Cho Given Takei’s Blessing February 24, 2008
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: ST09 Cast , trackback
John Cho, Sulu in the new Star Trek, has been given the thumbs up by the original Sulu, George Takei. In an interview conducted at San Francisco’s WonderCon yesterday, Cho told SCIFI WIRE that, like his fellow cast members he was doing his best to “pay homage” to his predecessor and felt that he had “big shoes to fill,” but a lunch with Takei set his mind at ease.
Cho on Takei Lunch:
I wrote him a letter, and we met, and he gave me what amounted to a blessing, and in his typically classy way, … I told him I was nervous, and he said, ‘Relax. Pretty soon people are going to refer to me as the guy who played the old version of John Cho.’
Cho seems to be having fun, telling SCIFI WIRE what the first time putting on the uniform felt like:
I can’t tell you how cool it feels to put on the outfit, look at yourself in the mirror, and go ‘Holy s–t.’ And then take yourself and your outfit over to the bridge of the Enterprise. But you’re looking around, and you’re on the bridge of the Enterprise. It’s really crazy.
Read the rest of Cho’s interview at SCIFI WIRE.
UPDATE: More from Cho’s panel
Comic Book Resources reports on the WonderCon panel discussion for “Harold and Kumar Go to Guantanamo Bay,” where there was also a bit about Trek:
Cho was also asked about his role as Sulu in the upcoming J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Trek” movie, filling the role as younger version of George Takei’s character. He said Abrams is taking a new direction in hopes of drawing a new audience to the franchise, but which he thinks will satisfy long-standing Star Trek fans.
He said that when he was a child, he’d admired Takei’s work as one of the few Asian actors playing non-stereotypical roles
John Cho at WonderCon (WireImage: Al Ortega)
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Comments»
First? This is my first time being first!!!!!!! Anyways John Cho rules!! I think he will be a great Lt. Sulu!!!!
He looks permanently pissed off.
But I’m sure he’ll be fine.
7th!
I won’t be able to get Harold and Kumar out of my head while watching the movie. That only adds to the experience in my opinion. :)
Lets just hear him say OH MY!!!!!
who wants white castle?
Harold and Pavel set course for White Castle
“Shields! SHIELDS!”
Maybe because I’m Chinese, I just can’t buy an ethnically Korean actor taking over a ethnically Japanese actor playing a Japanese character. (see also: Sato, Hoshi and Park, Linda)
That being said, I am a big fan of John Cho and I do wish him all the best in his contribution to the Trek universe.
“Are you kidding?”
Sulu was never stated to be Japanese. His first name (Hikaru) is Japanese, but his last name (Sulu) is Filipino. Besides, what would a Japanese man look like in the 23rd century? ;)
I always liked the character of Sulu. A don’t way.
Ahh the old discussion.. it’s true, Sulu is from San Francisco, and at least in the movie he IS Asian opposed to New Vo.. err Phase 2 having a Hispanic portraying Sulu now…
The use of a katana in the new movie seems to confirm they will keep the character’s established Japanese ancestry, although indeed they could’ve just made him Korean as well.
Karl Ubran, eh? Wonder if he’s playing Dr McOcy ;)
Eeh. He’s the only one I’m still not too sure about. But if Takei likes him I’ll just accept it and hope for the best.
#13: Yeah. Karl Urban is McCoy.
Don’t call me tiny!
#14, um, you missed a lil’ joke there.
The new Phase II Sulu is Hispanic??
Talk about having to keep an “open mind…”
#8 Petey- I’m NOT Asian, but a Chinese friend of mine thinks the same thing- what’s up with yet another Korean playing a person of Japanese heritage in Trek?
It’ll be the same arguement- it’s the future and who’s to say, blah, blah, blah.
But this is NOW and maybe the filmmakers could show a little more respect(?) I dunno…. just my 2c.
oh for goodness sake, are any of you complaining about Jimmy D/Simon Pegg not being scottish?
The right actor for the right job and a smidgen of tolerance, or should the shat, not have gotten the job for…his… delivery…. I… ask thatyoureconsider… your….views
love the quotes BTW, however how about we look to a Chekhov quote “ABSOLUTELY I will not interfere with it!”
The reason as I see it is a fundamentally different understanding between the West (the US) and Asia (China, Japan, Korea) of what CULTURE is. In Western countries, and the US in particular, it is indeed possible for an immigrant of “foreign” heritage to assume a new cultural identity, and rather quickly so even, while in the culturally homogenuous East-Asian countries, this is totally unimaginable… someone who was born abroad will always remain a foreigner, and (if not legally) even their children will remain aliens. To assume that these distinct cultures are somehow interchangeable or could be mixed is nothing short of an insult then.
In the end, I don’t see that Hollywood will ever change its stance; all we can do is accept it, maybe keeping in mind this is not meant to be an ethnological documentary and even if they tried harder the depiction of any foreign culture could never be fully accurate anyway. I.e., if you want accurate depictions of Asian cultures, watch an original movie made by their thriving industries. ;)
”But you’re looking around, and you’re on the bridge of the Enterprise. It’s really crazy”
So much for continuity. Sulu was the physicist in the second pilot. NOT the helmsman.
Abrams, Cho, Pegg & Yelchin dont fill me with confidence. Prove me wrong.
#18 No but people are complaining that Paul Mcgillion should have gotten the job over Pegg. Rod I agree this whole thing gotten beyond the realm of foolishness.
I am Japanese, and I don’t mind John Cho playing Sulu at all. Sure it would have been nice to have someone from japan, but as I have stated MANY times before, our actor’s English is simply not good enough to be in a movie such as ST. We just have ourselves to blame….. :-(
I sincerely hope that one day in the near future, there will be more japanese actors who can speak english that’s good enough not to distract the audience from the flow of the movie. Although they did a good job, I couldn’t help cringe at certain points in the the last samurai, the memoires of a geisha, and the movie with Ethan Hawk in it (Cedar something or the other). So my view is that its better to have someone who speaks good english who isn’t japanese than have someone who is but makes me cringe! Perhaps I could tolerate it for any other movie, but PLEASE not for Star Trek!!!! ;)
#10 “Besides, what would a Japanese man look like in the 23rd century? ;) ”
I would like them to be more attractive than they are in this century. Period. :-) (Am I being too harsh???) :P Come on Japanese men, you can do better than that!!!! (*runs towards the hills*)
In Japan, Korean TV dramas are hugely popular at the moment, and its partly to do with the actors who are so much more good looking than their couterparts in japan. So, from that point of view, the casting of John Cho makes sense as well!!!
I’ll stop ranting…. ;)
Quote: John Cho, Sulu in the new Star Trek, has been given the thumps up by the original Sulu, George Takei.
“THUMPS UP?” Is that more than a “Thumbs” up?
Most of the people here are so used to looking at the characters first, and the actors decades later.
Imagine seeing Star Trek only after you’d seen George in the Green Berets.
I’ve also seen one little clip of Walter in an earlier role as a leather-jacketed street tough.
It’s really hard, since we have so long to wait. It’s almost counter-productive to see these guys out of character. Let the movie create its magic.
Has anyone seen Simon Pegg lately? I feel like he’s on lockdown for some odd reason. He wasn’t at the Cloverfield premiere… have we seen any spy shots of him from the set? I don’t think so. Scotty, are you there? Come in, Scotty. Scotty, now would be a good time!
I am marrying a Chinese girl. My sister’s children are half-Sierra Leonian, from west Africa. My ancestry is Scottish, French, and Sicilian with a little German, English, and Irish tossed in. Even among the ‘homogenuous’ Asian cultures things aren’t as homogenuous as we are likely to believe (Japanese Ainu and Okinawan, Chinese Miao, Manchurian, and Mongolian peoples, etc. Hell, even Scottish is a multi-ethnic identity if you go into its history: Irish Scots, Norwegian northerners, Picts, the Norman-Angle influence from the south). I’m not saying that we should be ignorant enough to think Japanese, Chinese, Korean are all the same (among the uneducated in China, as with the uneducated in the States they don’t see much difference between French and Italians, and Germans), but we shouldn’t get so locked into identities which are fluid, especially in an immigrant country like the U.S. and an increasingly global world. So who knows what the 23rd century will bring? I’m all for blending. It is harder to hate the “other” when they are your cousin, uncle, or nephew. Go Cho!
#23 Oh crap, Trotter really did write “thumps up” didn’t he? That’s kind of funny.
TK- Korean dramas do rule in Asia, and usually include many hysterically funny moments as well. Some Vietnamese friends introduced me to Korean films a while back and so far they are all filled with, as you said, very attractive actors and actrsses, pathos and hysterically funny subtext. Korean boy bands are also very hot right now throughout Asia.
Perhaps Cho will be acting like a Japanese man acting like Sulu? After all, he is an actor.
thebigfrogg –
What’s for dinner? Sounds like a great big mess o good eats.
I also have a Chinese wife, and a new baby who can count Chinese, American, Irish, Dutch, Swedish, & English in his genetic heritage. My sister is married to a Turk and they have two kids. My brother married a good Italian gal.
Roddenberry picked the name “Sulu” from a map of the Sulu Sea. Hikaru didn’t even get a first name until the movies, and that was no doubt to honor George’s heritage. THIS Sulu may have different influence. Can’t wait to see.
Patrick Stewart wasn’t a frenchman either but I think we have all gotten over that.
Patrick Stewart wasn’t a frenchman ???
Get the paddles! Clear! zzzzzt! Again! Clear! zzzzzzt!
OK, better now.
#’s 13 & 16…I chuckled.
“Nurse, hand me that sterilizer”
“Okeedokee, Dr. McOcy”
;-)
34th!!! I got to be 34th!!! How cool is that?????
..- Hey.. Cho is Trek’s nice guy..
#8-
“Maybe because I’m Chinese, I just can’t buy an ethnically Korean actor taking over a ethnically Japanese actor playing a Japanese character. (see also: Sato, Hoshi and Park, Linda)”
Technically, the Japanese are an ethnic offshoot, originally descending from the Korean.
So, in point of fact, it IS canon.
I ‘ m romanian..and i remember now abot the movies with..Dracula…wich looks always so..non-romanian…
The most ridiculous was Ricardo Montalban playing an Indian with a Spanish accent!!
But I loved him in the role anyway….
And Scotty wasn’t Irish either!
Who cares. That’s why they call it ACTING.
Oh wow . . . I never expected to run into a debate on actor ethnicity on these threads.
I think any hangups people might have won’t seem as big once the show comes out. But I have to admit . . . they totally should have gotten a real vulcan to play Spock, not this new Romulan clown. Oh and the way they got those humans to play Klingons in TOS still gets on my nerves. And that Swiss guy they got to play the Gorn? Totally unbelievable. :P
Patrick Stewart (I almost typed John Stewart) played Othello on stage once. And we’re talking about a fantastical story based on a series where there was a planet of Romans, a Nazi world, space hippies, and of course Shatner’s acting. I think, as Trekkies, we should by now be able to suspend our disbelief enough to accept a Korean actor as Sulu. I’m sure Cho will be fine. :)
But can he do the Sulu Dance?
George Takei likes John Cho in the role, so whats the problem here? Cho is an actor playing a fictional character. I can’t fathom the logic of people against him playing the part of a Sulu. Its as silly as the notion that Patrick Stewart an Englishman should not play a French character Jon Luc Picard. Acting by definition means Portraying a wide range of characters
Think about it ,
I am half-Sicilian, half Russian/Swedish. My ex-wife/mom of my kids is Irish/German/Hungarian. I am now engaged to a Polish girl.
I think by the 23rd century, all of this will be moot.
#38. Well said Starfleetemom! We’ve all accepted Khan and Scotty without any qualms at all. :)
#37. Marian, I can definitely understand that. But I think the actors in the Dracula movies just in general didn’t try. Barely any of them could pull off a real Romanian accent, and movie producers can’t even manage to create a real Carpathian “feel” in general. But I think Cho will still be able to pull off the job better than Christopher Lee could pull off a Romanian.
If you read this actually rather odd description of Sulu from Phase II days you’ll see that Roddenberry thought of the character as sort of, well, pan-Asian. For whatever that’s worth.
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Star_Trek:_Phase_II#Sulu
Any previous version of what the character Sulu has been does not determine what he will be in the new production. As we’ve stated a zillion times, this is new and BASED on GeneRs TOS. It wouldn’t have mattered if Sulu was an Iraqi. In fact the sword work would’ve made more sense. Rock on JJ! Give us something NEW!
to #20….
Are you freaking kidding? Because if not…. good lord. Who gives a crap?
#20 I get the impression that your not going give them or this movie a fair chance. Am I right about this? please tell me.
#20 I hope you’re just an idiot and didn’t actually mean that.
I think he’s just saying that because all the trekkies will go crazy with love! The Trekkies are seriously way to easy. Like kids in a candy store no matter what. HAHAHAHA it’s really not hard for these guys to make these movies at all. In fact I’m sure they didn’t have to obsess over it. I guarantee they didn’t do that.
Ya know, there are plenty of really lame TOS episodes. A few really lame Star Trek movies.
Really, this movie cannot really be the worse Trek has to offer—but even if it is, it’s not the end. There will be more and we will always have the favorites of the TOS to lean on.
#44 That is a very interesting page on Phase II. Part of me wishes that the series was made, and part of me is glad that it wasn’t, due to the cheesy seventies sets, among other things….
I wish they could have had the Phase II in the eighties, in between feature films….
It’s sooooo easy to make these movies that they could have brought back Shatner and made sense out of it. Nobody knows who he is or that he even died. Also the dialog can be whatever as long as the cast raises their eyebrows and Spock says “fasinating” or “interesting”. Seriously they’ll do better then that but that’s about the extent of what they have to do to make a movie in the SCI – FI genre. Hopefully they can make a story that’s as awesome as Star Wars had in the 70’s and 80’s. Like the Sister kissed the brother and the villian was the father turned from good to evil and his son had to save them all yet not understanding why. BUT seriously they are in Hollywood because they were born with this gift to entertain at a high level. JJ ABRAMS knows how to do that and it’s nothing to him.. They better not bomb it like this season of Nip Tuck though. God Nip Tuck is too predictable this year! I hope Trek isn’t flat like Pirates of the Caribbean.
John Cho is NOT Scotty!
Oh… wrong thread.
#48.
No I’m not a idiot actually, dickhead.
I’m just stating a TREK HISTORY fact. Sulu never started in the show as a helmsman. Perhaps you should watch an episode called “Where No Man has Gone Before” and see for yourself.
#49:
I really want this movie to work except nothing I have heard has really GRABBED me into wanting to be really excited … YET.
I love the Original series, much more than TNG, DS9, Voy or ENT. I want this to work as much as TWOK revitalised the original movies… and I’m hoping that Mr Abrams proves me wrong.
#54 -
Good grief, dude. Cho said he was on the BRIDGE of the Enterprise. He said nothing about actually being at the HELM. Remember the episode you just quoted? Wasn’t Sulu on the bridge in that one???
)Maybe you’re new here, but if you keep up that attitude towards others, you’re going to find yourself banned VERY quickly by Anthony P. He’s called out trollers for lesser offenses.)
CLS USMC and James Cannon warnings for flaming
comments to http://trekmovie.com/about/feedback
James Cannon#54- Please watch the language Mr. J. There are ladies present.
#57 I don’t know, when someone else insults someone on what is supposed to be a forum for discussion, I’d call him or her a dickhead, wouldn’t you Denise?
#58 that kind of language is not appropriate here.
I see a lot of admins and moderators here that I dont remember actually appoinnting did I forget something?
that being said Irish Trekki that language is not appropriate
I suggest everyone stop getting personal around here NOW. No more posts about the appropriateness of other people’s posts….the topic is the topic. Leave it to me, Chuck and others to police the threads
im really touched that some of these new guys are writing to the original actors and getting a blessing of sorts. its a nice thought. i expected nothing less of takei in his reponse. a guenuine man. looking forward to seeing cho’s version
cheers
greg
uk
Eh, so Sulu didn’t start at the helm. That’s no biggie in Star Trek. After all, Geordi DID start at the helm, and we all know Worf didn’t start out at Security. I don’t think there is much canon to argue about here. Starfleet obviously lets people change careers a lot . . . and change their uniform color designations for said careers when ever they feel like it. :P
I have a question though . . . maybe I’m just young and don’t remember all the details from back then, but didn’t they wait a while before giving Sulu a first name? I don’t remember him being referred to as Hikaru until way later . . . but like I said, I might have missed something.
#61. Agreed. I think it’s great to see actors giving their blessing like this . . . it must be hard seeing as they more or less created these iconic characters.
I remember back when TNG was coming out, some of the original actors were kind of ticked.
#63
heard that too! I think it was Walter Koenig! he warmed to them in the end!
Sulu’s first name came from a Trek novel.
I don’t remember which one. I didn’t read it.
I think Cho’s going to be great.
Abrams and company are going to make us very happy. (Fingers crossed)
Cho is my favorite bit of casting; I think the news that he’d be Sulu was the first time I felt like I might be looking forward to this thing :)
That said, I think all of the casting is groovy, but I’m double-especially looking forward to Cho, Urban, and Pegg.
#65 – I believe that Sulu’s first name was first mentioned in “The Entropy Effect” by Vonda McIntyre. One of the first Pocket Books novel (actually the first, if you don’t count the novelization of TMP). I don’t *think* “Hikaru” was mentioned before that…
Entropy Effect….one of my favorite novels to this day…. :)
…oh… and ON topic…I think John Cho is going to do a fabulous job, and it’s pretty cool that Takei reacted the way he did. (Mind you, from everything I’ve every heard about Mr. Takei, he’s a real gentleman, and just a nice guy.)
Its going be fun seeing Cho, Pegg,Urban, Pine,Saldana,Ouinto and the rest playing these Iconic characters. This film is going to epic, maybe it will turn out to be the greatest Trek of all and wouldn’t that be something if it was. How could even the most skeptical among us not be excited by the prospect of a new trek film, especially coming on the heels of the disappointment of Nemesis. After Nemesis I figured that there would be no new trek related films for a long time to come , well I am glad to wrong on this score. Abrams and Paramount are not going to be able to please everybody that much is obvious, nor should to do so because then we might end up with a film that everybody will end up hating. In the case of Abrams and actors such as John Cho wouldn’t be fair to give them fair chance?
The thing that’s really cool about this movie for me is in 2005, after Enterprise was canceled, me and another Trek friend sat down and thought, “You know what would be cool? A movie about TOS, where they re-cast the characters…” and then in 2006, when I found out about STXI online, he and I started digging through the names on IMDb and we would pull 3-4 actors per character who we though would be cool in the parts. Zacary Quinto was a our top pick for like 3-4 months before they announced it.
This whole movie has been one big treat for me, and it just continues to be so! We didn’t pin any of the other casting choices beforehand, but they were all so cool to hear about!
John Cho as Sulu? Awesome! George Takei’s blessing? Even cooler! I’m ready for May 8th, 2009!
Hey 69, got any lottery #’s?
Just because Sulu was a physicist in WNMHGB does not mean he did not have helm duties also. In the Man Trap, he was tending to the Botany section. Chekov filled in for Mr. Spock at the Science Station. On a ship of 430 crew members travelling through the Galaxy, each crew member had to skilled in several areas of ship operations.
Actually, although he’s Korean since his father’s Korean, Korea ruled Japan (with an iron fist, unfortunately) for the first half of the twentieth century… And there are a lot of Japanese genes among Koreans, due to the nasty fact of certain Korean women being, erm, ‘drafted’ into ’service’.
But, on a funny, John Cho is *married* to the lovely Ms. Higuchi, who’s a Japanese-American.
So, he may not be Japanese, but he is working his way into… erm. Anyway. Nice to see he got lunch with Takei. I hope he’s learned the story of the meanings of ‘takai’ and ‘takei’… that’s always a funny one from George. John can come up with something similar about Korean with ‘cho’ and ‘jo’….
I think they should have had a Mexican play Sulu.
20.
Obviously I can’t say whether Sulu will be a helmsman in the new movie yet, but even assuming he isn’t what keeps him off the bridge? His only appearance in WNMHGB was …on the bridge.
he is ugly and he does not look asian.. this actor is hispanic?
what are those guys making the new star trek smoking?
This guy does NOT look like a young George. I dont see it. I hope JJ and co. are not going to botch up a classic. .Quite naturally, everyone involved will say it’s great, it wonderful! Now I have to wait another year to be convinced. I hope they will release some new trailers soon.
I have to add, when you have a group of countries that represent the largest population, and its Asian, and you don’t have at least one genuine Asian on star trek its blasphemy!
What is this racial decrimination? Roddenberry is tap dancing in his grave! He wanted the crew to be a representaion of the world!
I am not asian by the way.
Seems like a good kid. Not sure where Captain Trotter is coming from by saying what will a Japanese man look like in the 23rd century????? I imagine like a Japanese man in the 21st century. I too was a bit disappointed that they didn’t take advantage of te wealth of wonderful Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese film stars. Where’s an Andy Lau or Tony Leung or Shitaro Katsu or Francis Ng or Rain or Karen Mok or any of the wonderful stars (most of whom speak very good english) who are among the greatest and most recognized stars in the world. I would have thought that the Producers would have wanted to capitalize on these enormous markets by including at least one of these talents. Know a little film called the Departed??? We it is an exact ripoff of a better film starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung that came out in 2005 called Infernal Affairs. Most Blockbuster stores rent it. If you have not seen this or amazing films like City of Violence, Exiled, PTU, Election 1 and 2, ect. ect. you are really missing out. There is much more to Asian film than Kurosawa and Jackie Chan. A nod would have been nice. Not too late to include some of these amazing talents.
72… bass ackwards today. Japan ruled Korea with an iron fist. And as in China and the Phillipines, the military occupation by Japan was brutal, especially among the young women and girls. Stuuuuupid me writing that backwards.
Anyway, it’s late, and I”m sure right now, John Cho is as close to (a) Japanese as anyone can get! ;)
78:
Looks as if JJ sought after true up-and-coming actors and actresses whose careers outside of Trek will make Treks 11-13 must see viewing for their fans, being primarily younger non-geeks. The names of the actors you mentioned won’t sell tickets (but they would potentially draw an Asian audience).
re #44
…gee, thanks for NOTHING!
I just spent almost an HOUR at Memory Alpha after following the Star Trek: Phase II link! :)
Every time I go there I keep reading more and more and more…
I guess I only have myself to blame! :)
re# 62.
“…Starfleet obviously lets people change careers a lot . . . and change their uniform color designations for said careers when ever they feel like it.”
I think it is more likely crews are cross trained. For example, Mr. Lesley was seen as medic, security, and helm in different episodes. A number of other crew members are seen doing different jobs at different times. These guys were a long way from home and had to be able to perform any task that might be needed at any given time.
# 81
Im a doctor not a helmsman! lol.. although Mc Coy did sit in the captains chair on one episode…. TOS
It doesn’t matter who plays the part.
I think the fact that all the French guys in the 24th century had British accents was just testament to the diversity of the future. Realistically, there should barely be any purely white/black/asian people by the 24th century, and we should be well on the way to a fine brown complexion.
But of course we don’t have any actors that look like that… yet….
#84 “a fine brown complexion…we don’t have actors that look like that”
Well, there was that time when the Shat came back to film Season 2 of TOS after an extended vacation at the beach!
I’m still wiping off the spitake from my monitor– where the 4377 did all this racist/culturalist/stupid bigotry come from?
Get over it, will ya? An actor is just that. AN ACTOR. It matters not from where he/she originated. They are portraying a character. In a role. Make believe. It is the strength (or lack) of acting ability that we should judge the actor’s interpretation of the character upon, not their pedigree off the clock.
Have you learned NOTHING from what that Southern Baptist, redneck, WWII veteran, LA cop turned writer, Gene Roddenberry tried to teach you? Were his concepts too dangerous to explore? When all the dust settles, and you take puny humans off of this lovely blue speck, we are all Human Beings. And we are ONLY human beings. None better, none worse as far as what (another) intelligent life form might classify us as. I’d bet you a month’s pay that a visiting species wouldn’t look at a grouping of Koreans, Chinese, Africans, Nordics, etc., and perceive any difference other than our pelts being any different, as much as we look at animals in the wild. We’re one big interbreedable species. They’d probably be amused at our cultural differences, but soon view them with the distaste for all the waste of life and property those cultural differences cause every day.
*breathes*
At the end of STTMP, there were some words: “The Human Adventure is Just Beginning.” That pretty much sums it up. One world, one people, one fate. Not One World Order, or any of that BS. Human Beings, from Planet Earth.
Cho as Sulu, on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. That’s completely canon, folks, whether or not it fits into your personal interpretation of Star Trek.
See you at the theatre on premiere day. I’ll be sitting in the “Humans Only” seats. ;-)
75 and 77. Cho is of Korean ancestry. Last time I checked, Korea is an ASIAN country. You’d better go get yourself an atlas!
86:
I detect no racism here. The “brown complexion” refers to several hundred years of inter-racial families on Earth. It’s the culmination of the end of racism and is perfectly in line with GR’s thinking. A racially homogenized Earth implies we beat racism, became unified as a planet, and got on with it as the human race. For 20th and 21st century viewers, it resonates more to show all different types of people, i.e. Earth’s current diversity of nationalities (and some ET’s) working together rather than to show an evolved state of the race. And as someone once said, “it seems we still have a long way to go,”
20 – I think Cho is referring to the final scene of the movie, which was filmed some time ago (and was the setting from which the actors/writers/Abrams chatted on here), where its assumed it is the original characters in their familiar positions on the bridge of the Enterprise.
There – you’ve been proven wrong.
Also, its the set up for the classic line, when Sulu transfers from being a physicist to Helmsman. Kirk asks how much experience he’s had at the helm, and Sulu can say:
“Well, actually, it’s my first attempt…”
Might I suggest we all get off the race issue. It didn’t matter to Rodenberry and I don’t think it matters in this century either.
89:
The Physicist thing is something we’ll just have to overlook. STIV established that Sulu trained on “something like” a Huey 204 at the academy.
Unless it was to study the effect of falling, I think he was studying how to be a pilot all along.
89, 91 Physics may have been his minor- or a double concentration in his Acadamy days. Who knows with all the cross-training we see in Star Fleet.
He was also in the Command training program, as well. Probably staying with the Enterprise meant that he did turn down opportunities at a Captaincy or two along the way, just as we saw Riker do.
Face it, Sulu was a man of many strong talents and enjoyed being a rabid hobby guy, too. I’d sure love to see his Kobayashi Maru solution!
92 – You just reminded me of one of my favorite ST novels: “The Kobayashi Maru”, where members of a landing party (Kirk, Chekov, Scotty, McCoy and Sulu) get stranded in a shuttle and pass the time by telling their solutions.
#80 almost half this films box office will come from overseas. A small part by one of those magnificent actors would be nice. China is the world’s fastest growing economy, China has begun an aggressive space program. Andy Lau or Francis Ng or hell even Stephen Chow as an admiral or another starship captain would be huge overseas. Personally I would love to see Karen Mok in a tiny miniskirt somewhere on the bridge of the Enterprise.
AJ– I wasn’t commenting on the browing of humanity as racism or racist. I actually agree with that concept of our eventual, if humanity is going to continue to intermingle more and more, as has been the last century’s trend. No problem there. Unfortunately, natural red-heads are doomed…
It was the whole “he’s the wrong *kind* of Asian” mentality and the close-mindedness of the discussion that got me started. All I care about is will he portray Sulu as the Sulu (note I didn’t say George Takei) we know, not some Ron D. Moore-ish reimagined version (and I love the new Galactica, so back off, argument-Cylons, it’s just for illustration purposes).
Oh no!! What was that sound? IT WAS THE THUNDERING CRASH OF A THREAD DERAILMENT!!
[Sigh.] Anyway – - It must be very encouraging for actors who haven’t been in the biz very long to be encouraged by the very ones who originated their part. Hopefully it has set their minds at ease. Knowing the little I do know about Mr. Doohan and Mr. Kelley, they would have been thrilled for these guys, especially the ones who are playing their particular parts. That’s the impression they left on me. People of integrity.
Don’t get me wrong, I know they were just people who made mistakes like the rest of us. But they didn’t set out to do so. All the reports I’ve heard were wonderful. Makes me realize how much I missed by never meeting them.
Guess the only thing this next crew have to worry about now is the fans. Well, they’ve got nothing to worry about from me. I’m in no position to judge or criticize them anyway. Go, Cho!!
kg
Re: #86. Jorg Sacul
#…where the 4377 did all this racist/culturalist/stupid bigotry come from?”
That 4377 doesn’t work with this font. But I got it anyway…
kg
I say “Go Trek!”
I want all of the TrekXI team to rock on and give us what it is we all want: A huge multi-layered film with 2 guaranteed sequels, Time magazine covers and David Letterman interviews, and an immediate commitment by CBS to develop something new for the TV crowd. Toys sell out on Christmas, and we bought them for our kids, not for ourselves.
That would work.
#98
Sounds like a plan! :-)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
yes but takei IS Japenese and that is the nationality that is expected to play sulu..if not, Tim russ could play spock and colm meany could play scotty.
#8,#17–Forget the fact that Sulu isn’t supposed to be distinctly Japanese. James Caan is not Italian, Al Pacino is not Cuban, and Mel Gibson is not Scottish. They are ACTORS.
#20–You are proceeding from a flawed assumption. Who is to say that Sulu is even depicted aboard the Enterprise before WNMHGB? The story takes place at several deifferent points in the timeline, so “proving you wrong” would be an irrelevant goal. The burden of proof, as to a lack of continuity, lies with you!
100. Tim Russ can’t play Spock because he’s a horrible actor, and Colm Meaney is too old.
Forget nationality. They’re getting a British dude to play Scotty. Why aren’t you complaining about that?
#98,#99—I’m all for that.
102: How did this become a Tim Russ talent assassination thread? I really don’t think that was very nice.
and 101: you forgot, Catherine Zeta Jones isn’t Hispanic! ;-)
Re: #102. Hon. David Kulessa
Let’s take that one step further. It’s possible that James Montgomery Doohan (the original Scotty) WASN’T SCOTTISH EITHER!!
His parents were refugees from Belfast, Ireland. I don’t know their history. He was born in Vancouver, B. C. Canada. (GASP!!!) Not only was he possibly not Scottish, but he was born in – - gulp – - Canada!
So I think that renders the whole discussion moot.
And like someone already said, they’re A-C-T-O-R-S. There really isn’t a Borg Queen! An “actress” is playing her. Anyone can portray anyone. That’s the beauty of the human imagination.
kg
Katie “So I think that renders the whole discussion moot”
Which rhymes with “hoot”
…….as in “hoot….man, there’s a moose aboot the hoose!”
Being born in Scotland I’m allowed to make this remark!!!
I was born in a little town called Dunoon………
Re: #106. Harry
Oooh, I just can’t resist…
There once was a guy from Dunoon
Who caused all the ladies to swoon
Until late one night
While posting on site
Denise led him straight to his doom!!
Hah!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programme…
kg
#107
You are *so* wicked! I like wicked.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Shatner is not American. Nimoy is not Vulcan. They just play them on TV.
[...] Fonte: TrekWeb e Trek Movie e Trek brasilis [...]
Katie- I’m a sucker for ribald limericks, Katie. Of course, you mustn’t tell Harry that.
#76–Why is he supposed to look like George? He is supposed to look like Sulu, who is a North American of mixed Asian descent. I am willing to bet you that the last actor to portray Hamlet probably looks nothing like the first! They are casting for a character…not a stand-in.
#109–Leonard Nimoy isn’t really Spock. He just looks like him without the pointed ears. Spock is really “one of them Jenkins boys”, and they ARE from Vulcan!
#76 The fact that Cho doesn’t exactly match Takei lookswise is not important ,If he’s a good enough actor he can, he can make you believe he’s that character. That is the whole essence of acting.
Re: #108 and #111:
Okay – - I really goofed. What I meant by “doom” is that you chewed him up and spit him out; that you wiped up the floor with him; that he met his demise…
But don’t tell him that.
Re: #112 Closet-Trekker
“…They are casting for a character…not a stand-in.”
Excellent point! Wish I’d thought of it. They only look for look-alikes for the stand-ins and the stunt doubles. Obviously Cho personifed the personality/character of Sulu well enough that he was hired. (I still want to know who else was up for the part.)
The proof will be in the pudding. I hope these threads are around after the movie comes out so we can be vindicated or given a raspberry. Should be fun!
kg
Rats.
Per – son – i – fied. Dang this small print.
kg
#115
I want a do-over button when we get the new revamped site.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Yeah, given their representation on the planet I would love to see more Chinese with Chinese names (since I live in China and am marrying a Chinese woman I guess that springs to mind easily) and some Indian characters with Indian names. I’d love to have the feeling the ole E is an international and interplanetary ship (some non-bump-headed aliens would be nice too). Heck, even get some whiteys with non-northern European sounding names. I think there are enough “Lt. Olsen’s” already!
BTW, my name is “MacTavish” so I’m not baring any personal chips (with the exception of the Chinese fiance issue).
Katie, Vulcanista+Denise
Katie, great limerick! Made me feel good, I don’t know why…..
Vulcanista, from now on I’ll keep it in mind that you like “wicked”…Bwahahahaha
Denise, “a sucker for ribald limericks”, eh? If only Anthony would allow them, I’d share some that would curl your hair*
*since you won’t let me curl your toes!
Re: #116. the Vulcanista
TELL ME ABOUT IT!! I want a button on the opposite side of “say it!” that says “cancel”, somewhat like the “Esc” key on the far upper-left corner of the keyboard. (”How quaint.”)
Sometimes as soon as I hit “say it!” I either change my mind as it’s thinking or I see a typo. I’d love to suggest it to Anthony but I get the impression that he is not very fond of me at this point. Maybe you could suggest it! Especially since you’ll probably be the “Cover Girl” on the “Women of TrekMovie” nude calendar (dubbed thus by #109. Charles Trotter in the “Two More Actors for Trek” thread)!!
:-)
Goodnight.
kg