Hours before offering clarification, the 'Star Trek' actor best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu tweeted his excitement about having been chosen to light the Olympic Flame in 2021.
- April 2, 2020
AceShowbiz - Actor George Takei has revealed his announcement that he was to be the final torchbearer for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics was actually an April Fools.
The "Star Trek" favourite hit headlines when he posted a statement on his Twitter page on Wednesday (April 01), in which he expressed his excitement about lighting the Olympic Flame next year.
"This will be such a unique moment, before the eyes of a billion people, lighting the torch as a symbol of hope for the future in 2021 in Tokyo," he wrote. "As a life-long runner, I'm especially grateful to have been chosen, and hope to do everyone in the US of A proud!"
However, just hours later, George returned to social media to explain to fans on his Instagram page that he'd just been having some fun on the traditional pranking day.
"Yes, friends, I'm afraid this was an April Fools prank, a bit of levity in an otherwise dark time," he wrote. "And while I'll not be lighting that fire myself, my eyes will look upon it as a symbol of our triumph over this invisible foe and a reuniting of the global community."
The Olympics were set to be held this summer, but the event was pushed back due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
