculous that basketball

player's fear was because
George acted it out.

I love sweaty basketball players.

And when it comes to a lot of
straight people's discomfort,

particularly homophobic people's
discomfort with gay people,

it boils down to sex.

This is how delusional George is.

He thinks he's... George
talks about blowing Brad

and he thinks he's an activist.

The man is insane.

You know that.

When George speaks about
homosexuality in the same way I

speak about heterosexuality,
it makes things normal.

He's talking directly
to heterosexuals

who have complete homophobia.

And we're not laughing at him.

We're having a
great time with him.

So George is performing
a great activist duty.

Happy Pride.

Thank you.

Oh, my.

Is that George Takei that
I see coming down the path?

Live long and prosper.

Live long and prosper, baby.

We love you.

We love you.

It's okay to be Takei.

As I... as a child, thought

I was living a normal life
behind very real barbed wire

fences, there is another
group of Americans trying

to live a normal life
who are incarcerated

behind another kind
of barbed wire fence.

It's normal for two people
who love each other, who care

for each other through thick and
thin, to be able to be married.

It's normal for all Americans
to be able to have access

to any job if they
are qualified for it.

What is abnormal is that
lesbians, gays, bisexual,

and transgender people cannot.

But our history tells us that
we have a dynamic democracy.

And with all of us
acting as change agents,

I look forward to the
time when equality

is enjoyed by all Americans.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Very exciting.

So far we haven't seen
any tractors though.

No, I'm waiting for the tractors.

And two ducks.

I'm a kid at heart.

Thank you.

Yay, John Deere.

Finally, a tractor.

We can go home now.

I've seen a tractor.

There's more coming.

We can go.

Yeah.

I think we've done it.

Let me entertain you.

That's what you wanted.

No, it's not.

You're embarrassing.

We are going to get our
marriage license today.

Isn't that extraordinary,
and isn't that wonderful?

It has never happened before,
equal marriage for all people.

You know on Star Trek, we
had this core value, IDIC...

Infinite diversity in
infinite combinations.

And here we are, this
much closer to that ideal.

Over the more than 21 years,
I have called you many things.

I have called you my life
partner, my significant other,

my longtime companion, my lover.

But now you can call me husband.

Yeah.

I thought that was so
sweet and very touching.

Thank you.

Your wedding vows
were touching too.

When my mother got ill and
could no longer take care

of herself, we moved
her in with us.

And you helped me care
for her with the devotion

and the affection of a real son.

In the last few years of her life,

she was not able
to live on her own.

And she moved into
our house with us.

Brad was a pillar of support.

I mean he was a saint because
you know care giving is not

easy, and particularly
with someone who

has Alzheimer's that
gets worse and worse.

That was A test of his love.

And I am eternally grateful.

And my love for him
is that much deeper.

We're family.

Through the power of your own love,

I pronounce you spouses for life.

Our mother is here from Arizona.

Mom, would you
wave to the crowd.

It meant everything to me to
have my mother at the wedding.

She was full of platitudes
and excitement and support.

If I'm not certain,
just about every person

who found themselves
with an invitation,

fortunate enough to
get it, responded.

I really genuinely was
not able to be there

physically. I was
away somewhere.

I was invited, yes.

When Brad and I got married,

we sent invitations out to
all the Star Trek colleagues.

We got no response from Bill.

So we thought, well
that's typical of Bill.

He's not going to come.

Um no.

I read about it.

And I was glad that
he had found someone

to love and to love him.

He was invited to... to the wedding.

In its proper perspective,
I don't know him.

And he doesn't know me.

We've done six movies together.

We did three seasons
of television together.

Such a personal thing, like a wedding,

I would not have
anticipated him asking me.

That's our Bill.

Bill, we... we
invited you to our wedding.

And then you went on
YouTube, ranting and raving

about not getting an invitation.

He makes this big deal about
not inviting me to his wedding.

I was astounded because we did invite him.

Who even would think two
seconds about that or not.

I mean, if George says
he sent him a wedding

invitation, of course
I believe George.

Nobody cares about these two.

Bill no longer has control over George.

George is going on his own way.

He's made a new
career for himself.

I can finally say what
I waited 40 years to say.

Fuck you and the
horse you rode in on.

That wasn't acting.

There was a lot of truth
in that line reading.

Good night.

It's been 47 years
since I did Star Trek.

I'm a different person.

I look different.

I sound different.

And I am a different person.

Like when you see baby
pictures, that's a baby picture.

And in that sense, I'm quite
changed from that picture of me

from my Star Trek days.

Well, Mr. Spock.

These guys follow you on Facebook too.

Oh, thank you very much.

Live long and prosper.

First of all, I've watched you since I

was a kid, Captain Sulu.

And your Facebook contributions are

a wonderful addition to my day.

Well, thank you very much.

I totally love your
smart humor on Facebook.

And I'm sure you get told
that a million times,

but I totally love it.

This whole thing started as an effort

to make the general public
aware of "Allegiance."

And to keep an
audience coming, I

thought I'd add some funny
pictures and some commentary

as well as some advocacy
on equality issues.

And it started to grow and grow.

I now have over
two million people

from Britain, to Australia,
to Japan, to Czech Republic.

It's really extraordinary.

My wife handed me the
laptop one morning and said,

you have to look
at this picture.

I don't remember what it
was, but was very funny.

And it was was content
from George Takei.

And I had no idea that he
was publishing on Facebook.

He pokes fun at himself a little bit.

He's sharing things that are
sort of fun and heartfelt,

but also a little irreverent.

I think people sort
of sense that they

have a little piece of
him in their Timeline.

Can you imagine Brad writing
some of the witty comments?

The fact that he's
come out as a gay man feeds

into the perception that he is
a very honest and open person.

The fact that he doesn't hide
his political viewpoints,

and that he's actually willing
to maybe potentially alienate

some of his fans, feeds
into the perception

that he's open and honest.

You know what
makes him appealing

is that people
feel like they have

a very real connection to him.

I want to say thanks
for your Facebook posts.

Every day I laugh my ass off.

Well I like to bring a little
smile on people's faces.

I never would have guessed,

you know it's going to be 75
year old ex-Star Trek star

engaging with
people in a way that

is genuinely very innovative.

Good morning, everybody.

I know.

I know.

I know what you're saying.

Is there anything
exciting happening

this morning in terms
of an announcer?

I'm George Takei.

When I came out, Howard's
people called me and they said,

we'd like you to be
the official announcer.

And I agreed to do
it every quarter.

Do you know anything about laundry?

Do I...

You're Asian.

I mean...

You know who does laundry in our family?

Brad because he's the woman.

He's not the woman.

He's a guy.

He's the woman.

Brad stays at home.

He's like the stay at home wife.

No, no, no.

He's a stay at home manager.

I'm sure he's a bottom.

Right?

No.

We play all the roles, all the roles.

All right, whatever.

When I started listening
to George on the show,

I saw that he was going
into areas of privacy

that I never... I wasn't
sure I wanted to do that.

If you act coy on that show, Howard

has that razor intelligence.

And he will focus in on that.

And he will relentlessly
get the honest truth.

And if he can't get it this way,
he'll go this way, or this way,

or even this way.

You know, this part is about
what the role you played,

Howard.

And you played a central role in
expanding and giving dimension

to my identity as George
Takei, as opposed to Sulu.

Ooh, allow me to
introduce myself.

I'm George Takei.

Oh!

Yes.

Mr. Takei, I'm a huge fan.

Would you sign my doll?

I'm George Takei.

George gives me way too much credit.

I have to tell you that
in my email that I receive

from my audience, no one gets
more positives than George.

And I'm including
myself in that category.

And if I had some small part
in introducing him to America

as George Takei, I'm
glad I did because he's

an important voice.

Oh, my.

Can I help?

Howard, do you have latent
homosexual tendencies?

Of course not.

So you say.

Yet here I am.

We were in our mid 60s, I think.

And I said George, you
know, our careers are over.

What are you so concerned
about this you know.

He says, well, maybe yours.

And of course he was
absolutely right.

He went on to a lot of stuff.

Oh, my.

You know George and I,
when we got together,

I was in my early 30s.

George was in his late 40s.

And I thought when
George turned 65

that we would be enjoying
the fruits of his success.

And that turned
out that we're not

adjoined in any kind of
retirement sense, whatsoever.

This is our calendar book... New
York, Nashville, Los Angeles.

It's a very special celebrity

edition of "The Newlywed Game."

Denver, Boston,
Raleigh, North Carolina.

Joining me now for a "Last
Word" exclusive, actor

and gay rights activist, George Takei.

We're workaholics.

We work.

We work some more.

Election day, that's when
we did "The Neighbors."

"The Neighbors" season

finale with George
Takei and Mark Hamill.

Are we going to beam
something somewhere?

I'm not your father.

Kansas City, let's
see, Shanghai, Little Rock,

Arkansas.

We travel all the time.

As far as I can remember,
I've always been me.

Maybe it's my neediness,
but I like to be popular.

I am full of surprises.

You're fired.

I think it takes an
innate positive attitude,

an optimistic attitude,
to get over something

like the internment and to be
able to... to achieve things.

Let me know if
you recognize anything.

I don't recognize a thing.

Look at those shacks.

My first pilgrimage I was just Altman.

I'm coming back this
time as a Takei.

I've been married to
George for three years.

And the brand name in our
family is George Takei.

And I wanted to be part of the brand.

Brad is a part of my life.

And you know I can't
imagine what it would

be like without Brad,
you know to do a gig.

I would probably be so
lost, so discombobulated

that it would be a disaster.

I love you.

As a teenager I asked my
father a lot of questions

about the internment experience.

And I was an idealistic,
self-important, arrogant kid.

And I remember one
conversation I'll never forget.

I said I would have
organized my friends.

We would have gone downtown.

We would have protested.

We would have done everything
we can to stop this.

And I topped it off
by saying, Daddy,

you led us like
sheep to slaughter.

And my father was
silent for a long time.

And then he said,
maybe you're right.

And he got up.

He'd never done that.

And then he walked into his
bedroom and closed the door.

And I was stunned,
but at the same time

I realized that I had hurt him.

And that's the
one regret I have,

that I never apologized to
him for that... for what I said

and for my wounding
him so deeply.

We shall endure.

And so I take my
inspiration from my parents...

What they did for
us and what I feel

is my obligation to
repay that debt to them.

My father wanted to
see a better America.

I loved you so much.

I've missed you terribly.

I should have told you while
I still had the chance.

And now it's too late,
60 years too late.

You're here today.

It's my parents that I'm

visiting in that cemetery scene.

There's so much I want
to share with them,

but that's part of life.

Isn't it?

You lose those people
you love very much.

And in some ways, I consider
this my tribute and gift

to them, as well as my
legacy to the future.

I'm thrilled to be on
stage with somebody who...

Who symbolizes you know
the making true of a dream

for many Asian-American actors.

And for me to be able
to share a stage him,

it's just... it's just nuts.

What a wonderful thing to
do at this time in your life.

You know to have an
opportunity like this.

He calls this his legacy project.

Yeah, absolutely.

I'm so pleased for
him because I really

think he's done
things with his life.

He has done things.

George has had a
life in the public.

He's been involved in politics.

He goes all over the
world enlightening people.

And all those things, I
think, are very worthwhile.

I hope he realizes it.

I hope he realizes what
he has succeeded in doing.

Okay, this way, George.

This way.

Opening night jitters, I guess.

You did a lot of line mishaps tonight.

-50 years.

You thought your emotional
overlay was good though.

Didn't you?

Yeah, I thought the emotion was real good.

Well that's what carried me.

Yeah.

But everybody was on a high.

It was a wonderful, wonderful evening.

Are you happy?

Well, we're going to keep
working on those lines

and get them memorized.

Well I have them, but
things happen on stage.

Yeah.

That's unpredictable.

Well.

You can't prepare for.

They just happen.

Walter's gone?

He's at Prado with Judy.

It's Prah-do.

Yeah.

Well the haircut looks good,
except that the... that there.

I think you cut
too much off here.

It looks great.

Mr. Takei, thank you very much.

Jerry, you've mispronounced
George's last name.

Tak-a.

Takei.

You've only known him for 55 years.

Give me a break.

Yeah.

Give me a break.

I'm just going to put everything

here so I don't forget.

Love you, Jerry.

Take care.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're going to head up to
the Starbucks coffee shop.

And we're going to go
to the farmer's market.

Yeah, let's go.

Are we still... I'm
waiting for Jennifer.

She's not giving me any
clues on what to do,

so let's just walk up
and see what happens.

You've got to like
you know, now we cut.

Oh no, no.

We can't talk right now
because we're driving.

Okay. Thank you very much.

Bye-bye.

- He was conducting a
survey on seat belts.

It almost sounds like
a joke, doesn't it?

Bill's book is coming out.

He's talking about
the same old things.

George, Brad, I've been looking
all over the galaxy for you.

Look what I found, my
wedding invitation.

There it is.

George, Brad, I'm sorry.

Can you ever forgive me?

Will you take back
everything that you...

Everything.

The part about when you were
psychotic, and how I stole...

Psychosis.

Psychosis.

And how I stole your close up.

Bravo.

Wonderful performance.

Live long and prosper.

I got Bill to kiss me.

Farewell for now.

That's all the
filming for a while.

Farewell to our dear filming
friends and the times

that we enjoyed together.

Farewell.

Oh, the rainbow's
moved over there.

I love those little
waves of green.