Even if you are the legendary Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise, there are words more stunning than hearing you're about to tussle with Tribbles or round up some rogue Romulans.
George Takei wasn't beaming last night when Donald Trump said, "George, you're fired."
The "Star Trek" icon, 74, took on the project manager role on "The Celebrity Apprentice" only to fail at a style job, which was to decorate a window at Lord & Taylor for Ivanka Trump's new fashion line.
Was he too nice? Too quiet? Was fashion too baffling? George Takei is happy to dish both "The Celebrity Apprentice" and his "Star Trek" pals.
First, he will deal with "The Celebrity Apprentice."
"There's a stereotype about Asian Americans that we're polite and self-effacing. Too often Asian Americans get marginalized," Takei says.
He says "The Celebrity Apprentice" was a good move for him. "It was very competitive and exciting and thrilling. It was ultimately a fulfilling experience," he says.
It also begs the question: if he could have any one of his former "Star Trek costars on the show to ensure a victory who would he beam over?
"Oh dear," Takei says with a laugh. "Well, for this show, you need that driving, singular focus and competitive spirit. You need the hunger to win.
"And I think the member of my cast, the original cast of 'Star Trek,' that most personifies that is Bill Shatner.
"Our Captain Kirk bolding going," he says with a laugh. "I think Mr. Trump would get a thrill out of Bill."
DISHING "THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE"
Takei was happy to dish his "Celebrity Apprentice" famous (and infamous) costars.
"I was kind of surprised that Lou Ferrigno got so agitated," he says of one of his teammates with a penchant for sharing his feelings — and he has a lot of them. "Lou has a little bit of insecurity because of his hearing."
"I have such admiration for Penn. He's a real hero of mine. One of the gifts I got from the whole experience was meeting Penn. We're planning on having lunch when I make it to Las Vegas.
Another surprise for him was Victoria Gotti who was fired a week before Takei got the boot in the boardroom.
"There's a stereotype of the mafia daughter," he says. "She turned out to be very fair-mined and an open-minded person. She was very concerned about her children.
He says the joy of the show was to "get beyond the public persona and the façade that people project. They get worn down and they get tired.
"They get grumpy," he says. "You really get to see the core of people."
A CHARITY CLOSE TO HIS HEART
George is an outspoken advocate of causes including his charity, which is the Japanese American National Museum.
"It's a story of immigrants that came from Japan and their descendants," he says. "You know, every immigrant story has an epic quality to it. But what makes the Japanese American experience so singular is that in the second generation after the immigrants came Pearl Harbor happened.
"We happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor – and we're Americans of Japanese ancestry – so we were summarily rounded up with no charge and no trial.
"The pillar of our justice system, due process, was totally ignored. Our constitution was violated," he says. "We were put into 10 barbed wire internment camps. It was one of the most shameful and certainly for my parents, it was a time of loss and anguish and extreme hardship."
Takei was a child at the time. "As a teenager, I started to ask questions about it and do some reading about it. I challenged my father about it.
"My father said both the strength and the weakness of American democracy is in the fact that it's a people's democracy and it can be as great as the people can be, but it can be as fallible as people are."
Takei calls it his "life mission to raise awareness."
HIS PERSONAL STYLE
Takei is known for his neat suits, ties and business attire. He says that his respectful approach to style reflects his old school values.
Ask him what he holds dear, and Takei says he brought those life mottos to "The Celebrity Apprentice."
"I always like to keep an open mind and not just read the surface," he says. "You really need to know the person you're with. You might find some great rewards as I did on 'The Celebrity Apprentice.'
"You should also always been open to new friends," he says.
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