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Star Trek’s Walter Koenig Dies At 90
Actor Walter Koenig, best known for playing Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, has died aged 90. His family and a representative confirmed his death from natural causes, marking the loss of one of the last surviving actors from the original series’ crew.
Koenig joined the series in its second season and appeared in 36 of its 50 episodes between 1967 and 1969. He played Chekov in seven feature films and later voiced him in video games, while also appearing in Babylon 5, Futurama and Moontrap. William Shatner and George Takei are now the last surviving core members of the original Star Trek crew.
In short
- Walter Koenig, who played Chekov, has died aged 90.
- He appeared in 36 original Star Trek episodes and seven films.
- Shatner and Takei are the last surviving core cast members.
Explained simply
Star Trek began as a television science-fiction series in 1966, following the crew of the starship Enterprise as they travelled through space. Its original cast included William Shatner as Captain Kirk and George Takei as Sulu.
Walter Koenig joined in the second season as Pavel Chekov, the Enterprise’s young navigator. He later played the character in several Star Trek films and voiced him in video games.
The series grew into a long-running film and television franchise, with a cast whose characters became familiar to generations of viewers. Koenig also appeared in other science-fiction productions, including Babylon 5.