We’re at the airport with our daughter.
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When we got a chance to sit down and talk to Karl Urban and John Cho – Bones and Sulu, respectively – we had a huge number of questions for them.
John Cho, who plays Sulu in “Star Trek Beyond”, said there was originally supposed to be more affection between Sulu and his male partner, according to the United Kingdom publication The Guardian.
Apart from introducing cups of tea and coffee to the USS Enterprise – a distinctly Peggian touch – he also wrote a scene showing the helmsman Sulu with a same-sex partner and a child. We also learn that Cho insisted he have an Asian husband, who turns out to be Doug Jung, the co-writer of the movie. “Im actually proud of that scene, because it was pretty tough”, the actor said.
He told NY magazine: “I reached out to him and told him that this might be happening, and I just wanted to know how he felt”. John Cho revealed that he was told very early on that they were considering making Sulu gay, but he told director Justin Lin that he wanted to make sure George Takei himself supported this decision, which we know now that he doesn’t. “Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene’s creation, to which he put in so much thought”. Basically, we couldn’t find an Asian actor willing to play gay in Dubai is my understanding’.
John Cho added that George Takei’s objection was the same then as it was when he spoke out about the move earlier this month. “I’ve got to respect him for that”.
“There was a kiss that I think is not there any more”, he said in an interview with Vulture.
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That tack was also taken by Zachary Quinto (a.k.a. the series’ new Spock), who told Pedestrian.TV, “My hope is that eventually George can be strengthened by the enormously positive response from especially young people who are heartened by and inspired by this really tasteful and handsome portrayal of something that I think is gaining acceptance and inclusion in our societies across the world, and should be”. “On this 50th year anniversary of Star Trek, my hope was to honor his foresight and bravery, as well as his ability to create discussion and diversity despite these constraints”.
