Trek’s Mr Chekov dies in freak accident
Actor, 27, ‘run over by his own car’
ONE of the stars of the blockbuster series of Star Trek films has died in a freak car accident at the age of 27.
Anton Yelchin, the charismatic Russian-born actor who played Chekov in Star Trek, also starred in several box office hits in recent years – and has a large role in Star Trek Beyond, the latest in the series which is due to be released in July.
His body was found at around 1am on his driveway in San Fernando, California. He had been hit by his own car, it was reported last night.
A friend found him pinned between his vehicle and a brick mail box, which was attached to a security gate, the TMZ website claimed.
The car was in neutral at the time with the engine still running, with the source adding that the driveway had a steep incline. The friend called at the house after becoming concerned when Yelchin failed to attend a rehearsal earlier in the evening. Police told the website that there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances. Yelchin’s publicist confirmed the death last night.
The actor’s friend Anna Kendrick tweeted her distress after learning of his death.
‘This is unreal,’ the Twilight star wrote yesterday. ‘Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.’
His Star Trek co-star John Cho, who plays Mr Sulu in the films, added: ‘I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist – curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I’m in ruins.’
And British comedian Matt Lucas wrote: ‘Dreadful news about Anton Yelchin. I thought he was an amazing actor.’ Yelchin’s acting career started with roles in independent films and various television shows, before finding a wider audience in the crime thriller Alpha Dog and US comedy Charlie Bartlett. His biggest role to date had been in the rebooted Star Trek films — the third of which, Star Trek Beyond, will be seen next month. Yelchin, an only child, was born in Saint Petersburg in Russia, the son of well-known profes- sional figure-skaters Irina and Viktor Yelchin.
After 15 years as the stars of Russia’s Ice Ballet, the Yelchins fled to the United States as political refugees when their son was still a baby.
Raised in Los Angeles, Yelchin attended the University of Southern California.
He started acting as a child, taking his first professional role at the age of nine in A Man Is Mostly Water.
Yelchin had also been set to play a voice role in coming film Trollhunters. Director Guillermo del Toro said: ‘Anton was a sweetheart. Absolutely a great creative partner and artist.’
‘Such a huge loss’