October 14, 2009

Star Trek's original Mr. Sulu, George Takei, will be featured in a Q&A session about his decades-long entertainment career as a gay Asian-American man in celebration of National Coming Out Day. Now 72, George came out at a very young age when gay men in America, even in Hollywood, were viewed much differently. He will also discuss how his time spent as a child in Japanese internment camps during World War II shaped his life and career in this free event on October 14th at 7:30 PM in Bossone"s Mitchell Auditorium.

George Takei's acting career began while attending the University of California at Berkeley, when he dubbed the original Japanese lines for the film Rodan into English. His acting debut was on the television series Playhouse 90 and his first motion picture debut was in Ice Palace. Other film credits of course include Star Trek, Disney's Mulan and Mulan II, Trekkies and Hell to Eternity. He has made guest appearances on TV shows Will & Grace, Scrubs, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Young and the Restless, Miami Vice, MacGyver and most recently on NBC's Heroes. In 1986, George received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and this year received the Actors Diversity Award from the Screen Actors Guild.

The event is presented by Drexel's Intercultural Engagement & Diversity Initiative, the Program for LGBT Health in the School of Public Health, the Office of Faculty Development & Equity, The Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and The Foundation for Undergraduate Sexual Equality (FUSE).

DETAILS:

• George Takei Q&A in Celebration of National Coming Out Day
• Wednesday, October 14, 7:30 PM, Doors open at 7 PM
• Bossone Auditorium, 3128 Market St.
• Free and open to the public
• For more information, call 215-895-1029