In 2016, actor Anton Yelchin – perhaps better known round these parts as the young actor who had portrayed Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot movies (a.k.a. the Kelvin Timeline movies) lost his life in a freak car accident at the tender age of 27. It was a senseless end to what could have been a promising career for the young man.
Ten years later, Walter Koenig – best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series and movies as well as Bester in Babylon 5 – would pass away a couple days ago at the ripe age of 90, thankfully to natural causes and nothing malicious. It marks the end of a long life of a man who played a bit role, but made the most of what he was given and parlayed that into a career of acting, writing, and all-around fan interacting that made him such a beloved individual. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
This is not to make light of anything, but I just find the timing to be eerily coincidental that we would lose one Chekov in 2016 and another in 2026. It’s one of those passive observations that just dawns on you when you’re reading the news of Walter’s passing and you go “Oh, wait. Anton died ten years ago.”
That’s a scary thought.
From what I recall, Anton’s parents sued the car manufacturers and eventually settled out of court, so they presumably got something out of it… but it didn’t get back their boy. And so you have this weird thing where the original Chekov would outlive his successor to the role, only to pass away (naturally) ten years later. I’m not sure whether I should call this a coincidence or some sick cosmic joke at play.
I may watch some vintage Trek later tonight. I’ll pull the DVDs out later.
