Walter Koenig, Star Trek's Original Chekov, Dies at 90
Koenig played Ensign Pavel Chekov on Star Trek: The Original Series and in seven Star Trek films. His representative said he died of natural causes at his home in North Hollywood.
Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek series, has died. He was 90.
His representative confirmed the news on Monday. Koenig died at his home in North Hollywood, surrounded by his daughter and niece. His representative said he died of natural causes.
Koenig joined Star Trek in its second season in 1967, as the young Russian navigator of the starship Enterprise. Chekov was a new kind of character for American television at the height of the Cold War: a Russian officer serving alongside Americans on the bridge. Koenig stayed with the series through the end of its run in 1969.
He returned as Chekov in seven Star Trek films, from Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 through Star Trek Generations in 1994.
Outside Star Trek, Koenig played the telepath Alfred Bester in 12 episodes of Babylon 5 from 1994 to 1998. He wrote the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Infinite Vulcan." In 2023, he voiced President Anton Chekov, the son of his original character, in the finale of Star Trek: Picard.
Koenig was born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1936. He is survived by his daughter, Danielle.
His Star Trek co-star George Takei paid tribute on social media. "My heart is heavy," Takei wrote. "Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend."
