Star Trek’s William Shatner Reacts To Death Of Co-Star Walter Koenig

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The passing of Walter Koenig at the age of 90 leaves two surviving members from the bridge of the USS Enterprise: George Takei and William Shatner. For fans, it’s heartbreaking to see the crew of “Star Trek: The Original Series” leave us one by one, especially because many of them were so involved in and available at conventions. And Koenig, who played Pavel Andreievich Chekov in the NBC show, seven official movies, and three fan films, was considered possibly the most approachable and kindest member of the “Star Trek” cast.

Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu on “The Original Series,” wrote a lovely tribute to his friend Koenig the other day. But Shatner, who led “The Original Series” and its big screen continuations as James T. Kirk, was not as close with his co-star. Still, while the men may have had their differences in life, Shatner took to Twitter/X to honor Koenig with a deeply respectful post:

I am deeply saddened to learn of Walter Koenig’s passing. Although we did not know each other well away from the set, we shared the later seasons of the original “Star Trek” series and the six films that followed. What I observed, and what so many fans have expressed over the years, was a man who genuinely loved the “Star Trek” community. At conventions, Walter was rarely content to remain behind a signing table. He preferred to be among the people who had kept “Star Trek” alive for so many decades. That kind of genuine connection is rare, and it will be remembered by everyone who came into contact with him. My condolences to his family, his friends, and the countless fans whose lives he touched.

In his 2020 autobiography “Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek” (an update to his 1998 memoir “Warped Factors”), Walter Koenig acknowledged that at a recent STLV convention, he’d had a “candid” conversation with William Shatner. There was no closure, but Koenig made his thoughts clear. In a 2020 interview with TrekMovie.com, he explained:

“Mr. Shatner comes from a different place and a different philosophy and different set of values. He argues that he is not at fault and not guilty of any social misdemeanor, and I say misdemeanor and not felony because it never achieved that status. They were just little things along the way that were disappointing and disillusioning, but not enough to change my life or go to bed tossing and turning thinking about Bill Shatner.”

Koenig shared some anecdotes about Shatner in the autobiography, but he thought they were harmlessly amusing. It’s a shame the two men never completely buried the hatchet, but Koenig did go out of his way to praise Shatner’s talent and his role in turning the “Star Trek” franchise into a phenomenon. One thing we can say for certain: Koenig will forever be loved by this fandom. And there is a wealth of Koenig television shows outside of “Star Trek” to savor. Ad astra, Mr. Koenig.