When the show first came out, there were billboards all over the place, so I knew there was an Asian actor on the show. I hadn't started watching Heroes yet, but my email would fill up with people telling me that there was a Japanese character on the show who is a ga-ga Star Trek fan, who has powers. And I thought, "Well, I better tune in on this." And that's how I got hooked on it. Then one day my agent gives me a call and says, "The people at Heroes want you to play Hiro's father." They sent the first script, and I didn't have any lines at all. So I thought it was going to be one of those cameo things.
But then, in the second script I had much more to do. It was much more of a father and son relationship. I was supposed to be a powerful, hard-driving corporate executive and one of the richest men in the world. I have this weirdo son who's off doing his crazy thing. And I want to bring him back into the fold and instill some discipline into him so that he can follow in my footsteps. I thought that was the relationship, and then a couple of months later another script comes where I'm handing baby Claire over to HRG. And I thought, "Oh my!" I'm more involved with the older generation club so to speak. I have no idea where this is all going to lead with Heroes because they keep you in ignorance. You learn more about your character in bits and pieces with each script. So we shall see where this all leads.
Well just because someone dies on Heroes doesn't mean we won't see them again.
You may have seen me fall off that high-rise, but there I am! Actually I'm supposed to be younger because they're flashbacks, and I like them because they add hanks of hair to my head. (laughs)
Or maybe we'll see alternate future versions of you in upcoming Heroes episodes?
"Who knows what lies in the minds of the writers!" You're much too young to remember, but that's a phrase from old radio show The Shadow -- "Who knows what evil lies in the hearts of men? Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh! The Shadow knows..." Those were the days.
Fans in the U.S. might not realize it, but you're quite the reality TV star in Britain as well with the upcoming I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
It was both wonderful and very hard. Rice and beans, three times a day. And we had to face challenges to get stars that would result in a meager portion of food other than beans and rice. But the wonderful thing about it was the people I met, and lived with, and suffered with, and had fun with. The only person I knew before I got on the show was Martina Navratilova because I met her in New York before. All the others I had no idea who they were. Later, others would tell me Esther Rantzen is the Barbara Walters of British television. Or that Robert Kilroy-Silk was a very controversial member of Parliament who then became a controversial radio talk show host. But I found him to be a fascinating person and good humored, as well as Esther who shares a passion with me for musical theater. And we would sing along. Joe Swash (from EastEnders) would become a very good friend of mine. Not long ago we had a reunion of most of the people from the show.
Why did you decide to do a reality show? It's your first one, right?
It is my first reality TV show. My partner and manager Brad Altman was the one who talked me into it.
Wait a minute, did he go with you or was that just a roundabout way to get you to go on vacation?
As a matter of fact he did go with me. But while I'm in the rain forest -- and it really rains in a rain forest -- cold and wet, Brad was living in a luxury hotel in a two-bedroom suite with a dining room with crystal chandeliers over it and living in the lap of luxury. He was having caviar and champagne!
Are you interested in any more reality shows?
I think that was enough. (laughs)
Would you ever want to do a musical -- or perhaps a musical episode of The Clone Wars?
I would love to! Do keep suggesting that! I'll keep doing my vocal exercises. (Singing) Hello, good evening, how do you do? We have the pleasure to welcome you!
Read more about George Takei and his next projects on his official site.
