George Takei, an actor and LGBT activist, spoke out against news that his "Star Trek" character Sulu was revealed as gay, saying the development doesn't fit with creator Gene Roddenberry's original vision.
"I’m delighted that there’s a gay character," Takei, who announced he was
gay in 2005, told The Hollywood Reporter. "Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate."
Takei, 79, is famous for his role as USS Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the 1960s series. John Cho, who has taken on the role for the upcoming
"Star Trek Beyond," told The Herald Sun that the decision to reveal Sulu as gay was a nod to Takei.
"I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out of it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one’s personal orientations," Cho told the publication.
Director Justin Lin and writer Simon Pegg depict the character as a loving father with a same-sex partner.
Takei told The Hollywood Reporter that he had tried to persuade Lin to create a new character to present as gay and leave Sulu as originally imagined.
"I said, 'This movie is going to be coming out on the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, the 50th anniversary of paying tribute to Gene Roddenberry, the man whose vision it was carried us through half a century. Honor him and create a new character. I urged them. He left me feeling that that was going to happen," Takei said.
Pegg, who plays Scotty in the film, said he "respectfully disagrees" with Takei.
"I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humor are an inspiration. However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him,”
he wrote in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly. "He’s right, it is unfortunate; it’s unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science-fiction hasn’t featured an LGBT character until now. We could have introduced a new gay character but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the ‘gay character,’ rather than simply for who they are and isn’t that tokenism?"
Twitter users shared a mix of surprise and agreement with Takei's position.
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