Walter Koenig, Chekov in the original Star Trek, dies at 90 in Los Angeles

Walter Koenig, who played the navigator Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek television series and seven Star Trek films, has died at the age of 90, Variety reported. His representatives said he died of old age at his home in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, on Sunday night, 25 October 2026, with his daughter and niece beside him. CBS News also reported his death.

Who Walter Koenig was

Koenig was born in Chicago to a family of Russian Jewish heritage originally named Koenigsberg. He studied psychology at UCLA before a professor pushed him towards acting, and trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, where his classmates included Christopher Lloyd and James Caan.

He joined Star Trek in its second season as Chekov, a brash young Russian officer on the bridge of the Enterprise, added partly to draw teenage viewers. The character became one of the show's best-known faces and stayed with the crew through the film series.

The roles he is remembered for

He also wrote an episode of Star Trek: The Animated Series, "The Infinite Vulcan", even though Chekov was left out of that show, and returned to the character as an admiral in the fan-funded 2015 film Star Trek: Renegades.

A statement from his family's representatives

"Walter helped inspire audiences with his optimism, humor, and adventurous spirit," his representatives said, thanking fans he met at "countless convention appearances" over the decades.

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