After graduating from Los Angles Highschool in 1956, I attended Berkeley, where I initially studied architecture. This same year, I did English dubbing for Japanese science-fiction movie, Rodan . Pursuing this venture, I transferred to UCLA to study theatre. I earned my bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1960 and my master's in 1964. I then globally earned recognition in 1966 through 1991 playing the role of Liuet. Hikaru in Star Trek.
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Prior to my coming out in 2005, California Gov. had vetoed a bill which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. In 2008 my partner, Brad Altman and I became the first gay couple too apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. That same year we got married in a Buddhist ritual in Los Angeles.
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My experience with internment camps led me to develop a lifelong interest in public policy. In 2012 I starred in the musical Alligiance, which chronicled my experiences in the internment camps during the 1940s. I also contributed my memories of the Internment camps to the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy in 2019. This book became a bestseller and won awards, including the 2020 Asian/ Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature and more. I advocated my experiences throughout varies books including social media interactions and personal ones.
Emperor of Japan
Awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rossette, for helping foster a better relationship with Japan and the US.