Star Trek actor, Chekov 90

[Asia Joe]

Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, who played Russian navigator Ensign Pavel Chekov, has passed away.

He was 90 years old.

Walter Koenig passed away of natural causes, his family announced.

Koenig was born in Chicago to Lithuanian Jewish immigrants.

According to TMZ, Walter’s daughter and niece were by his side when he passed away in his North Hollywood home on Sunday.

“Walter was more than Chekov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend. To the fans who loved him for so many years, thank you. He loved you too,” said fellow Star Trek actor George Takei.

“Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course,” George Takei said.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Walter Koenig, the boyish actor who remains an integral part of Star Trek lore thanks to his portrayal of the Russian crewman Pavel Chekov, has died. He was 90.

Koenig, also known for playing the scoundrel Alfred Bester on another sci-fi space series, Warner Bros. Television’s Babylon 5, died Sunday of natural causes in his home in North Hollywood, his rep announced.

Raised in Manhattan as a son of Lithuanian immigrants, Koenig joined Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek for the start of its second season and appeared on 36 of the 50 episodes that aired in 1967-68 and 1968-69. He also portrayed Pavel Andreievich Chekov in the first seven Paramount movies, released from 1979 through 1991, that emanated from the NBC show.