Walter Koenig, Star Trek's Chekov, Dies Aged 90
Walter Koenig, the actor known around the world for playing Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, has died. He was 90. His representative confirmed the news of his death to the Hollywood Reporter.
Koenig died at his home in north Hollywood, surrounded by his daughter and niece, according to a Facebook post by Zachery McGinnis, the founder of Galactic Productions, an appearance agency that counted the actor as one of its clients. His death was attributed to “old age”, with no other details provided.
McGinnis wrote: “Today we mourn the passing of Walter Koenig, whose talent, warmth, and unforgettable performances left a lasting mark on generations of fans around the world.” The post added that, through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him.
Koenig's Star Trek co-star George Takei wrote on Facebook on Monday: “My heart is heavy.” Takei said he first met Koenig in the 1960s, “on the bridge of the Enterprise”, and that they remained friends for six decades; Koenig served as Takei's best man at his wedding in 2008.
Takei wrote: “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.”
Jesse Thorn, the host of the NPR show Bullseye, also confirmed the news on Bluesky, citing his friend Danielle Koenig, the late actor's daughter.
Born in Chicago but raised in Manhattan as the child of Lithuanian immigrants, Koenig began his acting career in 1962, with an uncredited role as a sentry in Combat!.
He joined Star Trek for the start of the second season and appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes that aired between 1967 and 1969, playing the Russian character Chekov.
He continued the role in the first seven Paramount movies derived from the show, released between 1979 and 1991, as well as in a two-part crowdsourced Renegades series that debuted online in 2017. He most recently reprised the voice of Chekov in a 2023 episode of the animated series Star Trek: Picard.
Koenig also worked as a writer, penning episodes for series including The Powers of Matthew Star, Family, Land of the Lost and The Incredible Hulk. He wrote, produced and starred in the 2010 science-fiction film InAlienable, which also starred Richard Hatch.
Koenig was married to actor Judy Levitt, with whom he appeared in three Star Trek movies as well as in Babylon 5, the acclaimed science-fiction series that ran from 1994 until 1998. The couple were together from 1965 until her death in December 2022 at the age of 83.
Their son Andrew, who played Richard “Boner” Stabone in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains, died in 2010 at the age of 41. Koenig is survived by his daughter, the actor and screenwriter Danielle Koenig.
