ANTON YELCHIN RU

Played originally by Walter Koenig in the midst of the Cold War, Chekov’s very presence on the Enterprise suggested a time when all nations on earth might live in unity and cooperation. He also represented the brashness and naiveté of a very young man encountering incredible events and coming of age in space. To bring a modern realism to Chekov, the filmmakers searched for an actor who not only had the smarts and personality, but the authentic Russian background to match the character. They found that precise mix in Anton Yelchin, who was born in Leningrad but has become a leading young actor, with roles in “House of D,” “Alpha Dog,” “Charlie Bartlett” and the forthcoming “Terminator Salvation.” “Anton has the quality of a true Russian chess master, but he is also so lovable. You just can’t help but be charmed by him,” observes Abrams.

Yelchin came to the role fresh, having never seen the television series. Only afterwards did he sit down and watch every single episode. “I had a wonderful, wonderful time watching it,” he recalls. “What I loved about Chekov in the original series is that he's the oddest member of the crew, a Cold War stereotype meets Davey Jones. He's got a youthful vigor and he's often the comic relief, but in our film he's also nuanced; he's the youngest and kind of shy sometimes and yet, a genius. I had fun finding the special touches I wanted to bring to him.”

To get deeper into the role, Yelchin met with Walter Koenig, who had forged the character four decades earlier. “Walter said that in order to make a character great, you have to make him your own. That’s the whole approach that J.J. took as well and influenced everything on this movie, from the wardrobe to our performances. J.J. took all the strongest elements from the past and mixed them up with his own epic vision.”
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