What actor played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek: The Original Series?

What actor played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek: The Original Series? The answer is Walter Koenig. Koenig joined the series in its second season as Ensign Pavel Chekov, the young Russian navigator who served aboard the USS Enterprise. He remained part of the regular cast through the third and final season of the original television series.

Chekov was introduced partly to broaden the show’s youthful appeal. His distinctive hairstyle was associated with Davy Jones of the Monkees, and Koenig’s resemblance to Jones helped influence the casting. Publicity also connected Chekov’s creation to supposed complaints in the Soviet newspaper Pravda about the absence of Russian characters, although the story’s accuracy has long been disputed.

Koenig later reprised Chekov in the original-cast films, beginning with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and continuing through Star Trek Generations. A common mix-up is confusing him with Anton Yelchin, who played a younger-reimagined Chekov in the 2009 film series. Yelchin portrayed a different continuity’s version; Koenig is the actor associated with the original series.