Walter Koenig, the Russian Crewman Chekov on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 90
Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, has died aged 90. His portrayal of the Russian crewman made him a lasting part of the franchise, and he also became known to science-fiction fans for playing Alfred Bester in Babylon 5.
Koenig joined Star Trek for its second season and appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes broadcast in 1967–69. He played Chekov in the first seven films, released between 1979 and 1991. His representative said he died of natural causes at home in North Hollywood on Sunday; he was born in Chicago in 1936 and grew up in Manhattan.
In short
- Walter Koenig has died aged 90.
- He played Chekov in 36 Star Trek episodes.
- He also appeared in the first seven Star Trek films.
Explained simply
Star Trek began as a television science-fiction series about the crew of the starship Enterprise exploring space. Pavel Chekov was its Russian navigator, played by Walter Koenig, who joined the cast in the second season.
Koenig later returned as Chekov in the first seven Star Trek films, helping make the character familiar to audiences across television and cinema. He also played Alfred Bester in the later science-fiction series Babylon 5, giving him a second well-known role in the genre.