Masi Oka Would Be Honored To Play Sulu

At last week’s Saturn Awards Masi Oka won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Hiro Nakamura on NBC’s Heroes and TrekMovie.com had a chance to speak to him back stage after he won. The character Oka plays on the show is an avowed Star Trek fan who often makes Trek references, however it appears that Oka only plays one on TV. "I am not really as much of a Trek fan. I worked for George Lucas, so I am more of a Star Wars fan." Before he became a break out star, Oka worked for ILM. Even though he isn’t a huge Trekkie, he still got a kick out of working with Trek’s George Takei, saying "George is fantastic…not only an amazing actor but an amazing individual as well". Oka is also up for Star Trek XI, saying "JJ [Abrams] is a fantastic director and will serve the franchise and the audience well." So what does he think about some fans suggesting that he should play the new Sulu (if there is a new Sulu)? "It would definitely be an honor," says the actor. However he isn’t sure he could do it, saying "Heroes is definitely my first love and my first commitment so I don’t think the schedule would allow it"

40 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

w007?! First post!
HE’d ROCK!!!

oh my

“…they report, Mister Sulu chasing crewmen… with a sword!?”

As long as he doesn’t wander the corridors muttering, “captain’s log, captain’s log…”

I’d rather see the guy from Lost.

Sulu loves chasing crew members with his long pointy sword

Sulu could be in the movie. He was on the Enterprise at the time of Where No Man Has Gone Before.

While the helm officer and navigator died in the pilot episode then we saw Sulu move to helm in the next episode. Maybe after Gary killed the helm officer Sulu saw the opportunity to move up and rank and took it.

I still think you’re going to get a movie that focuses mostly on how Kirk first fell in love with — uh, met Spock… and a :45 shot at the end with the bridge crew we know. Sulu will be part of the wallpaper in this movie. The supporting cast may get something to do in STXII.

Takei is a class act and I have a problem with what looks like references to his sexuality in some of the posts above. Please tell me I am reading those wrong.

Masi Oka wouldn’t be my first choice for Sulu. I like him on Heros, but as Still Kirok suggested…”I’d rather see the guy from Lost.”

He might rock….(perhaps) but why drink new coke when you have old coke? Or as the old expression goes: If its not broke – don’t fix it. Just bring George on in instead. Do it right!

I don’t see him as Sulu

What do you mean “bring George on in instead”? The guy’s pushing 80!!

i whould rather the guy from lost then him ,

i whould rather the guy from lost then him , too

I’d be honored to play Sulu too.Especially because I’m not Asian and I’m not an actor either! But joking aside…this would be a great break out role for any asian actor if the movie is any good.

they could get his co star James Kyson Lee (Ando) it looks like his days on Heroes are numbered anyway.

”I’d rather see the guy from Lost.”

I just can’t see this guy as Sulu. Much like Shatner and Nimoy, Takei is going to be difficult to replace.

If Sulu appears in the film then I’d be happy to see him in the role. He’s a great actor and a Trek fan to boot. Plus George playing his father in Heroes makes it a good cross-over.
LLAP

From the photo ,this guy looks like a gentleel, bookish type.His face is registering a bit of fear and uncertainty.Not Sulu traits.Sulu is the kind of guy who’s focused and would steer the ship through fire without a moments hestitation if the captain ordered it.

#5, #10, #18:

You mean Jin Kwon, who’s played by Daniel Dae Kim?

A BIG thumbs up for Daniel Dae Kim from “Lost” from me too, as opposed to a Masi Oka.

Looks like the guy who played Sulu on that Saturday Night Live skit with the revolving restaurant in space. Might have been the same episode with Shatner’s classic “Get a Life” skit. (Which, no offense, applies to a number of people who post here-not necessarily excluding yours truly) :)

As for STXI, they can cast anybody they like and I will be glad when they do, because then all these threads of speculation and suggestion will be no more (although replaced with new threads of jubilation and/or outrage.) :)

This is ridiculous. There is an amazing wealth of asain actors our there. The whole Hong Kong and asian cinema has an enormous wealth of excellent actors that would be better than the few American asian actors we know through TV. Christ we know who Stephen Chow is now because Kung Fu Hustle was a big hit here but before that he was already Asia’s biggest star generating nearly 2 billion (YES Billion) in box office. Andy Lau (who many know here through House of Flying Daggers) is a bigger star to the rest of the world than Matt Damon is here. And so on and so forth. Most of these actors are bi-lingual and martial arts trained to boot!!! Go watch The Infernal Affairs Trilogy (with the sub tittles not english dub- don’t be lazy) Hollywood just gave Martin Scorsese an Oscar for copying it in The Departed. Edison Chen would be perfect. Or Shawn Yue, or Takeshi Kaneshiro (the good guy from House of Flying Daggers) or a dozen others would be kick butt Sulu’s and would open Star Trek up to the huge Asian moviegoer audience.

He’s too chunky to play young Sulu, even if we did see him in the movie, which is doubtful.

25 – I agree the possibilities are huge. I would love to see Sulu’s character fleshed out. But, we might get a 4-hour STXI (not necessarily a bad thing.) Meanwhile, back on Earth, we don’t even know yet whether Sulu’s in the frippin’ movie yet.

ps- How bout a vote for Jackie Chan? Hong Kong gold! No phaser needed.

By “The guy from Lost,” I assume you all mean Daniel Dae Kim, who played Lt. Matheson, the first officer, on Crusade. I think he’d do a decent job at Sulu if thats any indication.

I like him on heroes but no… I just don’t see it

#24 Stanky McFibberich

I’m taking bets now on MOSTLY outrage in all probability… ;)

I don’t ever remember Sulu being round.

Daniel Dae Kim all the way.

Spader as Kirk ?Grunberg as Spock ?this guy as Sulu? Starring in … Pudgy Trek .

Sulu would actually be a step down from playing Hiro,let’s face it,Sulu and Uhura are basically glorified extras.

Provider #3 for Sulu !!!!!! I wager 4000 Quatloos on it

Who should play Sulu in a reimagines, reinvented, rejiggered, regendered Star Trek?
Gentlemen, the answer is clear:

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070518/482/73b02e37a38444a38974ceb81beee43d

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070518/482/0e8c51da5e04456184d21b293ea9cc83

Oh, and she was in Star Wars, too.

#31 Sithmenace

:D

I meant :)

(raises eyebrow.) Fascinating.

gary sinse as dr.mccoy…favors him