Walter Koenig cause of death revealed: Here's everything to know

Walter Koenig, the actor who played the earnest Russian navigator Pavel Chekov on the original “Star Trek” series and in seven feature films, died at his home in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, his agent Zachery McGinnis confirmed.

He was 90.

His representatives confirmed that Koenig died of old age, surrounded by his daughter and niece.

Koenig, born in Chicago on September 14, 1936, as the son of two Russian Jewish immigrants, graduated from UCLA with a degree in psychology before training in acting at New York’s Neighbourhood Playhouse. In the early 1960s, he began securing parts for television shows like “Ben Casey” and “Mr Novak.”

In 1967, in the second season of “Star Trek”, Koenig joined the cast as Ensign Pavel Chekov, a character designed to attract younger audiences with his mop-top hairdo that evoked the look of Monkee member Davy Jones. As the only Communist bloc member in the bridge crew of the Enterprise, Chekov was meant to represent a future where Cold War enemies cooperated. The character featured in 36 episodes of the original series, which aired on NBC between 1966 and 1969.

Koenig played Chekov in seven “Star Trek” films starting with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979, while later reprising the role in productions such as “Star Trek: Renegades,” made in 2015 with money raised from fans, where Chekov had become an admiral.

Aside from “Star Trek,” he had twelve appearances as the villainous Psi Cop Alfred Bester in “Babylon 5” between 1994 and 1998. Aside from acting, he also did writing for television shows like scripts for “Family” and “The Incredible Hulk,” taught acting at UCLA and other institutions, and even wrote books such as “Chekov’s Enterprise” (1980) and “Warped Factors — A Neurotic’s Guide to the Universe” (1998).

In memory of him, his co-star and close friend George Takei said, “My heart is heavy. Walter was more than Chekhov. He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend.” Koenig was the best man in Takei’s wedding ceremony in 2008.

Survived by his daughter, Danielle Koenig (actress/writer), and was predeceased by his son, Andrew Koenig (actor and editor), who died in 2010.