Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original "Star Trek," has died at 90. His talent agent, Zachery McGinnis, confirmed the death on Monday, Oct. 26, saying he died at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, NBC News reported. "Today we mourn the passing of Walter Koenig," the statement began. The Hollywood Reporter reported that he died of natural causes, and outlets differ on whether he died late Sunday or early Monday.
His co-star George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, was first to share the news. "My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today," Takei wrote on social media. TrekMovie reported that Koenig had been in declining health and had canceled several convention appearances this year, including Creation Entertainment's 60th anniversary convention in Las Vegas in August.
The Russian on the bridge
Koenig joined "Star Trek" at the start of its second season in 1967. A long-repeated story holds that Chekov was added as a Cold War gesture to the Soviet Union. Koenig disputed that. He said NBC wanted a young character to appeal to teenage viewers who liked Davy Jones and the Monkees, according to TrekMovie.
Either way, the casting carried a quiet irony. Koenig was born on September 14, 1936, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, and was raised in New York City, The Jerusalem Post reported. Three decades later, he played a proud Russian officer on American network television at the height of the Cold War, as part of a crew built on cooperation.
A career in numbers
The newsroom's timeline of Koenig's major roles, drawn from TrekMovie's reporting:
1967 to 1969: Ensign Pavel Chekov, "Star Trek".
1979 to 1991: Chekov in all six original-cast films, rising to commander.
1994: Chekov in the opening of "Star Trek Generations".
1994 to 1998: Psi Cop Alfred Bester, "Babylon 5," 12 episodes.
2012: The 2,479th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2023: Voice of Federation President Anton Chekov, "Star Trek: Picard".
From 1967 to his last Trek role in 2023 is 56 years, a span few actors in any franchise can match. In the "Picard" finale he voiced Chekov's son, named Anton in honor of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the rebooted films and died in 2016 at 27. The line he delivered was, "Hope is never lost. There are always possibilities."
Of Bester, the telepathic enforcer he played on "Babylon 5," Koenig said, "It was a fleshed-out character, which was fun to play."
The writer
Koenig was also a writer. He wrote the "Star Trek: The Animated Series" episode "The Infinite Vulcan" and scripts for "Land of the Lost," "Family" and "The Powers of Matthew Star." He wrote several books, including "Warped Factors" and the memoir "Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek," and he acted, directed and taught on stage.
He was the best man at Takei's 2008 wedding to Brad Altman, with Nichelle Nichols as "best woman," TrekMovie reported. When he received his Walk of Fame star in 2012, he was the last principal member of the original cast to get one.
Family
Koenig's wife of more than 57 years, actress Judy Levitt, died in 2022. Their son, actor Andrew Koenig, died by suicide in 2010 at 41, and Koenig used the moment publicly to urge people living with depression not to suffer alone. He is survived by his daughter, Danielle Koenig, a comedian and writer, and a grandson.
This week has been heavy for television fans. Netflix's new series on another TV star is out now, as we reported in our look at the Matthew Perry docuseries and the ketamine prosecutions. For Hollywood's version of the courtroom, see our ranking of the best courtroom movies.
Two Taps News stories summarize reporting and the analysis discussed on Two Taps and Friends. They are not legal advice. Read our standards.
