George Takei in Toronto for international premiere of To Be Takei

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

By Xtra Staff • April 26, 2014 4:29 pm EDT
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.

More From This Contributor

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:
TV & Film, Video, Culture, Toronto, Arts

Keep Reading

Politics

Zohran Mamdani just showed that Democrats can talk about trans rights and win

ANALYSIS: The 33-year-old is set to win the New York City Democratic mayoral primary with a platform explicitly advocating for trans people
Activism

Attending a protest? Here are 5 things to keep in mind

ICE raids, conflict in Iran and anti-trans crackdowns are prompting people to take to the streets. Here’s what you should consider before you attend an event
Justice

U.S. Supreme Court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for minors

ANALYSIS: The ruling in the “U.S. vs. Skrmetti” case sets a new precedent for restrictions on trans rights in America
Pride

2025 Pride collections lean heavily into jorts

ANALYSIS: From American Eagle to Target, many of this year’s Pride offerings are bland on bland