Why I'm thankful for George Takei - GeekOut Editorâs note: George Takei, best known forÂ his role as Mr. Sulu in "Star Trek," was gracious enough to speak with Geek Out for nearly an hour and a half. We discovered that he had more than one story to tell. Check back with us next week to see more of Takei's heroism at work. When you talk to people about George Takei, they often begin with a sigh and follow up with, âI just love George.â Itâs the kind of love that anyone involved in a fanbase or subculture can relate to â supportive, intuitive and unconditional. When Takei expressed his wish that I'd âlive long and prosperâ and tossed in a nice âOh, my!â for good measure during our conversation, I could feel my heart tingle a bit. Takei is so amicable that you immediately feel as though youâre receiving the confidences of an old friend. But I wanted to know: Why exactly do we love Takei so much? Brokering âStar Peaceâ after William Shatner and Carrie Fisher began a "Star Trek" vs. "Star Wars" social media feud is just one feather in his cap. Is he a geek hero? Fan Dorinda Paige says, "Amen to that!â Paige first encountered Takei on TV reruns of The Original Series and then followed helmsman Sulu in the first six films of the "Trek" franchise. Even inÂ Sulu's early days on the Starship Enterprise, Paige could identify with his character. He piloted a massive starship, but he was considered a supporting character. âSulu wasnât the main focus of any episode really, but he was always that cool guy in the background that you could identify with,â Paige said. âIf you arenât the main one on stage, there is always someone in the background that is important and represents the glue that holds everything together, and he did that for me.â âShe is very discerning and has high standards and good taste,â Takei told me, laughing. âBut she has also got to have a keen eye and ear, because I didnât get that many opportunities to shine. I was more one of those art deco reflective globes. You canât say Sulu is a shining character.â Paige continued to see âSuluâ everywhere. When he showed up on the TV series âHeroesâ as Hiroâs dad, Kaito Nakamura, it was all Paige could do to keep from âsqueeing like a fan girl.â The show referenced "Star Trek" on several occasions while Takei was part of the cast, even showing his characterâs license plate as âNCC1701,â referring to the Starship Enterprise. âHeroesâ revealed a different side of Takeiâs acting range, and what Paige calls a âforceful side to Sulu that we never saw.â She also believes that other actors would have shied away from obvious references to their previous work. As Trekkers, we love Takei because he returns that affection wholeheartedly, which isnât always the case when we encounter our favorite member of Starfleet in plainclothes. To find someone who recognizes the importance of what he is associated with, and not only understands but embraces it, is a gift. It is an affirmation that we made the right choice, falling in love with a show or a character. âI love Shatner and Nimoy, but you get the idea that, at times, they wanted to distance themselves from 'Star Trek,'â Paige said, which ends up a hurtful experience for fans. âWhat we want to tell them is, âYou donât seem to get that I love you for who you were in this role.â I think George Takei gets that. He always seems to truly appreciate the fans and their enthusiasm for the show, his role and him, personally.â Takei doesnât understand âbiting the hand that feeds you.â â'Star Trek' has fed me this wonderful opportunity to do and talk about the issues that Iâm passionate about,â he said. During his time on "Trek," Takei could appreciate show creator Gene Roddenberryâs boldness. No one else was exploring the allegorical implications of the turbulent 1960s on television. âGene felt that television was a medium that was being wasted,â Takei said. âIt was a time when there was such anger, confrontation and anguish, and he wanted to look on the better angels within us and project that into the future - to say that all of these issues weâre struggling with are overcome-able.â At convention after convention, fans have approached Takei and shared thousands of inspiring stories with him about what Sulu did for them. Takeiâs character didnât fall into a stereotype â he spoke without an accent and didnât represent âa villain or a servant,â as media had previously treated Asian-Americans. "Trek," and Takei, have taught acceptance where there was none. âWhat makes that starship so engaging and powerful is its diversity, finding strength in that diversity and making our collective strength even better,â Takei said. Trekkers everywhere have connected with Takeiâs accepting nature. He isnât afraid to be enthusiastic and optimistic (âItâs the optimists that get things doneâ) and although Takei doesnât identify himself as a geek, heâs completely happy being himself, and encourages others to follow suit. âI consider myself to be me. I embrace everything! There is no need for us to wear labels -Â we are capable of so many things.â Takei maintains his fanbase by respectingÂ fans' integrity as well as his own. Because of someone like George Takei, itâsÂ OK for us nerds, geeks and Trekkers to be out there,â Paige said. That's a good reason to be thankful.