Walter Koenig, Actor Who Played Chekov on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 90

Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Andreievich Chekov, a key member of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the original “Star Trek” series and across the first seven films, has died. He was 90.

As Chekov, a Russian crew member, Koenig spoke in a thick, almost exaggerrated accent and sported a Davy Jones “moptop”. His presence on the bridge was a reminder of Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision. The original “Star Trek” aired during the height of the Cold War, but it imagined a future in which such regional conflicts had ended in the name of space exploration. Koenig first joined the starship in the show’s second season and would go on to appear in 36 episodes. He would later voice now-President Chekov in 2023’s “Star Trek: Picard.”

On the big screen, Chekov was usually a bit player, though he did play a key role in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” His character’s scouting trip ends with Khan (Ricardo Montalbán) freed from exile and back in control of a space vessel.

Koenig’s film credits include “Goodbye, Raggedy Ann” and “Babylon 5.” In addition to acting, Koenig was a screenwriter who worked on such shows as “Land of the Lost,” “Family,” and “What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?.” He wrote several memoirs and was appeared frequently at Star Trek conventions.

“I was always very pleased when we were shooting the show and the motion pictures, to be identified with ‘Star Trek,'” Koenig said in a 2020 interview with Trekmovie.com. “I thought we were putting forward some very trenchant socio-political philosophies that needed to be articulated. I think we did that by projecting problems that were current into the future where it was more admissible. I was always pleased that we were dealing with issues of mankind and humanity and how we can achieve a better moral society and be inclusive of all races, creeds, sexes, philosophies, etcetera.”