Star Trek Pin-up #33 FRAMED Walter Koenig Ensign Chekov

Description

Pavel Andreievich Chekov served as a Starfleet officer during the latter half of the 23rd century. Although he mainly served as the navigator aboard the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise-A, he played a more variable role than other senior crew members under Captain James T. Kirk.

Chekov’s first assignment, at the age of 22, was on the USS Enterprise under command of Captain James T. Kirk. He joined the crew sometime prior to the spring of 2267.

Chekov served a standard junior officer rotation, eventually earning the post of navigator, although he was also proficient with the science officer station, often serving at the post in Commander Spock’s absence. While acting the role of science adviser, Chekov made every attempt to be as thorough as possible. Chekov also became good friends with the slightly older chief helmsman Lieutenant Sulu who sat next to him on many missions.

While investigating a humanoid that could generate and control energy, who referred to himself as Apollo, in 2267, Chekov began to spout off information on similar creatures. After naming the electric eel and giant dry-worm, he was stopped by Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy, who told him “not the whole encyclopedia, Chekov.” McCoy later quipping on Chekov’s dedicated thoroughness by stating: “Spock’s contaminating this boy, Jim.”

Walter Marvin Koenig (born 14 September 1936; age 78) is the actor and writer best known for playing Pavel Chekov on Star Trek: The Original Series and in the first seven Star Trek movies. He was the only original cast member not to lend his voice to Star Trek: The Animated Series due to budgetary reasons, though he still contributed to the series by writing the episode “The Infinite Vulcan”.

Koenig was cast as Pavel Chekov for the second season on Star Trek: The Original Series in 1967. The producers specifically brought in the youthful Koenig to draw younger viewers to the show. The original plan was to create a young, British character in the vein of The Beatles and the current success of their “American counterparts”, The Monkees. Later, Gene Roddenberry decided the character should be Russian, in response to an alleged article in the leading Soviet newspaper, Pravda.

Koenig was recommended for the role by director Joseph Pevney, who noted that he “had the worst fake Russian accent I ever heard”. The actor, 30 at the time, played the 22-year-old Ensign. To augment the ploy, they made him look like Davy Jones from the The Monkees. Reportedly, the ploy worked. Koenig originally had to wear a Davy Jones-style wig until his own hair grew out.

During later in the season, Koenig often had to fill in for George Takei, who was delayed filming The Green Berets. When Takei finally returned to the show later that season, he was required to share his dressing room and even episode scripts with Koenig, a situation Takei did not like. (William Shatner’s Star Trek Memories) This circumstance was later referenced in the Futurama episode “Where No Fan Has Gone Before,” in which Koenig and Takei were forced to share a copy of Melllvar’s fan-written script. Koenig and Takei have since become close friends.

His last canon appearance as Chekov was in the 1994 film Star Trek Generations, but he did play the character in several non-canon productions. He appeared as Chekov in the short film created for the theme park attraction Star Trek Adventure, and he also voiced the character in the video games Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Star Trek: Judgment Rites, Star Trek Generations (based on the film), Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and Star Trek: Shattered Universe.

Besides his work on Star Trek, Koenig is also well known for his role as villainous Psi Cop Alfred Bester on the acclaimed science fiction series, Babylon 5.

On 21 June 2011 it was announced that Koenig is among the honorees of the 2012 Hollywood Walk of Fame stars.

Frame is shrinkwrapped until time of purchase. Ships boxed with packing peanuts.

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