The Late Great Walter Koenig

Walter Koenig, best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov on Star Trek, died yesterday, October 25, 2026, at the age of 90. He also played Psi Cop Alfred Bester on Babylon 5.Walter Koenig was born on September 14, 1936 in Chicago. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union. His father was a translator for RCA Victor. The family moved to Manhattan in New York City when Walter Koenig was young. He acted in school plays at Fieldston High School in New York. He attended Grinnell College in Iowa, majoring in pre-med, then transferred after a year to UCLA, where he received a BA in psychology. It was a professor who suggested to Walter Koenig that he become an actor. He attended Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, studying alongside James Caan, Dabney Coleman, and Christopher Lloyd. He moved to Los Angeles, where he made his television debut in an uncredited role in an episode of Combat! in 1962. He made his feature film debut in one of the…