‘Star Trek’ Actor Walter Koenig, Who Played Chekov, Dies At 90

Oct 27, 2026 | 5:49 AM

Walter Koenig, best known for portraying Russian crewman Pavel Chekov on Star Trek, died Sunday of natural causes at his North Hollywood home. He was 90. Koenig joined Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek at the start of its second season, appearing in 36 episodes and all seven original Paramount films released between 1979 and 1991. He was also recognized for playing villain Alfred Bester on Warner Bros. Television’s Babylon 5. Born in Chicago on September 14th, 1936, Koenig studied at UCLA before training at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse alongside James Caan and Christopher Lloyd. He later wrote episodes for several TV series and authored two memoirs. His wife, actress Judy Levitt, died in 2022. He is survived by his daughter, actress and screenwriter Danielle Koenig.