STAR TREK ACTOR WALTER KOENIG DIES

Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek television series, died on Sunday night, his representatives said. They said he died at his home in North Hollywood, with his daughter and niece beside him. Koenig joined the series in its second season in 1967 and played the Starship Enterprise’s Russian navigator until the programme ended in 1969. He returned as Chekov in six films featuring the original cast between 1979 and 1991.

Koenig was born in Chicago and raised in Manhattan by Jewish immigrant parents whose family had lived in Lithuania. He studied at New York’s Neighbourhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alongside James Caan, Christopher Lloyd and Dabney Coleman. The Star Trek team introduced Chekov partly to appeal to younger viewers and gave him a haircut modelled on contemporary pop stars. Koenig later played the telepath Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He also wrote for television, voiced Chekov in video games and wrote several books.

Koenig received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. Four years earlier, he was best man at fellow Star Trek cast member George Takei’s wedding to Brad Altman. Takei paid tribute to him on Monday, writing: “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.” Koenig’s representatives said his performances “left a lasting mark on generations of fans around the world”.