Takei was one of the first stars to portray Asian Americans in a positive light on the small screen. But he’s been a role model in other ways too. In 2005, at the age of 68, he came out as gay and became a fierce advocate for marriage equality. He’s also spoken out against the kind of hatred that landed him and his family in the a Japanese-American internment campo during World War II.
In her new film 'To Be Takei', Jennifer Kroot takes a close look at Takei’s life, spanning from his recent activism to his internment as a child. Kroot spoke with KALW's Hana Baba.
KROOT: You know I think its important to keep the memory of the interment alive and then just to show how someone who experienced that can go on and stay relentlessly positive, really, and succeed through their life. And now, as an older person, just continue really living their life to its fullest and doing really positive things. I think that not many people do that, so its hopeful for all of us. He’s like the most accepted outsider ever.
Click the audio player above to hear the full interview.
