Walter Koenig, the actor who played Chekov on the original “Star Trek” series, had died, his representative confirmed. He was 90.
Koenig died at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, talent agent Zachery McGinnis said in a statement on Monday.
With the passing of Koenig, who played trusty Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov on the iconic science fiction TV show, that leaves just two surviving marquee cast members from the original series.
Following the deaths of Leonard Nimoy (2015), DeForest Kelley (1999), James Doohan (2005) and Nichelle Nichols (2022), the only two primary cast members still alive today are the 95-year-old William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk, and George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu.
Koenig was the best man at Takei’s wedding and the Sulu actor fondly remembered his colleague as a “thoughtful man, and a loyal friend” on Monday.
“Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades,” Takei said in a statement posted on Instagram.
Koenig’s Sept. 14, 1936, birthday matched with Takei’s wedding anniversary, also Sept. 14, 2008.
“I will always treasure that he and I shared that date,” the 89-year-old Takei added. “Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too. Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course.”
The original “Star Trek” ran for 79 episodes over the course of three seasons on NBC from 1966 to 1969. Koenig also reprised his role as the Russian crew member in multiple movie versions of the venerable franchise.
