Star Trek has lost another member of its original bridge crew. Walter Koenig, who played the young Russian navigator Pavel Chekov, died Sunday night at his North Hollywood home. He was 90. His representative, Zachery McGinnis, confirmed the news and said Koenig was surrounded by his daughter and niece.
Koenig played Chekov on the original NBC series from 1966 to 1969 and then in seven Star Trek movies starting in 1979. The character mattered more than people sometimes remember. In the middle of the Cold War, a Russian stood on the bridge of the Enterprise, working shoulder to shoulder with Americans and everyone else. It was a quiet statement that rival nations could get along. Sure, the accent and running jokes leaned on stereotypes, but fans loved him for his pride, loyalty, and eager energy.
His career went well past the Enterprise, too. Born in Chicago in 1936, he graduated from UCLA and studied acting in New York before landing early TV parts in shows like Mr Novak and Ben Casey. Later, he wrote scripts for The Incredible Hulk and Family, taught part-time at UCLA, wrote a book called Chekov's Enterprise, and won over a new generation of fans with his appearances on Babylon 5 in the '90s.
The tributes have been touching. George Takei, who played Sulu and whose 2008 wedding featured Koenig as best man, wrote that his heart is heavy and called him a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man and a loyal friend. McGinnis said Koenig understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the fans who grew up with the show.
