Walter Koenig has passed away. What a legacy.
Unlike some of his coworkers Walter didn’t make a big deal about the amount of material he had behind his depiction of Chekov over the years. He was left out of The Animated Series entirely (except for writing an episode). The rewards started piling up, though. He was given a prominent part in Wrath of Khan, off on another starship and still in the midst of a vital career. He gladly swooped in when more popular colleagues opted out of Generations, and ended up with one more memorable moment as he laments how young new officers seem (Kirk says he was younger). And he shows up vocally in Picard, as Chekov’s descendant honoring his late successor in the role, Anton Yelchin…
I was never a fan of Babylon 5, but when I watched through the series my favorite episodes were always when Koenig showed up, again, without ever making a fuss about his role.
He was among the first original cast members to write a memoir, Chekov’s Enterprise (which I haven’t yet read). He wore ridiculous wigs but no one ever seemed to care, or simply pointed out it was part of the character’s original mandate.
And he was the highlight of the most successful original cast film, The Voyage Home. Fans dispute a lot of things, but I think there will always be agreement on that one.
Here’s to you, Walter.
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