Walter Koenig, actor who played Chekov on original ‘Star Trek’ series, dies at 90

Walter Koenig, the actor who played Chekov on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died, his representative confirmed on Monday.

He was 90.

Koenig passed away at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, talent agent Zachery McGinnis said in a statement.

cat members on the bridge of the USS Enterprise — Walter Koenig as Chekov, second from left, on the bridge of the USS Enterprise starship in "Star Trek" in 1968. CBS via Getty

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” 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.

Walter Koenig speaks at the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago in 2020. — George Takei and Walter Koenig on "Star Trek."CBS via Shutterstock

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.

Koenig’s Chekov came on board during the second season of Cold War-era “Star Trek,” which aimed to show how characters from multiple races and nationalities could peacefully coincide — albeit in the 23rd century, on a space ship and in the fictional setting of series creator Gene Roddenberry.

The late actor went on to play Chekov in seven “Star Trek” movies: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in 1982, “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in 1984, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” in 1986, “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” in 1989, “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” in 1991 and “Star Trek Generations” in 1994.