RIP Walter Koenig

News has sadly broken of the passing of actor and writer Walter Koenig, veteran of the science fiction small screen where he played key roles on both the original Star Trek (and associated movies) and Babylon 5.Koenig was born in Chicago in 1936 to Russian parents. He decided to become an actor relatively late, after receiving a psychology degree and a professor suggested he try acting. Koenig's first notable television role was on The Lieutenant, produced by Gene Roddenberry.Koenig was then cast in 1967 in Roddenberry's Star Trek, playing Ensign Pavel Chekov, debuting in the second season. Roddenberry had mused that the international nature of the Enterprise crewed merited having a Russian character on board. Falsely, a publicity story was issued claiming that the Soviet periodical Pravda had complained there were no Russian characters on the show supposedly set in a peaceful future where mankind had united. Koenig was cast due to his resemblance to Davy Jones of the Monkees, and…