George Takei

With a career spanning five decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series "Star Trek," in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. Takei starred in three seasons of "Star Trek" and later reprised his iconic role in six movies. More recently, Takei won over a new generation of fans with his recurring guest role on the NBC sci-fi drama "Heroes" as Kaito Nakamura, the father of time-traveler Hiro Nakamura.

Takei is featured in the recent Universal Pictures comedy film "Larry Crowne," starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. He also stars in the action-comedy series "Supah Ninjas" on Nickelodeon.

Takei and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga are developing a new musical called "Allegiance." The musical is an epic story of love, family and heroism during the Japanese American internment. The 2012 "Allegiance" world premiere will be followed by a Broadway run.

Takei's on-camera television credits include guest appearances on "Malcolm in the Middle," "Scrubs," "Miami Vice," "MacGyver," "Hawaii Five-0," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Mission: Impossible," "My Three Sons," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "The Twilight Zone." He has appeared on "The Big Bang Theory," "Psych," "3rd Rock from the Sun" and "Will & Grace."

As a child growing up during World War 2, George Takei lived for years with his family and thousands of other Japanese Americans in internment camps. Due to this experience, he later became affiliated with the Japanese American National Museum, which seeks to promote cultural appreciation by sharing the Japanese American experience.