Walter Koenig, Star Trek’s original Chekov, dies at 90
Walter Koenig, who played the Russian navigator Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series and seven Star Trek films, has died at 90, the BBC and the Los Angeles Times reported. His representatives said he died of old age at his home in North Hollywood on Sunday, surrounded by his daughter and niece.
The role: Koenig joined Star Trek in its second season in 1967 and stayed until the show ended in 1969, then played Chekov again in the six original-cast films from 1979 to 1991, the BBC reported. His seventh Star Trek film was a brief appearance in Generations in 1994. He later played the telepath Alfred Bester in Babylon 5 and voiced Anton Chekov in Star Trek: Picard in 2023, according to the BBC.
His life: Koenig was born in Chicago on September 14, 1936, and raised in Manhattan, the son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania, the Los Angeles Times reported. He studied at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse and wrote books, screenplays and a memoir, “Warped Factors: A Neurotic’s Guide to the Universe,” published in 1998. Earlier this year he won the Platinum Award for best actor at the 2026 Independent Shorts Awards for the short film Mr Fleischmann, the BBC reported.
Tributes: “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend,” wrote George Takei, who played Sulu, the BBC and the Los Angeles Times reported. Takei wrote that Koenig was the best man at his wedding in 2008, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Family: Koenig was married to actor Judy Levitt from 1965 until her death in 2022, and their son, Andrew, died in 2010 at age 41, the Los Angeles Times reported. He is survived by his daughter, Danielle.