Beginning with J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009), Anton Yelchin played Ensign Pavel Chekov in three Star Trek films before his tragic and untimely death in 2016. Following the James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) of the alternate Kelvin timeline, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films reenergized the Star Trek movie franchise, introducing countless new fans to the series. Star Trek: Enterprise ended with a whimper four years before and there had not been a Star Trek feature film since the lackluster Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.
Star Trek (2009) introduced updated versions of the classic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, including the young Russian Starfleet officer, Pavel Chekov. Originally played by Walter Koenig, Chekov was the youngest of the USS Enterprise bridge crew and was often defined by his love for his Russian heritage. Throughout TOS and its subsequent films, Chekov became a jack-of-all-trades, working in navigation, engineering, and security, among other odd jobs. In Star Trek (2009), Yelchin’s Chekov joined the crew of the Enterprise as a cadet at the age of seventeen, when he was assigned as the ship’s navigator.
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Chekov’s Star Trek: TOS & Picard History Explained
Brought in to cover for George Takei’s absence, Walter Koenig’s Pavel Chekov has become a Star Trek icon that continues to influence the franchise.
Anton Yelchin Played Chekov In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies
The Chekov of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek is a prodigy, with exceptional mathematical ability.
As the navigator on the Starship Enterprise, Chekov aided in the defeat of Nero (Eric Bana), the Romulan time traveler who sought revenge against the United Federation of Planets for the destruction of Romulus. In Star Trek Into Darkness, the Enterprise faces off against the notorious tyrant, Khan Noonien-Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch), who reveals a Starfleet and Section 31 conspiracy. Chekov briefly fills in as Chief Engineer when Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg) temporarily resigns. By the time of Star Trek Beyond, Chekov is back to being the Enterprise’s navigator when the ship is destroyed, stranding Chekov and the rest of the crew on Altamid.
Born in the Soviet Union, Anton Yelchin’s family moved to the United States when he was only six months old. Yelchin made his film debut in 2000’s A Man Is Mostly Water, before going on to appear in numerous films and television shows, including Along Came a Spider, Hearts in Atlantis, The Practice, and NYPD Blue. Yelchin starred alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington in 2009’s Terminator Salvation, and continued to have a busy career, often earning rave reviews for his performances. He starred as Odd Thomas in the adaptation of the Dean Koontz novel of the same name and also starred alongside Patrick Stewart in the independent horror film, The Green Room.
Anton Yelchin’s Tragic 2016 Death Explained
Yelchin died in a tragic accident on June 19, 2016.
When Anton Yelchin missed a rehearsal on June 18, 2016, his friends grew worried and went to check on him at his home. He was found at about 1 a.m. on June 19, having been pinned between his Jeep and a brick pillar outside of his home in a freak accident. At only age 27, Yelchin was pronounced dead at the scene. Star Trek Beyond was released about a month after Yelchin’s death and was dedicated to both him and Leonard Nimoy, who had passed away in May of 2015.
Several other films and television shows featuring Yelchin were released after the actor’s death, many of which were dedicated to him. These projects include Smurfs: The Lost Village, We Don’t Belong Here, Rememory, Porto, Newness, and Thoroughbreds, as well as the entirety of Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia. Star Trek: Discovery season 3 featured a Federation Starship named the USS Yelchin (NCC-4774-E), and a new ship named Yelchin was mentioned in Discovery season 4. Star Trek has found numerous ways to keep Anton Yelchin’s memory alive, and he has been and always shall be an important member of the Star Trek family.
Star Trek (2009)
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J.J. Abrams’ 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
- Director
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J.J. Abrams
- Release Date
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May 8, 2009
- Writers
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Roberto Orci
, Alex Kurtzman
, Gene Roddenberry - Cast
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Chris Pine
, Zoe Saldana
, Zachary Quinto
, Simon Pegg
, Karl Urban
, Anton Yelchin
, John Cho
, Leonard Nimoy
, Eric Bana
, Bruce Greenwood
, Winona Ryder
, Tyler Perry - Runtime
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127 Minutes
Star Trek Into Darkness
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Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 movie directed by J. J. Abrams and starring John Cho, Alice Eve, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Part of the Star Trek franchise, this sequel sees Captain Kirk relieved of his duties as commander of the USS Enterprise.
- Director
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J.J. Abrams
- Release Date
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May 16, 2013
- Writers
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Roberto Orci
, Alex Kurtzman
, Damon Lindelof - Cast
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Anton Yelchin
, Karl Urban
, Simon Pegg
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Zachary Quinto
, Zoe Saldana
, John Cho
, Chris Pine
, Alice Eve
, Peter Weller - Runtime
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132 Minutes
Star Trek Beyond
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In the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek Films, Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew return to fight a new enemy who puts everything they and the Federation stand for to the ultimate test. This third installment of the rebooted Star Trek films marked the 50th anniversary of the classic sci-fi franchise.
- Director
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Justin Lin
- Release Date
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July 22, 2016
- Writers
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Doug Jung
, Simon Pegg - Cast
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Chris Pine
, Idris Elba
, Anton Yelchin
, Karl Urban
, Simon Pegg
, Zachary Quinto
, Shohreh Aghdashloo
, Zoe Saldana
, John Cho
, Sofia Boutella - Runtime
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122 minutes
