George Takei And James Bond Are In the News

What do George Takei and James Bond have in common? Easy, they’re everywhere right now. First, let’s look at Takei’s array of current projects. It’s been announced that he’ll portray Chin’s (Daniel Dae Kim) uncle on Hawaii Five-O. Fans will probably recall that Takei co-starred on Heroes with Hawaii Five-O’s Masi Oka, who plays Dr. Max Bergman, and that he guest starred in an episode of the original version of Hawaii Five-O. No word yet whether or not Takei’s character on the current incarnation of the show will have any kind of connection to Nathaniel Blake, his character on the old show. 

Takei is also set to join Nicole Richie in an episode of the sitcom The New Normal. The Star Trek legend and the reality star will play themselves, but no other details, including the episode’s airdate, have been released yet. As for Takei’s other upcoming enterprises, he’s starring with Lea Salonga and Telly Leung in a production of the musical Allegiance at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, with the show ultimately eyeing a run on Broadway. And then there’s Oh Myyy!… Life, The Internet and Everything, a new autobiography due out as an e-book around Thanksgiving.

Now, let’s get into Bond, James Bond… and the unmistakable connection the latest installment has to Star Trek. Skyfall, opening November 9, was co-written by John Logan and edited by Stuart Baird. Logan is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand scribes these days, having penned Gladiator, Hugo and Rango, plus the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Red, as well as the upcoming Noah (starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Russell Crowe) and Jersey Boys. Logan, a longtime Trek fan, wrote Star Trek Nemesis, which was directed by… Stuart Baird. Stuart was a world-class editor when he directed Nemesis and, post-Nemesis, he returned to the editing bay to cut such features as The Legend of Zorro, Casino Royale, Salt, Green Lantern and, now, Skyfall.