Walter Koenig, actor who originated the role of Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek, has died. The news was reported on Bluesky by NPR’s Jess Thorn, and later reported by NBC affiliates. The news comes from Danielle Koenig, Walter’s daughter. He was 90 years old and passed away on October 25, 2026.

Koenig joined the cast of Star Trek for its second season in 1967, playing the character of Chekov, a joyful young ensign of Russian descent. His Beatles-esque haircut and youthful energy accomplished two goals for Trek producer and creator Gene Roddenberry: To court a younger demographic of viewers, and also to represent a united future in which even a Russian could work side-by-side in the future with more Western-leaning characters like Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner ). During the Cold War in the 1960s, this concept was revolutionary. Although born in Chicago, Illinois, Koenig was the child of Russian immigrants, Isadore and Sarah Koenig, who came to the United States from the Soviet Union.…