Walter Koenig, Ensign Chekov on the original 'Star Trek' series, dies at
90
[October 27, 2026]
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov,
the youthful Russian navigator on the “ Star Trek ” television series
and several movies, has died. He was 90.
Koenig died Monday at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of
Los Angeles, talent agent Zachery McGinnis said in a statement.
In “Star Trek,” Ensign Chekov was the sole Communist-bloc member of the
spaceship Enterprise bridge staff. His friendly, supportive presence
showed how the rival nations (in the far-off future in which the show
was set) were capable of working together.
Speaking Russian-accented English, Chekov embodied stereotypical Russian
personality traits, including fierce pride, love of poetry and blind
loyalty.
“Star Trek” ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969 and has had an almost
unprecedented afterlife as fans, or Trekkies, kept interest in the show
alive.
Koenig was born Sept. 14, 1936, in Chicago, the son of a businessman. He
graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1958, then
studied acting at New York's The Neighborhood Playhouse for two years.
He began getting television roles in the early 1960s, appearing on “Mr.
Novak” and “Ben Casey.”
“My heart is heavy,” Koenig's castmate, George Takei, who played Hikaru
Sulu, said in a post on the social platform X. “Walter was more than
Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal
friend.”
Koenig was the best man at Takei’s 2008 wedding to Brad Altman, his
partner of more than two decades.
“Walter’s legacy extends far beyond the screen. Through countless
convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his
kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet
him. He understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the
community that grew around it,” McGinnis said. “Thank you, Walter, for
the memories, the inspiration, and for boldly going where few have gone
before.”
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Walter Koenig appears at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los
Angeles on Sept. 8, 2018. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP,
File)
 McGinnis said Koenig died surrounded
by his daughter and niece.
Koenig's son, Andrew, was also an actor, best known for playing
Boner on the sitcom “Growing Pains.” Andrew Koenig died in 2010 at
41. Walter Koenig said his son had taken his own life.
Koenig played Chekov in seven “Star Trek” movies starting in 1979,
as well as innumerable other spinoffs, including writing a “Star
Trek” book, “Chekov's Enterprise,” in 1980. The TV show has also
inspired two spinoff TV series with new casts, and conventions that
draw thousands of fans.
After “Star Trek” ended, Koenig continued acting and wrote scripts
for “Family,” “The Incredible Hulk” and other shows. He also taught
part time at UCLA and other schools.
Koenig also worked in the burgeoning field of computer games,
including some with a “Star Trek” theme. In 1995, he took a role in
the CD-ROM game “Maximum Surge.”
“I'm at a point where I could opt in my life for complacency and a
bit of predictability, or I could have one last holler — one last
try for adventure,” Koenig told The Associated Press in 1995. “I'm
of the opinion that adventure is still a very enticing and exciting
option.”
He returned to the science fiction genre with occasional appearances
in the syndicated 1990s TV series “Babylon 5.”
Koenig's death leaves William Shatner, who played Capt. James T.
Kirk, and Takei as the only surviving members of the original
series' main cast. Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan and
DeForest Kelley, who played Spock, Uhura, Scotty and Dr. Leonard
“Bones” McCoy, have died.
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