# Wow, George Takei just came out. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259 "2005-10-28T03:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/81 "2005-10-29T12:34:04Z")
> [@riker1384](#): > > He has at least one son, Trelaine, the Squire of Gothos. In “I,Q,” which I didn’t really like, he had a wife and son. I don’t think that son was Trelaine. I don’t think Trelane was supposed to be Q’s son, just a Q, with different parents (Q and Q, I guess, though what’s with Trelane having an actual name?). It’s a reasonable bit of revisionism, really. As for Q and Picard…well, the subtext is screamingly obvious. I wouldn’t blame Q for having a thing for Picard at all. Mmm. Takei is a really nice man, and while I’ve figured he was gay for years, it’s nice that he feels safe enough to officially come out. Not that it really matters otherwise. I must agree, he was a hottie back then, horrible 60s haircut or not. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/82 "2005-10-29T14:13:29Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > (And good for him about his going public many years ago about his hatred for William Shatner). Followed by James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols. Nimoy seems to have some affection for Shatner, but even that I think is latter-day (since they’re the two highest paid alumni) but I think he’s unique among the cast. Apparently the man is just an pompous ass’s pompous ass. Gay Klingons- an entire race of tops. That could explain their agression. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/83 "2005-10-29T14:18:35Z")
I think the nadir of Takei’s career, incidentally, has to be his guest appearance on _Murder She Wrote_. He played a Japanese janitor and literally spoke in the “Lookee what I find in t-l-ash can” stock voice. I was surprised he did it, but then it was probably 2 days work and $30,000 or whatever, and I’d definitely play a redneck stereotype for a lot less than that. One of my favorite of his acting jobs was when he played himself as a pissed off hotel guest on an episode of _Third Rock From the Sun_. I’m glad that theater allows him to actually still take challenging roles, though he admits he doesn’t do much of it because the Cons pay so much more. (He’ll probably make a few thousand dollars per week tops for _EQUUS_ and can make the same amount for one appearance at a YourTownHereCon and get first class accomodations.) And he met the love of his life at 50. Maybe there’s hope for me yet… I just need to become a runner and a typecast SciFi icon. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/84 "2005-10-29T14:32:17Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I think the nadir of Takei’s career, incidentally, has to be his guest appearance on _Murder She Wrote_. He played a Japanese janitor and literally spoke in the “Lookee what I find in t-l-ash can” stock voice. I had thought that Takei was one of the officers on the bridge in the 70s moviextravaganza [_Midway_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074899/). It turns out I was mentally putting him in there, since every English-speaking Japanese actor anybody ever heard of was on that bridge, including Arnold from _Happy Days._ ( **IN SEN-SUR-ROUUUNNNDDD!!1!** ) ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/85 "2005-10-29T14:46:26Z")
Well, while I know “it doesn’t prove anything”, Sulu is the only non-Kirk cast member to have a child. We met his daughter in ST VI, I believe. No mention of a mother or partner, and Kirk said something like, “When did Sulu find the time to have a family?” meaning it wasn’t just a surrogate womb or something. Of course, he and a male partner could have adopted, but the girl looked Japanese-American too. I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/86 "2005-10-29T16:15:59Z")
George Takei was in John Wayne’s “The Green Berets” He was a south Vietnamese soldier. A couple days ago on a local entertainment show they were talking about his coming out. The only clip they showed of him in Star Trek (which they showed twice) was one were he leaned in close to some other guy and said “Let’s you and I go to the gym” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/87 "2005-10-29T16:40:46Z")
He just now came out? I could have sworn he came out years ago. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/88 "2005-10-29T16:52:58Z")
I read the article/interview yesterday. Takei has not been “officially” out, though he was not trying to keep it secret either. For years, he treated it as pretty much a non-issue for the most part. If gays want a representative, they could do a whole lot worse. He is intelligent, literate, well spoken, dignified, and for his age he is still damn good looking. As far as Chekhov being the cute one on the original show, well shit. Sulu was way better looking. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/89 "2005-10-29T16:58:43Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > It also means that a gay person starred in a movie with John Wayne! > > I was shocked I tell you - then I said, “oh wait…Monty Clift…never mind.” And [Patsy Kelly](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034889/) . . . And [Tab Hunter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048593/) . . . And [Rock Hudson](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065150/) . . . And even [William Haines](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016690/fullcredits)! John Wayne is the Kevin Bacon of gay! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/90 "2005-10-29T17:04:36Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > And [Patsy Kelly](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034889/) . . . And [Tab Hunter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048593/) . . . And [Rock Hudson](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065150/) . . . And even [William Haines](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016690/fullcredits)! John Wayne is the Kevin Bacon of gay! And Agnes Moorehead for a mother to boot (_The Conqueror_). Though I think the Kevin Bacon of gay is, in fact, the Redgrave clan (all of whom have been married to or sired by a gay man, it would seem). ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/91 "2005-10-29T22:29:34Z")
Incidentally, I always thought George would be the ideal candidate for a revival of _The King & I_. While far from a dead ringer, he looks a lot more like [Mongkut](http://www.slagthuset.se/slagthuset/Museum/A.Kungen_och_Jag/Pix.USA/Mongkut.jpeg) than Yul Brynner or Lou Diamond Phillips did and is a lot closer to the real man’s age than Chow Yun Phat was, and he’s believable as somebody who has spent most of his adult life in a monastery. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/92 "2005-10-29T22:30:44Z")
And ironically, his co-star Leonard Nimoy _has_ played the role of The King on tour. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/93 "2005-10-30T01:05:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I hear John Waters is outraged. And Harvey Fierstein is _pissed_. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/94 "2005-10-30T02:11:53Z")
My favorite quote about acting and orientation came from Sir John Gielgud. “I’m an actor. Of \*course \* I can play a heterosexual!” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/95 "2005-10-30T03:20:46Z")
> [@](#): > > And Patsy Kelly . . . And Tab Hunter . . . And Rock Hudson . . . And even William Haines! John Wayne is the Kevin Bacon of gay! If only he’d lived a few more years. He could have done _Lust in the Dust_ with Divine. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/96 "2005-10-30T04:56:45Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Sir John Gielgud: “I’m an actor. Of \*course \* I can play a heterosexual!” Of course, he did tend to play a bitchy heterosexual. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259.md?page=4)