George Takei in Toronto for international premiere of To Be Takei

Takei loves Toronto, but listen to what he says about Russia

George Takei sat down with Xtra to discuss a new documentary about his life, To Be Takei. He spoke eloquently about his experiences in Toronto and the challenges facing LGBT people in other parts of the world.

The actor made famous by his role as Sulu on Star Trek is in Toronto for the international premiere of To Be Takei at the Hot Docs film festival on April 26.

The documentary looks at the life and loves of George Takei, whose recent work as a gay rights activist rivals his success as an actor.

In the above video interview, Takei talks about his connection to Toronto and what can be done to help Russia’s LGBT community.

We will be publishing more of our interview with Takei and his husband, Brad, in the coming days. Check out our highlight reel for more LGBT-themed films at Hot Docs.

On occasion, the number of editors and other staff who contribute to a story gets a little unwieldy to give a byline to everyone. That’s when we use “Xtra Staff” in place of the usual contributor info. If you would like more information on who contributed to a particular story, please contact us here.

Read More About:
Video, Culture, TV & Film, Arts, Toronto

Keep Reading

What you need to know about Canada’s new LGBTQ2S+ national monument

Called “Thunderhead,” the monument in Ottawa is funded by the LGBT Purge class-action lawsuit

Pride organizers to ‘strengthen’ security following attack in Berlin

Pride organizations in Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa are assuring patrons they will be able to celebrate safely at upcoming Pride events

Where does U.K. prime minister Andy Burnham stand on trans rights?

The new Labour leader has long been a vocal ally. But he inherits a government that has introduced a slew of anti-trans policies in recent years

Major studios made 225 films in 2025. None had a trans character

GLAAD’s annual report on representation in film also found that LGBTQ2S+ representation overall is declining
Advertisement