See more of our coverage in your search results.
Original “Star Trek” cast member Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov, died at age 90 over the weekend.
The actor passed away at his North Hollywood, California, home on Sunday, his agency shared via a Facebook post Monday.
The agency confirmed that the actor died of old age and was with his daughter, Danielle, and niece when he passed.
“Walter’s legacy extends far beyond the screen,” the statement read. “Through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him.”
“He understood what ‘Star Trek’ meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it,” the agency continued.
“Thank you, Walter, for the memories, the inspiration, and for boldly going where few have gone before.”
Koenig was mourned by his “Star Trek” co-star George Takei, who played the role of Sulu.
“My heart is heavy,” the fellow actor wrote in a heartfelt Facebook statement, explaining he and Koenig first crossed paths in 1960 and stayed friends ever since.
“Walter was more than Chekov,” Takei added. “He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too.”
Koenig was born on Sept. 14, 1936, in Chicago, and was raised in New York City by his parents, who were Russian Jewish immigrants.
He enrolled as a pre-med major at Grinnell College in Iowa before later transferring and graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, according to his Hollywood Walk of Fame bio.
While studying at UCLA, he was encouraged by a professor to kickstart his career in acting, which ultimately led him to New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse.
One of Koenig’s first roles was an appearance in the TV series “Combat!” in 1962, followed by an episode of “The Untouchables” in 1963.
He also appeared on two episodes of “General Hospital” as Charlie Turner in 1963 before ultimately landing his iconic role as Chekov in the “Star Trek” TV series in 1967.
During a 2013 interview with the TV Academy Foundation, Koenig candidly admitted that he had never seen “Star Trek” until he joined the cast for Season 2.
Koenig learned he landed the role shortly after his audition when he spent a few hours alone in a room until a wardrobe assistant came to get him.
“He drops on his knees in front of me,” Koenig recalled. “[He] takes my crotch in his hand, and I’m saying, ‘What are you doing?!’ I didn’t see the tape-measuring ruler in his other hand, and he was measuring from my crotch to my cuff to decide how long my pants should be. He says, ‘You do have to have a costume, don’t you?'”
“And that’s the auspicious way I learned I was on “Star Trek” and it was going to change my life,” Koenig continued.
Koenig starred in the show through Season 3 in 1968. He shared the screen alongside William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock.
Koenig reprised his role in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979, followed by “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in 1982 and “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in 1984.
He also appeared in the following movies from 1986 to 1994, and in other sequels for the franchise.
Koenig’s last movie credit was the 2025 film “Raging Midlife.” He also starred as himself in the 2025 30-minute short “Lost Voyages: Phase II and the Rebirth of Star Trek.”
He married Judy Levitt, who also starred in the “Star Trek” movies, in 1965. They shared Danielle and their late son, Andrew, who died by suicide in 2010, and were together until Levitt passed away in 2022 at the age of 83.