Anton Yelchin Biography

Anton Yelchin was the actor who played Chekov in three Star Trek films before he was killed in a freak auto accident at the age of 27.

Born in Russia to figure skating parents, Yelchin was still an infant when his family moved to the United States. He began getting screen roles when he was a boy, and in his short career Yelchin appeared in more than three dozen films.

In early roles, he often played innocents. His first major roles included Hearts in Atlantis (2001, starring Anthony Hopkins) and Alpha Dog (2006, starring Emile Hirsch), as well as a two-year stint playing Hank Azaria‘s son in the cable series Huff (2004-06).

He had lead roles in the independent films Charlie Bartlett (2007, starring Robert Downey, Jr.) and Like Crazy (2011, with Felicity Jones), but most moviegoers knew Yelchin as Pavel Chekov, the Russian crewmate in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek, as well as the sequels, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016).

His other memorable roles included Fright Night (2011, starring Colin Farrell), The Smurfs (2011), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013, starring Tilda Swinton) and Green Room (2015, starring Patrick Stewart).

Yelchin was killed when his vehicle rolled back on him, pinning him against a pillar in his driveway.