Star Trek actor Walter Koenig dies at 90

Actor Walter Koenig, who played navigator Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek franchise, has died at the age of 90. The Washington Examiner and USA Today both reported that Koenig died on October 25 at age 90. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Koenig died of old age at his home in North Hollywood. His death was announced by his representatives and talent agent Zachery McGinnis. [1][2][6]

The Washington Examiner reported that series creator Gene Roddenberry added the Russian navigator character to the USS Enterprise bridge in 1967 during the Cold War. The outlet noted that Koenig was cast in the role partly because producers wanted a character who resembled the singer from The Monkees to draw younger viewers. TheMix.net reported that his Star Trek co-star William Shatner, 95, paid tribute to him following his death. [1][3]

Koenig began acting professionally in the mid-1960s and rose to prominence as Ensign Chekov in the original Star Trek television series. He went on to reprise the role in feature films, appearing in all six original-cast Star Trek movies as well as Star Trek: Generations in 1994. Beyond Star Trek, he was recognized for his role as the psi-cop Alfred Bester in the 1990s science fiction series Babylon 5. [4][5][6]

In addition to his acting career, Koenig worked as a screenwriter on television shows including Land of the Lost, Family, What Really Happened to the Class of '65?, and The Powers of Matthew Star. He also wrote episodes for the Star Trek animated series, authored several books, and worked as a voice actor. [4][5]