Japanese-American actor George Takei was BOTD in 1937. Born in Los Angeles, California to Japanese immigrants, he and his family spent the final three years of World War Two imprisoned in US internment camps. Homeless and bankrupt on their release, they resettled in Skid Row, California. A model student, Takei intended to become an architect but caught the theatre bug in college, eventually graduating with a degree in drama. He began his Hollywood career providing English-language voiceovers for Japanese monster films, and found bit parts in film and TV. He is best known as astro-physicist Hikaru Sulu in 1960s TV series Star Trek, becoming one of the first Asian-Americans with a recurring role on network television. He reprised his role in 1973’s Star Trek: the Animated Series, 1979’s Star Trek: The Movie and five film sequels. He made guest appearances in TV series The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-0, MacGyver, Miami Vice, Murder She Wrote, The Simpsons, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Malcolm in the Middle, Will & Grace and The Big Bang Theory, often playing himself. In 2012, he appeared in the musical Allegiance, based on his family’s experiences of internment, reprising his role for its 2015 Broadway transfer. In 2005, Takei publicly confirmed that he was gay and in a long-term relationship with Brad Altman, eventually marrying in 2008. A committed activist for LGBTQ rights, he is the recipient of the GLAAD Vito Russo Award and the American Humanist Association’s LGBT Humanist Award. He has also received numerous honours for his contributions to US-Japanese relations, including the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government and the Distinguished Medal of Honor from the Japanese American National Museum. In 2007, the Asteroid 1994 GT9 was renamed 7307 Takei in his honour.