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Published Oct 26, 2026, 12:59 PM EDT
Michael McWhertor is a New York-based journalist and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering games, industry events, technology, movies, and TV.
The actor best known to sci-fi fans has Chekov has died
Image: Paramount via Everett CollectionWalter Koenig, the actor best known for his role in the Star Trek franchise as Russian crew member Pavel Chekov, has died. He was 90.
Family and a representative for Koenig confirmed the actor's death of natural causes on Sunday, according to a report from TMZ. Koenig was best known his work on Star Trek in television and film, a role that helped him earn other sci-fi roles in projects like Babylon 5, Futurama, and Moontrap.
Koenig was born in Chicago in 1936 and began his acting career in the early '60s. He joined Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek crew as Ensign Pavel Chekov for the show's second season and appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes that aired between 1967-1969. Koenig reprised his role as Chekov in seven Star Trek feature films, including the handoff film Star Trek: Generations. He continued to voice the character in Star Trek video games such as Star Trek Online and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Actor Anton Yelchin took over the Chekov role in 2009's Star Trek reboot and its two sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond.
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