Walter Koenig, forever iconic to the sci-fi world as Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek , has passed away at the age of 90. Per a statement from Galactic Productions , the actor and writer passed away at his North Hollywood home, “surrounded by his daughter and niece.”

Koenig was born in Chicago in 1936; the child of Russian Jewish immigrants, he did not pursue acting until after college. He made his screen debut in 1963, appearing in the first two episodes of General Hospital , but did not continue on with the long-running soap opera. Instead, he became a key cast member on Gene Roddenberry’s groundbreaking sci-fi adventure series, leaning hard into his character’s Russian accent when he was brought on board for Season 2. The presence of a Russian officer on the bridge of the U.S.S.…