Walter Koenig, Chekov On Original 'Star Trek,' Dies At 90 (cbsnews.com) 46
Longtime Slashdot reader schwit1 shares a report from CBS News: Walter Koenig, the actor who played Pavel Chekov in the original "Star Trek" series and several movies, has died, his rep confirmed to CBS News. He was 90. Koenig died Sunday night at his home in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, talent rep Zachery McGinnis said in a statement. He died surrounded by his daughter and niece, McGinnis said.
In 'Star Trek,' Ensign Chekov was the sole member of the spaceship Enterprise bridge staff from what was the Communist bloc. His friendly, supportive presence showed how the rival nations (in the far-off future in which the show was set) were capable of working together. Speaking heavily Russian-accented English, Chekov embodied stereotypical Russian personality traits, including fierce pride, love of poetry and blind loyalty. "Through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him. He understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it," McGinnis said. "Thank you, Walter, for the memories, the inspiration, and for boldly going where few have gone before."
Watch some of the Chekov's best moments on YouTube.
In 'Star Trek,' Ensign Chekov was the sole member of the spaceship Enterprise bridge staff from what was the Communist bloc. His friendly, supportive presence showed how the rival nations (in the far-off future in which the show was set) were capable of working together. Speaking heavily Russian-accented English, Chekov embodied stereotypical Russian personality traits, including fierce pride, love of poetry and blind loyalty. "Through countless convention appearances and interactions with fans, he shared his kindness, wit, and appreciation with everyone fortunate enough to meet him. He understood what Star Trek meant to people and embraced the community that grew around it," McGinnis said. "Thank you, Walter, for the memories, the inspiration, and for boldly going where few have gone before."
Watch some of the Chekov's best moments on YouTube.
Namesake (Score:5, Insightful)
"Perhaps man has a hundred senses, and when he dies only the five senses that we know perish with him, and the other ninety-five remain alive."
- Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard
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Maybe in another dimension
Farewell (Score:5, Insightful)
We will meet you up ahead, Mister Bester, in the place where no shadows fall.
Re:Farewell (Score:5, Insightful)
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To be there, at that time, the communists were all calling him a fascist. If you were in the USSR, and even entertained the idea of simply traveling outside of the USSR without some kind of special circumstances (i.e. an athlete or upper ranking party official) you were branded a fascist for the rest of your life, and that's assuming you didn't just disappear one day.
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He was here to save our asses. We should have shown a little gratitude.
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Re: Farewell (Score:2)
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So glad someone else will remember him for that. For such a nice guy, he really nailed "villain you love to hate."
Re: Farewell (Score:2)
Be seeing you.
A great actor (Score:5, Insightful)
The obituaries will all talk about Star Trek. But for me it was playing Bester in Babylon 5 that really showed his acting ability - a truly brilliant performance. He could be go from charming to chilling in a flash. He took a role with some serious depth and really made it his own.
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But for me it was playing Bester in Babylon 5 that really showed his acting ability
No mods, but yes, he was brilliant and at times very creepy in B5, the exact opposite of Star Trek. Too bad he did not get more opportunities to be seen more.
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Agreed. No shade on Chekov; he did that role well, but it was a limited role which he couldn't really expand. Bester on B5 let him really show his talent.
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Re:A great actor (Score:4, Interesting)
Walter Koening on playing Alfred Bester: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Bester has the comebacks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Bester was the best (Score:2)
He really played that character so well that he created the "villain you love to hate" to perfection. That made the "good guys" stand out and the entire series a success.
I remember a line from a Belmondo movie, which went approximately as: "What I want to achieve is to first become immortal and then die". He certainly did achieve his immortality.
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Straczynski shared his experiences working with Koenig on his FB page. A good read.
Live long, and prosper. (Score:2)
Seems a lot of the greats lived very long lives.
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If we have to choose . . . (Score:2)
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Nothing miraculous, having made a bit of money allows for better than average healthcare.
Glad I Saw Him In Person (Score:5, Insightful)
I am sad I didn't go earlier when I could have also seen Nichols, Nimoy, Kelley, and Doohan. I wish I realized much earlier that they had a limited time left for me to see them myself.
Point being: if you want to see these folks who played characters you loved, don't wait! We all have a limited amount of time on Earth. If it's important to you to sit in the same room, breathe the same air, and listen to their stories in person, then do it now. Don't put it off to later.
Re:Glad I Saw Him In Person (Score:5, Funny)
Point being: if you want to see these folks who played characters you loved, don't wait! We all have a limited amount of time on Earth. If it's important to you to sit in the same room, breathe the same air, and listen to their stories in person, then do it now. Don't put it off to later.
Well I kept trying to see Sydney Sweeney in person, sit in the same room, breathe the same air... but she's slapped a restraining order on me now.
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You lucky dog. At least she slapped you with something.
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"if I ever wanted to see these people while they were alive, I needed to finally do it."
i feel that way about a lot of artists & illustrators. was never one for conventions, etc so never got to meet Frazetta, Wrightson, Williamsom, Redondo, etc and not many of my faves are still alive - Starlin, Byrne and a few others.
Am connected to some on FB but Kaluta & Windsor-Smith are quite old and not great health, Vallejo is very frail.
Vess is about the only one who's still very active and going to conventi
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The problem isn't that people are mortal, it is that they are suddenly mortal, a Woland said once.
Be seeing you (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Be seeing you (Score:4, Insightful)
However it found its way into B5's dialogue, it was an excellent choice -- another of the many fine bits of writing, along with "...because I have poisoned your drink" and "He is behind me; you are in front of me." and of course: "Nobody listen to Zathras".
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I may be wrong, but I think the line was JMS. Koenig's addition was the hand gesture. In The Prisoner it was an "OK" gesture around the eye, hinting at the pervasive cameras and the fact that everyone was under constant surveillance. On B5, Koenig made the same gesture but at his forehead, since he's a telepath (and constantly breaks the privacy rules) so his surveillance doesn't need cameras...
Re: Be seeing you (Score:2)
He will be missed (Score:5, Insightful)
Not that anyone in the TOS cast really deserves much criticism as far as how they manage(d) their celebrity, but Koenig always came off as a class act. In every interview he always seems grateful to just have had the privilege of being part of something big. Really seem to care about the fans and wanted to be entertaining for them at conventions and the like, was willing to participate in some of the fandom projects. Just a good guy.
There's no way (Score:5)
There's absolutely no way Walter Koenig could be 90. Nor Takei 89. Nor Shatner 95.
That would require that I'm not a little kid anymore, watching Star Trek and dreaming about being in space. There's simply no way I'm an old man now.
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And then you die, when you stop the changes and stop having nice days.
Re: There's no way (Score:2)
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Now it is our turn to make their science fiction our reality.
Understandable! (Score:3)
Rest in peace Chekov, Pavel Andreievich.
The Why Files (Score:3)
An interview with William Shatner just dropped a few hours ago on YouTube via The Why Files channel that I just finished watching. Then I come here and see this news. RIP Mr. Chekov. Your wife and son will be so happy to see you again.
RIP Chekov (Score:2)
He did well in a role of a Russian with a Beatles haircut. He did get the accent all wrong, Russian doesn't have a W sound, but it has a prominent V sound; but he pronounced his Vs as Ws which made it seem like a bizzare Russian accent... OH the Neuklear Wessels! It's still a sad day as we lose yet another intrepid adventurer of a series that should have lasted for 5 years and more.
Did he fire his gun? (Score:2)
Fire chekov's gun to honor him.
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[looks around for the cherry wood mantlepiece]
to serve man (Score:2)
cultural appropriation (Score:2)
He played a Russian. He wasn't Russian.