Esteemed Star Trek actor George Takei received a standing ovation at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 this past weekend when he took the stage to promote his new book, It Rhymes With Takei. The actor and activist’s latest tome explores his life as an LGBT actor and activist.

Here’s some of what we learned at the “An Afternoon with George Takei” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.

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Takei was led in a chat with moderator Leigh Walton to speak about the actor’s career and pressures he faced to stay closeted in Hollywood. He noted learning early on how the outing of actor Tab Hunter almost instantly ended a successful years-long career — a warning that deeply affected him as a young aspiring actor.

Takei also touched the lasting impact of his childhood incarceration during WWII, when he and his family were sent to an internment camp in Arizona after originally having spent months forced into horse stalls at the Santa Anita racetracks. He compared the physical barbed wire of the camps to the “invisible barbed wire” of hiding his sexuality for decades. The esteemed actor minced also no words when it came to former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger whom he still condemns to this day for what Takei says was hypocritical behavior to express support for the LGBT community but still veto an early version of the marriage equality legislation in the state.

On the topic of Star Trek, Takei explained how his character’s name, Sulu, was chosen by Gene Roddenberry to represent a broad Asian identity as means to symbolize the diversity of the United Federation of Planets. He share the story he learned about his factor that the Sulu Sea was the inspiration as “waters of the sea touches all shores.” He also recounted a playful moment with Leonard Nimoy, who once told him he had performed better in Equus than Nimoy had — an act in which Takei jokingly refers to Nimoy as a big liar.

Briefly, they also touched on a small health update. He revealed he has been using a wheelchair due to a painful foot injury from an old running accident. He’s had two failed surgeries and is hoping a third upcoming will help despite no guarantee of success.

In a fun full-circle moment, Walton shared that the jacket Takei wore to the panel was the same one he wore in 2014 when Tab Hunter (who Takei mused was still good looking) presented him a Vanguard Award at the LA LGBT Center’s 45th Anniversary.

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San Diego Comic-Con takes place July 24 – July 27, 2025.

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