If you grew up with the original Star Trek, Pavel Chekov was one of the crew you knew well. Walter Koenig, the actor who played him, has died at 90, according to reports published October 26. He joined the show in its second season and later played the role in seven feature films. Here is his career, what he did beyond Star Trek, and who from the original cast remains.
Walter Koenig died on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at age 90, according to reports published October 26. CBS News reported that he died at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, with his daughter and a niece there. His representative, Zachery McGinnis, confirmed the death and said he died of natural causes. Koenig played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek series, which aired from 1966 to 1969. He joined the cast for the start of its second season in 1967. He appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes that aired in the show's second and third seasons.
If you want to watch his work, check which services carry the original series and his films in your country. Availability changes often and varies by region, so search the title on your streaming service before you assume it is there. You can also read where to find classic Star Trek for guides to the original series and films.
Koenig was born in Chicago on September 14, 1936. He was a regular on the bridge through the show's second and third seasons. He played the character in the first seven Paramount films, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.
His Work Beyond the Original Series
Koenig's acting continued well past the original series. He played Alfred Bester on Babylon 5, the science fiction series that aired in the 1990s, across 12 episodes. In 2023, he voiced Federation President Anton Chekov in the Star Trek: Picard episode "The Last Generation." Fans who want to know how the rest of the cast fared can read about the surviving cast of the original series.
Who from the original Star Trek cast is still alive? After Koenig's death, William Shatner and George Takei are the only surviving members of the original series' main cast. Shatner played Captain Kirk, and Takei played Hikaru Sulu.
George Takei, Koenig's former castmate, paid tribute to him on Bluesky. Koenig's family also carried losses. He married Judy Levitt in 1965, and she died in 2022. Their son, actor Andrew Koenig, was born in 1968 and died in 2010. His daughter, Danielle, is a comedian and writer.
Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original Star Trek, died at 90. He appeared in 36 of the 50 episodes in the show's second and third seasons and played the role in seven feature films. George Takei paid tribute to him on Bluesky. William Shatner and Takei are the only surviving members of the original main cast.
