Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on Star Trek, died at home in Los Angeles. He was 90.
Walter Koenig, the actor who played the young Russian navigator Pavel Chekov in the original “Star Trek” series and seven films, has died. He was 90.
Koenig died Sunday at his home in North Hollywood of old age, surrounded by his daughter and niece, his representatives said in a statement. The statement said his talent and warmth left a lasting mark on generations of fans, and that he inspired audiences with his optimism and humor.
Born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1936, and raised in Manhattan as the son of Lithuanian immigrants, Koenig joined the series for its second season. He appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes that aired in 1967 and 1968-69. He reprised the role in the first seven “Star Trek” films, from 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” to 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations.” Koenig also played Alfred Bester on “Babylon 5,” lent his voice to “Star Trek” video games and voiced President Anton Chekov in an episode of “Star Trek: Picard.” He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. He wrote two memoirs, including a 1980 account of making the first film.
Koenig was inspired to expand the cast of the original series after the show’s creators sought a younger character. The studio’s publicity department falsely credited the idea to a Soviet newspaper article complaining about the absence of Russians on the show, according to biographical accounts. Anton Yelchin played a younger Chekov in the rebooted films before his death in 2016. George Takei, who played Sulu, paid tribute to Koenig, saying his heart was heavy.
Information for this report was provided by Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, TVLine and Forbes.