To the Stars

by George Takei

Published 1 October 1994
This is the autobiography of one of Star Trek's most popular stars, George Takei. It tells of his triumph over adversity and of his huge success, despite an inauspicious start in a wartime US Asian relocation camp. In his lifetime, he has become an actor, a successful businessman, a writer, and a man deeply involved in politics and the democratic process. His story also includes his early days as an actor when he had brushes with greats like Alec Guinness, Burt Lancaster and Bruce Lee, as well as his first meeting with a writer/producer named Gene Roddenberry. The story continues with his days as Mr Sulu on Star Trek, with tales of what really went on behind the scenes, and a look at the production of the original TV series and the feature films.

Best known as Mr. Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise and Captain of the Starship Excelsior, George Takei is beloved by millions as part of the command team that has taken audiences to new vistas of adventure in Star Trek - the unprecedented television and feature film phenomenon. From the program's death at the hands of the network to its rebirth in the hearts and minds of loyal fans, the Star Trek story has blazed its own path into our recent cultural history, leading to a series of blockbuster feature films and three new versions of Star Trek for television. While the public record of Star Trek is familiar to us all, much of the real story is not. Starting with Star Trek's inception and encompassing its breakneck production schedule, the show's cancellation and its renewed life in films, George Takei gives a unique firsthand account of the creative experiences, personalities, and egos behind the thirty-year Star Trek phenomenon. The Star Trek story is one of boundless hope and crushing disappointment, wrenching rivalries and incredible achievements. It is also the story of how, after nearly thirty years, the cast of characters from a unique but poorly rated television show have come to be known to millions of Americans and people around the world as family.