My chat w/Masi Oka about "Heroes" dad George Takai...

I had never interviewed "Heroes" star Masi Oka before but we finally got to talk at the Television Academy's party for Emmy nominees last week and I will say this about him: the guy is a CRACK UP! I asked him what it's like to work with George Takei, the "Star Trek" legend who plays his father on the show:
"George Takai is an icon without a doubt. Working with him is great, it's like having a great mentor. He has great stories and things like that."
Oka then launched into this letter-perfect imitation of Takai - who has a famously melodic baratone - that was so, so funny. Sorry I don't have audio of it but I'll share it and hope the hilarity of it comes across:
Oka as Takai: "Well Masi, when we started working on Paramount lot, we had our ooooown set of heroooooes. One daaaay, we were shooting and, my pants caught on fire and Billy Shatner would come in with a hose and strip down my pants and stomp on it. Next thing you know, his pants were on fire. Haaa. Haaa."
Then he adds, still as Takai: "Well, it's quite fun working with a young taaalent such as Masi Oka, he's quite a fascinating kid."
I tell Oka that he is so good at this that he could fill in for Takai on Howard Stern's show as announcer. He said Takai once said to him (now he shifts back to tha Takai voice and says: "If I ever get sick Masi, you could just go on the show foooor me. I need some rest. I'm going to call in sick."

Related post: My chat w/George Takei about Howard Stern, Heroes, and being out...