2 Original Series Actors Die Within 5 Days, Leaving 2 Cast Members Alive

The 'Star Trek' franchise lost two of its most prominent figures within five days this week, a sequence of losses that has drawn grief from current and former cast members. Walter Koenig, who played navigator Pavel Chekov on the original 1960s series, died Sunday at age 90. Patrick Stewart, who began playing Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in 1987 on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and later led 'Star Trek: Picard,' died Thursday.

William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk from 1966 to 1969 and starred in six film sequels, addressed the week in a comment. "What a heartbreaking week it has been," Shatner said. He is one of two surviving actors from that original cast; Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, died in 2015.

Koenig joined the show in its second season as a Russian character during the Cold War, part of creator Gene Roddenberry's effort to assemble a diverse cast that also included a Japanese helmsman and a Bantu communications officer. Koenig's role was also designed to attract younger viewers. The actor who played a younger Chekov in the 2009 'Kelvin' universe films, Anton Yelchin, died in 2016 at age 27 when his car pinned him against a gate at his Los Angeles home.

With Koenig's death, Shatner and George Takei, who played helmsman Hikaru Sulu, are the only surviving members of the original cast. Shatner is 95 and Takei is 89; both remain active. Shatner recently announced a new project as front man for a heavy-metal band, and Takei continues to post content on social media. Takei said Monday that his "heart was heavy" after Koenig's death.

"He was a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend," Takei said of Koenig. "Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course." Akiva Goldsman, co-creator of 'Star Trek: Picard,' said of Stewart: "His Captain Jean-Luc Picard permanently expanded the universe of Star Trek without measure." Online forums dedicated to the series shifted to tributes after each death, including a post on X that read, "Bubble wrap George Takei and William Shatner ASAP."

The show's influence has reached beyond television. The first space shuttle was named 'Enterprise' after the show's flagship following a letter-writing campaign that persuaded President Gerald Ford to approve the rename, and the cast attended the ship's introduction. The handheld communicators depicted on the show helped inspire early flip phones. The line "Beam me up, Scotty" was never spoken verbatim on the show.

Koenig's death comes as Paramount, which has overseen the franchise, moves into a new corporate era, and as a decade-long run of streaming series draws to a close. Shatner addressed the franchise's longevity in a 2008 conversation, saying, "None of us will be around forever," but 'Star Trek' will.