15 Gay Actors Who Play Straight Characters
15. George Takei
He played the role of Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise on that series, and reprised that role in the six feature films that were released as well as one episode of the series Star Trek: Voyager.
Takei has been a long-time proponent of gay rights and very active politically in the United States, in addition to his acting career.
His work on social issues such as human rights and Japanese-American relations has earned him several awards and accolades throughout his life. Like many of the other older actors featured on this list, Takei has long-since made his sexual orientation a matter of public record.
Takei revealed to Frontiers magazine in a 2005 interview that he was in fact gay and was in a long-term, committed relationship. Takei and his partner of 18 years, Brad Altman, were married on September 14, 2008 in West Hollywood, California. The celebrity couple was the first to be issued a same-sex marriage license in West Hollywood. In a twist not seen in many same-sex couples, Takei’s now-husband Brad Altman took his last name following their union in 2008.
