Star Trek actor says Sulu’s gay kiss has been cut from film
Star Trek star John Cho has revealed that the film’s much-discussed gay reveal isn’t actually in the final cut.
John Cho, who plays the role of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu made famous by George Takei, recently said that the character would be revealed to be gay in upcoming film Star Trek: Beyond.
The decision sparked discussions when Takei, a long-time proponent of LGBT characters in the Star Trek universe, said the decision was “twisting” the original universe – though he has since clarified his comments.
But in a new interview with Vulture, Cho suggested that a gay kiss was filmed for Sulu has been dropped from the final release.
The scene featured Sulu’s husband (played by Doug Jung) and daughter welcoming him home – but the kiss appears to have been left on the cutting room floor.
He said: “There was a kiss that I think is not there anymore. [They cut it].”
“It wasn’t like a make-out session. We’re at the airport with our daughter. It was a welcome-home kiss.
“I’m actually proud of that scene, because it was pretty tough. Obviously, I just met the kid, and then Doug is not an actor.
“I just wanted that to look convincingly intimate. We’re two straight guys and had to get to a very loving, intimate place.
“It was hard to do on the fly. We had to open up. It came off well, in my view.”
He added: “I just thought it came from a real place, and I also thought that it personalized Sulu a little bit, which was a good move. We just see him steer the ship mostly and do his job, and I just wanted to give that some other weight.
“I thought that having the family deepened his character a little bit. Arguably that could’ve been with a wife and daughter, but in any case I just thought that having a personal life was a nice addition to the character.
“This is an important point for me and I’d like to know your opinion on this too. Early on I said to Justin, ‘Dude, it would be important to me to have an Asian husband’.
“He’s played by Doug Jung, the screenwriter.”
