Shatner and Takei Remember Walter Koenig, the Star Trek Chekov
Seven Lights
William Shatner paid tribute Tuesday to Walter Koenig, the actor who originated Ensign Pavel Chekov on “Star Trek” and died this week at 90. Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, posted his remembrance on social media after news of Koenig’s death.
Shatner wrote that he was “deeply saddened” by the passing and noted that the two men had worked together through the later seasons of the original series and “the six films that followed.” Although they “did not know each other well away from the set,” he said, their shared history ran long.
“What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the years,” Shatner wrote, “was a man who genuinely loved the Star Trek community. At conventions, Walter was rarely content to remain behind a signing table. He preferred to be among the people who had kept Star Trek alive for so many decades. That kind of genuine connection is rare, and it will be remembered by everyone who came into contact with him.”
Shatner offered condolences to Koenig’s “family, his friends, and the countless fans whose lives he touched.” Koenig was among the longest-serving members of the original Enterprise crew.
George Takei, who played navigator Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, posted his own tribute Monday. “Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades,” Takei wrote. “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. Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course.”
Koenig’s genre work extended beyond the franchise. He played a science-fiction writer in the television series “Babylon 5” and starred as an astronaut in the 1989 film “Moontrap,” alongside Bruce Campbell. Tributes from fellow cast members and fans have continued since the announcement of his death.