George Takei has had a fascinatingly eclectic career. After spending his childhood in a Japanese Internment camp in California during World War II, Takei went on to become one of the most famous Asian-American actors on TV during the 1960s. His role as Sulu on the original iteration of Star Trek was his biggest claim to fame, until the actor reemerged as a gay rights activist and social media mogul in his 70s. The new biographical documentary, To Be Takei, seeks to explore Takei’s multifaceted career, while also devoting plenty of time to documenting his adorable relationship with his husband, Brad.
The trailer offers up the same cheeky sense of humor that has made Takei such a popular force on Facebook—as when he asserts that his role as Helmsman Sulu put to rest stereotypes about Asian drivers. There are also interviews with Takei’s Star Trek costars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig, as well as “current Sulu” John Cho. While the trailer mostly sticks to a light-and-fun tone, it doesn’t shy away from addressing Takei’s time in internment or his years spent hiding his sexuality for the sake of his career. To Be Takei debuts on DirecTV July 3, then hits movie theaters and VOD on August 22.