star trek movie anton yelchin

Anton Yelchin (1989-2016)

Camera and electrical department.

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 548

• 9 wins & 19 nominations

• Bobby Garfield

• Additional Voice Talent
• Jim Lake Jr. (voice)
• 52 episodes

• Milton Schultz

• Maxwell Green

• Dudley (voice)

• Jake Kleeman

• Father James

• Jacob Heckum

• Dr. Jack Stewart

• super 8 camera operator
• performer: "Wayfaring Stranger"

• performer: "Home", "Real Friends", "Stay With You", "Wheels on the Bus", "Beautiful Mess"

• performer: "Those Were the Days (Theme from All in the Family)", "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out", "Yankee Doodle"

Personal details

• 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
• March 11 , 1989
• Leningrad, Russian SFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]
• June 19 , 2016
• Studio City, California, USA (blunt traumatic asphyxia)
• No Children
• Parents Irina Korina
• Eugene Yelchin (Aunt or Uncle)
• Other works TV commercial "Star Trek" for XboxOne with Zachary Quinto and Anton Yelchin in character as Spock and Chekov from Star Trek (2009) .
• 10 Articles
• 1 Pictorial
• 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

• Trivia The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee that rolled into him was part of a 2016 recall for that exact same issue. Incredibly, the recall notice was mailed to Yelchin seven days after his untimely death.
• Quotes Russia is very complicated. It is one of the most complicated histories. I could go on about this forever. It produces Dostoyevsky and Rachmaninoff and then it produces Stalins and Lenins. It is such a strange combination. I don't know why that rant about Russia was necessary.
• Trademarks Distinctive hoarse voice
• When did Anton Yelchin die?
• How did Anton Yelchin die?
• How old was Anton Yelchin when he died?

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How Anton Yelchin’s Death Changes Star Trek Beyond

By Scott Meslow

At a key moment in Star Trek Beyond , Kirk leads the crew of the USS Enterprise in a toast. "To absent friends," Kirk says, as everyone raises a glass. And then the camera shifts, ever so slightly, to refocus on the man standing behind him: Pavel Chekov, the crew member played by Anton Yelchin, who died at age 27 in a freak automobile accident last month.

Appreciating the man who said "I can do that!"

By Maggie Lange

At least, I thought the camera pivoted to Chekov. In retrospect, I'm almost 100 percent sure it was in my imagination. But for me, watching Star Trek Beyond so soon after Yelchin's sudden death cast his performance—and the film itself—in a different light. It's a resonance that the film's creative team never intended, but it's still there. When the film began, every time Chekov appeared on screen, I felt a little jolt of grief. As it continued, this feeling gradually softened, but it never totally went away.

None of this is to criticize the creative team behind Star Trek Beyond , who have felt the loss of Yelchin as both a colleague and friend, and who have been unfailingly thoughtful and gracious in their tributes to Yelchin during the movie's promotional circuit. But the death of an actor changes the context in which you watch a movie, and for fans of Yelchin's work, Star Trek Beyond will be both a tribute and a fresh source of grief. And sitting in a movie theater, it's hard to reconcile those feelings with what Star Trek Beyond wants to be: a fun, escapist summer popcorn blockbuster.

Star Trek Beyond is hardly the first Hollywood blockbuster to hit theaters under the shadow of a cast member's unexpected death. The Harry Potter franchise recast the role of Dumbledore after the death of Richard Harris. Last year, the final Hunger Games sequel was reworked to minimize the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, the supporting character played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died in February 2014. Earlier this summer, Alice Through the Looking Glass featured the final performance of Alan Rickman, whose unmistakable baritone classed up an otherwise forgettable movie.

Of course, a movie faces a different challenge when a late actor's performance contains echoes of their death. One of the Joker's final lines to Batman in The Dark Knight —"I think you and I are destined to do this forever"—became unintentionally ghoulish after Heath Ledger died. And then, of course, there's Furious 7 —the James Wan-directed installment of a franchise largely defined by Stark Trek Beyond director Justin Lin, who directed installments three, four, five, and six. When Paul Walker died during the production of Furious 7 —in a car crash, no less—the film's producers faced a difficult decision: shut down production, or release a movie with some unsettling parallels to a real-life tragedy? In the end, they concluded that releasing the film was the right decision, and they managed to give Walker's protagonist a relatively graceful exit, using previously shot footage, along with CGI and body doubles, to complete the performance.

Star Trek Beyond is largely constructed as a tribute to another late Star Trek icon: Leonard Nimoy.

But the team behind Star Trek Beyond had a simpler choice to make. Yelchin's performance was finished, and nothing in the film directly recalls the circumstances of his death. In fact, Star Trek Beyond is largely constructed as a tribute to another late Star Trek icon: Leonard Nimoy, who died several months before Beyond entered production.

This timeline enabled screenwriters Simon Pegg and Doug Jung to weave Nimoy's real-life death into the fabric of the film. As Beyond begins, Spock (Zachary Quinto) learns that Ambassador Spock (Nimoy)—his older self from an alternate timeline, as seen in the previous two Star Trek movies—has died. This news sends the younger Spock into a soul-searching grief that informs his entire arc in the movie, as he contemplates leaving both the Federation and his girlfriend, Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), to spend more time rebuilding his culture with the other surviving Vulcans. The story crescendoes with a brief, poignant nod to Ambassador Spock and the rest of the original cast, offering a final love letter to both the character and Leonard Nimoy.

Star Trek Beyond features one of Yelchin's final performances, which is both the simplest and most complete way to honor his work in the franchise—but his death also hangs over the movie, and the already-announced Star Trek 4 will need to address it. J.J. Abrams has said that the role of Chekov won't be recast, but that it's "too early" to decide how they'll resolve the character’s absence.

As far as I can tell, the only change that was definitively made to Star Trek Beyond in the wake of Yelchin's death happens several minutes after the movie itself has ended. In the middle of the credits, a warm title card appears that was presumably planned a long time ago: "In loving memory of Leonard Nimoy." When those words fade away, they're replaced by a second, simpler dedication: "For Anton."

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Tributes pour in for late 'Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin

Actor Anton Yelchin, best known for his role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek movie series, has died in what is being labelled a "freak accident" involving his own car.

Los Angeles police found the actor in his driveway at around 1am PST on Sunday morning. The cause of death has been declared accidental by authorities, with LAPD spokesperson Jenny Houser telling The Hollywood Reporter : "It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death."

Born in what is now Saint Petersburg, Russia on 11 March 1989, Yelchin's parents Irina and Viktor – both figure skaters who had qualified for the 1972 Olympics but were prevented from competing by the former Soviet regime – moved the family to the USA when Anton was six months old.

Anton Yelchin's movie debut came in 2000's independent film A Man is Mostly Water . He also appeared on television in series such as E.R., Hearts in Atlantis, and Huff . His big screen career took off in 2009 when he appeared as Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation and the JJ Abrams-directed Star Trek .

Yelchin would go on to resume the role of Chekov in 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness in its impending sequel, Star Trek Beyond , and appear in numerous movies including 2011's Fright Night remake, Odd Thomas , and Only Lovers Left Alive . He also lent his voice to animated feature The Pirates! and the English language dub of Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill .

Tributes to the young actor have flooded in, praising his charm and charisma, and mourning the loss of such a talent so young.

Trek director and producer JJ Abrams tweeted a note reading "Anton - you were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren't here nearly long enough. Missing you, JJ."

In a further statement to Entertainment Weekly , Abrams said "Anton was our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew. His laugh was preposterous – you couldn’t hear it and not laugh yourself. He was funny, edgy, wild and talented beyond measure. His focus and dedication was admirable, as was his love of family, friends, literature and music."

"We loved Anton, at work or at play. We are all shocked and numb and devastated by the world’s loss of an extraordinary young man. To his family, we send you our love during this impossible time. We will miss Anton forever."

Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the Star Trek film series, also released a statement. It said: "All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin. As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family."

Boone Ashworth

Carlton Reid

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Reece Rogers

Yelchin's Star Trek cast mates also paid tribute. John Cho, who plays Sulu, said "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 "Please send your love to Anton's family right now. They need it."

Zoe Saldana - Lt Uhura - said "Devastated by our friend's loss. We are mourning his passing and celebrating the beautiful spirit that he was. #RIPAnton".

Justin Lin, director of Star Trek Beyond added "Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you."

Dozens of other Trek cast and crew, both past and present, have also paid their respects to Yelchin, though it was perhaps a fan tribute to the late actor that most poignantly hits home .

Yelchin will be posthumously seen in Star Trek Beyond , released 22 July, 2016's Porto and We Don't Belong Here , and 2017's Thoroughbred .

This article was originally published by WIRED UK

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Star Trek 's Anton Yelchin Talks Chekov Accent and Klingons

...and green screen work aboard the enterprise..

In the new Star Trek movie, rebooting the franchise with all new actors playing the original Enterprise crew, Anton Yelchin is the new Chekov. Reinterpreting Walter Koenig ‘s Russian starship lieutenant required some interesting linguistic decisions on Yelchin’s part.

“The thing is about Walter Koenig was his accent was interesting,” said Yelchin. “I think I’m just going to leave it at interesting. All of us had to make the choice of what we wanted to take from the original and what we wanted to bring to it. There are certain things that I took, from the fact that he replaced every V with a W which is weird. I don’t really know where that decision came from but regardless that’s the decision that he made and I thought it was important to bring that to the character.”

If he can nail that down, Yelchin has done Chekov proud and should have free reign to do whatever else he wants with the character. “I talked to J.J. [Abrams] a lot about what he wanted. His thing was we’re not making something that’s supposed to be the old Star Trek . He’s making his own movie but there is a bit of, like, I think people want to see what they love so we’re all trying to find things that will remind people of the old characters. So it’s been interesting picking up on little things.”

As for finding opportunities to say the line “But Ceepteen, the Kleengons are approaching,” Yelchin has spent most of his time on the ship. “Chekov is just on the Enterprise. A lot of it is green screen. I mean, the Enterprise itself, J.J.’s trying to shoot as much of it as he can with out green screen, but I think a lot of space is obviously green screen — what I’m looking at while seeing the Klingon warships.”

Star Trek hits theaters Christmas 2008.

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Anton Yelchin, ‘Star Trek’ Actor, Dies at 27

By Dave Itzkoff

• June 19, 2016

Anton Yelchin, who played the young incarnation of Chekov, an excitable officer on the Starship Enterprise, in the rebooted “Star Trek” movie series, died early Sunday morning when he was pinned by his car in his driveway at his home in Los Angeles. He was 27.

Officer Jenny Houser of the Los Angeles Police Department said Mr. Yelchin was hit around 1:10 a.m. The car, an SUV, had rolled backward down a steep driveway and trapped him against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.

Officer Houser said he was found dead by friends who had come to his house, in the Studio City neighborhood, after he did not show up for a rehearsal.

(On Monday, The Associated Press reported that the vehicle, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was one of 1.1. million vehicles recalled by the manufacturer, Fiat Chrysler, in April because their gear shifters had confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records.)

Mr. Yelchin was born on March 11, 1989, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, in what was then the Soviet Union. His parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were superstar figure skaters with the Leningrad Ice Ballet.

But the Yelchins, who are Jewish, fled the Soviet Union six months later, facing political and religious oppression and fearing for their son’s safety. They settled in Los Angeles. His parents survive him.

“It is a very bad situation over there,” Viktor Yelchin told The Los Angeles Times . “I would get angry, too — I’d say, ‘Why should we have to buy things on the black market? Why should we have to stand in line?’”

As a child actor, Anton made memorable appearances on television shows like “ER,” “The Practice” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” on which he played a child magician who frustrates Larry David with a card trick.

He also appeared in the films “Charlie Bartlett” (2007), with Robert Downey Jr., in which he played the title role, a talkative student who appoints himself his school’s resident therapist, and “Alpha Dog” (2006), in which he played an innocent boy who becomes an unwitting pawn in a drug war.

His breakthrough came in the director J. J. Abrams’s 2009 resuscitation of “Star Trek,” the venerable science-fiction adventure franchise. Mr. Yelchin was cast as Pavel Chekov, the Russian-born Starfleet officer portrayed by Walter Koenig in the original “Star Trek” television series and movies.

As played by Mr. Yelchin, Chekov was endearingly antic, humorously navigating his way through high-pressure scenarios and — even in the 23rd century — having difficulty with the “V” sounds in words like “Victor” and “Vulcan.”

Mr. Yelchin reprised the role in a 2013 sequel, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and will be seen in a third film, “Star Trek Beyond,” to be released this summer.

His other recent roles included the voice of Clumsy Smurf in two “Smurfs” movies and a member of a punk-rock band fighting its way out of a neo-Nazi skinhead club in the horror film “Green Room” (2015).

His co-stars mourned his death on social media. In an Instagram post , Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the new “Star Trek” movies, wrote that Mr. Yelchin was “one of the most open and intellectually curious people I have ever had the pleasure to know.” In a post on Twitter , John Cho, who plays Sulu in the new movies, called Mr. Yelchin “a true artist — curious, beautiful, courageous.”

Anton Yelchin, ‘Star Trek’ Actor, Dead at 27

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

UPDATE: The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee actor Anton Yelchin was driving at the time of his fatal accident was under recall, The Associated Press  reports.  The SUV’s gear shifters reportedly confused drivers and caused vehicles to roll unexpectedly. 

On Monday, Jeep auto-maker Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that the company is investigating and that it’s premature to speculate on the crash cause. The 2015 Grand Cherokees were included in Fiat Chrysler’s global recall of 1.1 million vehicles announced in April. A Los Angeles coroner’s official has stated that Yelchin’s death has been ruled an accident. 

Anton Yelchin, the actor who portrayed Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek series and star of films like  Like Crazy  and Green Room , died early Sunday morning in a fatal traffic collision, his publicist confirmed to The Associated Press . Yelchin was 27.

According to TMZ , Yelchin was involved in a freak accident outside his San Fernando Valley, California home. After missing a rehearsal earlier in the night, concerned friends found Yelchin pinned between his car and a brick mailbox that was attached to the security gate. The car was on and in neutral when the actor was found in his driveway. TMZ adds that police do not suspect foul play.

“Oh, Anton. Such a dedicated, generous and hyper-smart young man. So grateful for the time we shared, destroyed he left so soon,” Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier tweeted  of the actor.

Born in Russia to professional figure skater parents, the Yelchin family emigrated to the United States when Anton was six months old. After making his acting debut at the age of nine, Yelchin appeared in films and television shows like ER , Curb Your Enthusiasm , House of D and Along Came a Spider while still in his early teens.

Yelchin’s breakout role came as the kidnapped younger brother in the 2006 film Alpha Dog , based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood. Soon after, Yelchin nabbed prominent roles in films like Charlie Bartlett (in the title role), Like Crazy , the remake of Fright Night and Terminator: Salvation , playing the Kyle Reese role.

Yelchin was perhaps best known for portraying Pavel Chekov in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek in 2009 and Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013. Yelchin reprised the role for the upcoming Star Trek Beyond , due out July 22nd.

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Recently, Yelchin starred in the critically acclaimed Green Room , the zombie comedy Burying the Ex and the Shakespeare adaptation Cymbeline . Yelchin was also a member of the band HammerHeads.

“Anton Yelchin was one of my best friends. Can’t say anything that conveys what this feels like,” actress Kat Dennings tweeted . Anna Kendrick wrote , “This is unreal. Anton Yelchin is such a talent. Such a huge loss.”

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Zoe Saldana: ‘Star Trek’ Cast “Excited” To Reunite For Fourth Movie; Says It Would Honor Anton Yelchin

| March 1, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 50 comments so far

Two weeks ago, Paramount announced they were moving forward with a fourth film set in the Kelvin Universe, reuniting the cast of the 2009 Star Trek film. Later, it was reported that the announcement took the cast by surprise. Now one of the actors is talking about how the movie could honor the late Anton Yelchin.

Zoe Saldana talks fourth Star Trek movie and Anton Yelchin

The announcement may have come as a surprise to the Star Trek cast, but according to Zoe Saldana (Uhura), they are looking forward to getting back together for a fourth movie. Entertainment Tonight caught up with the actress on the red carpet for her new movie The Adam Project , where she talked about how the cast feels about reuniting: 

We’re excited. Obviously, it’s bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time and one of us is no longer with us… with Anton’s passing. But we honestly feel that going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to really keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts. Because he was such a fan, and he was such a devoted artist to the craft and also to Star Trek. So it would be great to go back to work and get to be together with again.

Here’s the video:

Zoe Saldana says making ‘Star Trek 4’ will be “bittersweet” without Anton Yelchin, but “keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts.” pic.twitter.com/vl27oeYRBN — Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) March 1, 2022

Yelchin passed away in 2016 in a tragic accident shortly before the release of Star Trek Beyond . A fourth film with the Kelvin cast would be the first one without him as Pavel Chekov. Producer J.J. Abrams has previously said “ there’s no replacing him ” when it comes to the idea of recasting the character, so there won’t be a new actor in the role. It remains to be seen how the Chekov’s absence would be handled.

Behind the scenes on Star Trek Beyond with Anton Yelchin and John Cho

During the Paramount Investor Day presentation two weeks ago, Abrams said of the project:

We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new ‘Star Trek’ film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take ‘Star Trek’ into areas that you’ve just never seen before. We’re thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we’re talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can’t wait for you to see what we’re cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper.

The film is set to be directed by WandaVision ‘s Matt Shakman. The latest draft of the script is written by Josh Friedman ( Avatar 2 ) and Cameron Squires ( WandaVision ), based on an earlier draft by Lindsey Beer ( Sierra Burgess Is a Loser ) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet ( Captain Marvel ).

If the project moves forward, Paramount is hoping to start production this fall. They have set a release date of December 22, 2023.

Find more news and analysis on  upcoming Star Trek feature films .

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I am glad Yelchin won’t be recast though I hope there is an in universe explanation for his absence, as opposed to his simply no longer being there.

Just mention that Chekov has been reassigned to the new Uss Reliant.

Why? They will probably say that he died saving the ship and morn his loss.

I’m guessing Chekov is first officer on the Reliant by this point. Hopefully the crew will have graduated to their maroon TWOK uniforms.

But leave Khan out of it! I mean seriously. Just leave him alone.

Long way from Ensign to Commander in five or six years…

not in the Kelvin universe :)

Really? Cause Kirk kinda went from Cadet to Captain in like 5 min.

I was hoping they’d put that stupidity behind them. Foolish me! :-)

There is no reason to believe that he’ll follow the same path as Prime Chekov. He could have been killed on a away mission or got married and moved to Risa…….could be anything.

Actually, they could discover that John Harrison wasn’t really Khan after all. He was just John Harrison, a British scientist, pretending to be Khan, and Into Darkness is instantly a better movie.

Except… Why would he pretend that? And how would he get the strength and skills? Would he decide to be a comic book villain and test his new drug on himself?

My personal decision would be to recast him. But writing him off the ship for some reason would work too and do understand why that might be the preferred method.

I don’t see the need to replace Chekhov either. And frankly there has been so much time between the last film and considering how fast people get promoted in that universe, he’s probably a Fleet Admiral by now. ;)

But if this movie really does pull off a miracle and actually gets made, the one thing I always wanted to see in the next one was Spock and Uhura married…and with babies! That just seems like the next logical step, right? And they probably been together about 8-10 years at this point, it’s time to make Uhura an honest woman Spock!

Maybe the movie can start with their wedding and Kirk marries them! Just too bad Burnham can’t be…dammit, wrong timeline again!

I agree that it would be great if they evolved the Spock-Uhura relationship and just didn’t drop it out of fear. It’s obviously one of the things, like the destruction of Vulcan, that distinguishes the Kelvin films from the rest of Star Trek. I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t take the relationship further if it’s written well.

I’d also like to see them bring back Alice Eve as Carol Marcus. I’m a bit dissapointed that they dropped that relationship from the last film, although I understand why they did. It would be nice if, for instance, Kirk reconnects with Carol and finds he’s now a father. That might be a source of good drama.

One other element that’s similar that I wish they had explored in TOS or its films is from McCoy’s backstory. We know now that McCoy was married and is divorced. However, in the TOS writer’s bible they also said he had a daughter who was originally supposed to be in “The Way to Eden” and be a love interest for Kirk, which would have caused tension with McCoy, one of his two best friends.

It’d be cool if they had a daughter for McCoy in the Kelvin films.

In any case, I really hope the film is great. I really loved all three of the Abrams films (though of course I have quibbles and some things I wish they’d changed). Beyond in particular was so much better than its box office. My wife said that she thought it was far better than The Force Awakens. I hope this next film is great too!

Exactly! What’s the point of having a relationship if it’s not going to grow? And I think the one cool thing in Star Trek is that every show actually had a couple who eventually got married: Tom/B’Elanna, Dax/Worf, Sisko/Kassidy and obviously the most famous non-couple couple Riker/Troi. Add one more to the list!

Of course they can break up or moved on but I think that would disappoint their fans more than anything (at least the ones who like the relationship) by this point. I was also disappointed Carol didn’t come back in Beyond either. I was hoping she just became part of the crew and you saw her and Kirk form a relationship in the next film. Could still happen I guess, so we’ll see.

I actually heard for the first time Bones had a daughter from someone on this site. But I had no idea was suppose to hook up with Kirk. Man how old is Bones suppose to be lol.

The writers guide puts the two characters at 11 years apart in age. Interestingly, the two actors are both 11 years apart as well! Regarding Kirk falling for McCoy’s daughter… You do the math. It’s probably a good idea to NOT pursue that storyline….

Burnham is likely actually serving her sentence for mutiny in this universe. Are Spock and Sybok not speaking in this universe, either?

That is kind of interesting actually…….with the Nero thing, would any of the Klingon stuff even happened? Where is Burnham them?? She may never had be orphaned in the first place and never been Spock’s sister at all in the Kelvin……….

Actually, after recently watching the first season of Discovery, I wonder if there was even a Federation-Klingon War. Wasn’t the Kelvin destroyed years before the Klingon attack that killed Burnham’s parents?

After that point, the timelines diverge. Initially, for ST 2009, Nero and his crew were captured by the Klingons before escaping after 20+ years. That, of course, was cut from the final release of the film, for time and pacing reasons, but it’s a good explanation of what Nero was up to in that over 20 year span. The only thing that’s left in the film is a reference to Klingon ships being attacked by Nero’s ship. IMO, they should have kept this in, since it’s a better explanation than just having Nero waiting around for Spock Prime.

Anyway, what I’m saying is this: An early encounter with Nero after the battle with the Kelvin may have impacted the events leading up to Kvuma (or whatever his name was) attempts to ressurect the Klingon Empire by starting a war with the Federation.

If there was no encounter, as was implied by the theatrical cut of ST 2009, then it all becomes more iffy.

On another note, I think it’s high time the Okudas got to work again on a new edition of the ST Encyclopedia and Chronology. The last one had material up to ST 2009. Now we have 2 more films and 4 new series that need to be documented and, hopefully, with gaps patched.

LOL I didn’t think about that at all. But as Rocketscientist stated, I don’t think there was ever a Klingon war in this universe. That would basically erase the entire point of STID since Admiral Marcus issue was fear of one happening.

As for Sybok, we saw Spock starting as a kid to a full grown adult in this universe too, Sybok was never even hinted there either. I think we’ll learn in season 2 of Picard that in order to save existence itself, they had to wipe Sybok from every known universe and why no one remembers him. Canon saved.

I’m betting it’s only a matter of time before Lower Decks has fun with the Sybok thing.

Good grief, Star Trek V was bad. By comparison, it makes Nemesis look like an Oscar winning film.

Though TOS is my favorite show of all time, I’m afraid I agree with you, One Lion.

TFF was a huge letdown.

TNG’s GEN, INS, and NEM weren’t nearly as bad.

TFF is at the bottom and I think Shatner bears all the blame for that.

That said, I’ll take TFF anyday over Shoemaker’s Batman and Robin or Campbell’s Green Lantern. Those were worse for me.

Great post — I agree with all of it!

You need to read up on all the issues Shatner faced making that movie.

It’s probably best for the KU to completely ignore Burnahm and all of them.

Say what you will but I am super glad that they’re not having Tarantino directed or touch the film at all.

I can not express this fully enough when I say I 100% agree with you !

And I was one of the people originally intrigued with the idea and supported him doing it. But once he started talking about it, really didn’t sound like he respected or even cared about canon at all and worse, what the premise of the film was going to be…just a hard pass! For the record, it could’ve still turned out great, but on paper it sounded like the complete opposite of a good idea to me and happy it will only remain on paper.

And I never buy fans who say they don’t care about canon because of all the whining over the Kelvin movies seem to be direct proof most actually do care about canon lol. The biggest irony being those movies were made to make their own canon by doing their own thing and yet you still have people who want to ‘reset’ the Kelvin universe to the Prime one even though these freaks know it takes place in a parallel universe and timeline. That’s a huge reason why so many even hate the films today, they can’t seem to just accept it as its own entity, rules and characters away from the Prime universe.

And Tarantino sounds like all he was going to do nothing was muddy the waters even more with his screwball ideas and make things much worse when it came to canon. The Kelvin movies actually respected canon by saying they were going to touch as little of it as possible. Tarantino blatantly sounded like he just didn’t care.

To be perfectly honest, I never believed a QT Star Trek movie would ever happen. Once we got a few years past Beyond none of the talk, until the recent Abrams statement, felt like there was a chance in hell of happening.

While my initial reaction is this idea is no, I will give it this, it would be bold and new. And I wonder if a cute Vulcan toddler might get the same kind of overwhelming positive public reaction that Baby Yoda got?

You are kind of talking me into this against my better judgement…LOL

They would have to write that they got back together at this point. They broke up in Beyond.

I just hope they give Saldana something substantial to do as Uhura. And more of a truer portrayal of the character of Uhura than we got? In the 2009 film her role was basically to be Spocks girlfriend. She needs an arc of her own.

Agreed! Besides, she’s and A-list actress and more famous worldwide then Pine, so they really need to up her role from that perspective as well.

Subtle wording in this article – IF the project moves forward…. Saldana’s statement is also carefully crafted. This cast has been excited about making another Trek feature for years now. Nothing new there. Notice she didn’t say “of course, I’ll drop everything I’m doing now for principle photography in the fall”…

Yeah I’ll still remain skeptical it’s fully happening until they are all signed on and standing on a set in uniform. I think a lot of people will be. ;)

But this is the closest it’s been to happening in over 3 years, so progress!

It’s a different timeline, so if Vulcan is gone, then Chekov can be, as well… as sad as that is. But an in-universe acknowledgment of his passing would add more stakes to the Enterprise’s mission. Not everyone gets out alive, even the youngest among us.

That said, we have the technology to replace the character with Mr. Arex, which I think would be awesome. They can use a combination of prosthetics and CG effects to make the character look absolutely real, and I think his extra arm could come in handy on a dangerous away mission, and add a grace note of humor, too, if handled correctly.

They can have Simon Pegg voice him.

Notice that her quote doesn’t mention one thing about her being surprised, and she basically confirms (using “we” multiple times) that the cast all wants to make the fourth movie.

As I said previously, I think that whole “the cast is all surprised thing” was THR talking to a couple of the cast’s agents, who are trying to manipulate this (as they should, it’s their job) to get their clients the best deal.

So that entire headline from THR I am calling BS on.

That was way overblown. Some folks need to kick their addiction to doom posting and chill.

I had an idea that it would be interesting for this movie to take place at the end of the 5 year mission – Enterprise and crew are coming back to earth, and we learn of Chekov’s passing. The crew is tired and ready to be home but of course – they are called back into action, just when they were ready to move on. Then the end of the film could begin to set up the events in TMP, if those events still exist in the Kelvin universe. But since the “end of the 5 year mission” is one that hasn’t really been explored in film or TV (except for the fan films and the novels) it might be an interesting place to tell a story.

Beyond was kind of almost the end of the 5y mission

have the opening pre titles sequence be the end of TMP: v’ger exploding. “Out there, thataway”

Main titles (movie font style) Horner-esque score.

Then maroon uniforms/Admiral Kirk/Captain Spock/Lt Saavik/mushroom spacedock/movie nacelles time

I like the end of the Five Year Mission setting, but they don’t need to kill off Chekov. They could just say he was promoted to Lieutenant and went back to Earth for Command Training (what Saavik was doing in Wrath of Khan ) a few months before at the same time Ensign Jayla, fresh out of the Academy came aboard as the new Navigator.

Agreed – but I think there is a kind of poetic finality and tribute in recognizing Yelchin’s death by having Chekov die. The only reason to leave him alive in the ST Kelvin universe would be to tease a possible return and there’s really no reason to do that. We know already that all bets are off in terms of the future of our characters because it’s a different universe, and in the first movie McCoy does his “space is disease and death” thing – it would be good to pay that off for once. We know that death really is only permanent in the ST universe if you’re not a main character – and this would be an opportunity to reinforce that what they do – exploring the galaxy – has real risk and real repercussions. Let the crew (as the cast has) deal with his death and make it part of the story – why we’re out here…”risk is our business” – right?

You know… Just spitballing here… There could be an opening sequence where Chekov dies off screen. Maybe using the “Egon” type of thing from the beginning of Afterlife. Maybe use some Yelchin lines that were cut from other films. And the rest are dealing with that sad reality.

I feel that they should make the death of Chekov an integral part of the story, with Kirk and crew dealing with the impact of the loss

Here’s the issue….there are several shifts, and bridge officers on this (or any) starship. There’s been plenty of action where the Big E is getting the snot knocked out of it, with plenty of crew getting blown to bits, sucked into space, or vaporized by the technobabble weapon of the week. Why would a Chekov screen death tie this crew up in knots, when others close to the senior crew have also died? At a minimum, this movie is going to hit the big screen eight years (or so) after the last one, so why is having to have Kirk and crew deal with it interesting theater, as opposed to gratuitous fan service? It sounds cold, but no one is really going to care if he’s just not there.

Ugh, no. Enough dark and gloomy in Trek. Let’s have some optimism and success in this movie.

This guy seems to have been genuinely loved. It’s typical in Hollywood for lip service to be paid to the deceased but all the cast members I have seen quoted about Anton have expressed genuine affection and devotion to him.

• Entertainment
• <i>Star Trek</i> Actor Anton Yelchin Killed by Own Car

Star Trek Actor Anton Yelchin Killed by Own Car

(LOS ANGELES) — Anton Yelchin, a rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new “Star Trek” films, was killed by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway early Sunday, police and his publicist said.

The car pinned Yelchin, 27, against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence at his home in Studio City, according to Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Hosier. He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

Yelchin was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn’t show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.

The freak accident tragically cuts short the promising career of an actor whom audiences were still getting to know.

Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as “ER,” ”The Practice,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001’s “Hearts in Atlantis.”

He transitioned into teenage roles in films such as the crime thriller “Alpha Dog” and the teen comedy “Charlie Bartlett.” He also played a young Kyle Reese in 2009’s “Terminator Salvation.”

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn’t very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.

“I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing,” Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama “Like Crazy.” He starred opposite Felicity Jones.

“(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did,” Yelchin said. “But this is what I wanted.”

His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted “Star Trek” films as the heavily accented navigator Chekov, for which he was able to draw on his Russian roots. The third film in the series, “Star Trek Beyond,” comes out in July.

“What’s great about him is he can do anything. He’s a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones,” ”Like Crazy” director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. “There are a lot of people who can’t, who can only do one or the other. … That’s what blows my mind.”

Yelchin transitioned between the big sci-fi franchise and voicing a part for “The Smurfs.” He also appeared in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch’s vampire film “Only Lovers Left Alive” and Jeremy Saulnier’s horror thriller “Green Room,” a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.

The actor’s publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.

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Anton yelchin, ‘star trek’ actor, dies at 27.

J.J. Abrams, Jodie Foster and Drake Doremus pay tribute in the wake of the actor's accidental death on Sunday morning.

By Arlene Washington , Ryan Parker June 19, 2016 11:15am

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Anton Yelchin , best known for playing Chekov in the new Star Trek films, has died. He was 27.

The actor was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed.

The accident happened around 1:10 a.m. at Yelchin’s home in Studio City, LAPD spokeswoman Jenny Houser told The Hollywood Reporter . “It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death,” said Houser. 

Yelchin was on his way to meet his friends for rehearsal and when he didn’t respond, his friends went to check on him. The actor was found pinned between the car and the fence and a mailbox pillar. 

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Yelchin  stars in the upcoming  Star Trek Beyond , which is set to open July 22. The film’s studio, Paramount Pictures, released a statement on Yelchin’s death:

All of us at Paramount join the world in mourning the untimely passing of Anton Yelchin . As a member of the Star Trek family, he was beloved by so many and he will missed by all. We share our deepest condolences with his mother, father and family.

Star Trek director J.J. Abrams posted a tribute to the actor through his Bad Robot Productions Twitter page. He tweeted a photo of a handwritten note which reads, “You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell, and supremely talented. And you weren’t here nearly long enough. Missing you. JJ “

pic.twitter.com/ q8VBJBVPK3 — Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 19, 2016

Yelchin in May signed on to co-star in DirecTV/the Audience Network’s 10-episode straight-to-series Stephen King adaptation Mr. Mercedes . Producer David E. Kelley told THR Yelchin was to portray Brady Hartsfield , a mentally deranged ice cream truck driver and IT worker for Cyber Patrol (aka Geek Squad) who is secretly the Mercedes Killer. The drama is slated to premiere in 2018 on both DirecTV and AT&T Uverse . 

“We are devastated to learn of the tragic death of Anton Yelchin ,” a spokeswoman for DirecTV/Audience Network said in a statement. “We greatly admired his talent and were very much looking forward to working with him on Mr. Mercedes. Everyone at AT&T and Audience Network extends our deepest condolences. Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

It remains unclear how Yelchin’s death will impact the series.

Yelchin began acting as a child, both in films and television, including in Steven Spielberg’s Emmy-award-winning TV series Taken , which aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in late 2002. The prolific actor starred in several films released in 2001, including Along Came a Spider , but garnered the most recognition for Hearts in Atlantis .

In 2006, Yelchin received widespread acclaim for Alpha Dog , a crime thriller drawing from the real-life story of kidnap and murder victim Nicholas Markowitz . 

Paramount was particularly impressed with the young actor; the studio and Abrams cast him to play Chekov in their reinvigorated Star Trek series, the first of which hit theaters in 2009. Yelchin reprised the role in Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013 and will be seen posthumously in Star Trek Beyond . (Justin Lin took over directing duties from Abrams on the third film.)

Yelchin also devoted his time to a number of smaller and independent films, including Jodie Foster’s The Beaver (2011).

“Anton … What a rare and beautiful soul with his unstoppable passion for life,” Foster said in a statement. “He was equal parts serious thinker and the most fun little brother you could ever dream of. I am so honored to have been able to direct such a deep actor, so committed and genuine. I will forever be grateful for all of those little exchanges we shared, his contagious enthusiasm, his questions, his company. My heart breaks for his mom and dad who were a part of every anecdote. He carried their love into everything he touched.”

Yelchin starred opposite Felicity Jones and Jennifer Lawrence in the 2011 indie film Like Crazy , which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Paramount’s specialty division, Paramount Vantage, picked up the movie and gave it a limited release at the box office, where it earned north of $3.4 million.

Drake Doremus , who co-wrote and directed Like Crazy , was reached by THR shortly after the news broke. “I’m still in shock,” he said. “I’m having a hard time processing it. I just woke up and saw it online and thought it was a hoax, you know, like some of these things are. Then I talked to some people who confirmed it and it’s just devastating.”

He continued: “Everyone’s devastated. I spoke to Felicity, who is very devastated and very upset. And Jon Schwartz [the film’s producer]. You just try to touch base with all the people you love and who changed your life, and he certainly changed all our lives.”

Yelchin also starred in Rudderless ( 2014) for director William H. Macy; Michael Almereyda’s Cymbeline (2015), which made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival; and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Broken Horses (2015). Major studio offerings in recent years outside of Star Trek included DreamWork’s Fright Night remake (2011), directed by Craig Gillespie, and Sony’s animated franchise The Smurfs . 

Pamela McClintock, Lesley Goldberg and Scott Feinberg contributed to this report .

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Published Aug 17, 2011

Anton Yelchin Talks Star Trek and More - Part 2

Anton Yelchin , in part one of our interview with him, spoke about his experience playing Chekov in Star Trek (2009) and started to preview his latest project, the upcoming remake of the 1980s horror-comedy Fright Night. Today, in the second half of our conversation, the actor chats more about Fright Night, discusses the film Odd Thomas , which he’s shooting right now, says he’ll “be there” whenever J.J. Abrams and company are ready to roll camera on the Star Trek sequel, and explains his penchant for alternating between independent features and major-studio productions.

Colin Farrell (who plays the vampire Jerry) and David Tennant (who plays a vampire killer/magician) get to chew the scenery in Fright Night. Did you feel a little bit like the straight man on set?

Yelchin: Yeah, absolutely. But that allows them to do whatever they want. That’s my job in the film. That allows them to do what they want to do and go as far as they want to go, because there’s someone grounding the situation, essentially this hyper-real situation in some kind of reality. So they could be as vague and great as they wanted, and I enjoyed every minute of watching their performances, because they’re great actors, great characters. But somebody has to be there to be the audience, essentially, and feel some sense of urgency or danger in the reality you’re watching.

This movie really has an exceptionally good cast. How did you enjoy working with Farrell, Tennant, Toni Collette, Imogen Poots and Chris Sarandon?

Yelchin: It was great. One of the best things about going to Comic-Con, aside from presenting a movie to an audience that was obviously waiting for it, was just seeing all these people again. We all got along really well. It was a great time. Chris and I became really good friends. We have sort of the same background and we got to be friends. I’d say every one of us got to be friends and I really appreciate the fact that I’m now able to have these people in my life. And it wasn’t just the cast. The crew was great, too. And I’m working with some of them on the movie I’m doing right now.

Sarandon was in an episode of Deep Space Nine , actually. But did you pick his brain about the original Fright Night?

Yelchin: You know, I really didn’t do that. I just appreciated him being there. I’m a big fan of his work in Dog Day Afternoon. So when I look at him, that’s kind of what I see. That’s a film I grew up on, and his performance in that is absolutely brilliant. It was cool to have him on set, and I think it was a huge kick for Colin, too, because they’re playing Jerry.

The original Fright Night begat Fright Night II. If this new version of yours is popular, how open are you to returning for a sequel?

Yelchin: Of course. I think the people are great. I like this film, and if we can make another that I like, that’d be awesome.

You’re working now on Odd Thomas, which is based on the Dean Koontz book series of the same name and stars you, Willem Dafoe, Tim Robbins, 50 Cent and Addison Timlin. How is that going? And what intrigues you most about the creepy story?

Yelchin: It’s going well. It’s a great group of people, a great cast and crew. For me, it’s a very good story. Ultimately, it’s a beautiful romance, a tragic romance, which is something people are always drawn to. For me, it’s a pulp novel. It’s like Raymond Chandler, but with supernatural s*** thrown in. It definitely has that quality, and I like that. That excites me.

J.J. Abrams got busy with Super 8 . Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have had Cowboys & Aliens and other projects going on. And so the next Star Trek film has been in a holding pattern. How ready are you to finally get back into Chekov’s uniform and start filming another Star Trek adventure?

Yelchin: I’m ready. I’m ready. It’s been a while, but whenever they let me know, I’ll be there.

From the looks of things, you’ll have some time between wrapping Odd Thomas and starting the Star Trek sequel. What are you hoping to do in between the two?

Yelchin: I don’t exactly know when Star Trek is going, but if there’s space I’d like to do, probably, a smaller film.

That’s been your M.O., acting in a couple of smaller films and then a couple of bigger-budget studio films. So, the last few years, you’ve done Star Trek and Terminator Salvation, but also Charlie Bartlett and The Beaver and the upcoming drama Like Crazy . What keeps you going back to the indie films?

Yelchin: I think right now, personally, that we’re just at the beginning of a revolution in independent filmmaking. You don’t need that much money to make a good independent film, not that much money at all. You can make a film for less than $10,000. You can make a film for the cost of a nice car. You can do it in your house if you just want to tell a story. You don’t need a production company. You can just go out, buy a 7D (camera), shoot a movie and cut it together. You don’t need a production company. You don’t need anything. You just need yourself, your mind and likeminded people to do it with you. I’m someone who’s very, very, very interested in that and would like to be involved in it. It’s a different time in terms of creation, pre-production and distribution for the indie film industry. Plus, as an actor, I’m interested in all sorts of things. I’m interested in characters. So it’s very important to me to be able to do both.

To read part one of our interview with Anton Yelchin, click HERE .

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Anton Yelchin, actor in ‘Star Trek’ films, dies in freak car accident at age 27

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Actor Anton Yelchin, perhaps best known for his role in the new “Star Trek” films, died early Sunday after his vehicle rolled down his Studio City driveway and trapped the actor against a brick post, authorities confirmed.

Friends went to the 27-year-old actor’s gated hillside home shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday , when he didn’t show up for a rehearsal as expected, L.A. police Officer Jenny Houser told The Times.

Authorities believe Yelchin’s vehicle rolled backward down the steep driveway, Houser said, pinning him against a brick column and security gate.

Investigators with the Los Angeles County coroner’s office concluded that Yelchin’s death was an accident caused by blunt traumatic asphyxia, Lt. Larry Dietz said. It appeared that Yelchin had not properly put his car in park, Dietz added.

Yelchin played the title role in “Charlie Bartlett,” which won Best Feauture Film at Boulder International Film Festival in 2008. Yelchin starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. as a wealthy yet troubled high-schooler.

Yelchin is pictured with co-stars Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban and John Cho in his best-known role playing Chekhov in the 2009 Star Trek reboot.

Selena Barros, an investigator with the coroner’s office, said there were “no obvious suspicious circumstances involved.”

Former classmates and local media gathered Sunday afternoon outside Yelchin’s English-style three-bedroom home, which is partly shielded by mature trees and tucked below a winding hillside street above Ventura Boulevard.

The black metal gate that blocked the home’s sloping driveway appeared bent and damaged.

The publicist Jennifer Allen also confirmed Yelchin’s death and said the actor’s family has asked for privacy.

Yelchin was born March 11, 1989, in Russia, the only son of Viktor Yelchin and Irina Korina. His parents were celebrity figure skaters in the former Soviet Union, but when their son was six months old, they fled to the U.S. and settled in Los Angeles.

“We were afraid for our son,” Viktor Yelchin told The Times in 1989 . “It is a very bad situation over there. I would get angry, too--I’d say, ‘Why should we have to buy things on the black market? Why should we have to stand in line?’”

Yelchin’s parents initially shared an apartment with family but later moved to West Hollywood, an enclave of Russian emigres. His mother’s remarks in 1989 about her young son’s future proved prescient.

“Everyone here wants to make movies,” Irina Korina said. “A woman came up, saw Anton, and said, ‘He’s beautiful. He will be actor.’”

Yelchin began acting as a child, picking up roles on television shows and independent films. He starred in the 2007 crime thriller “Alpha Dog” and was in the teen comedy “Charlie Bartlett.”

But his biggest role to date was in the rebooted “Star Trek” films as the character Chekov. The third installment in the series, “Star Trek Beyond,” comes out in July.

While pursuing an acting career, he also attended a public magnet school in the San Fernando Valley, Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, from 4th through 12th grade, according to two former classmates who paid tribute Sunday afternoon outside Yelchin’s home.

“He didn’t really like the business, but he loved acting,” said the former classmate who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Yelchin, he said, admired global cinema and valued intellectually stimulating discussions on politics and philosophy.

“It was not about celebrity. He was about acting,” the friend said.

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Known as the Vatican’s exorcist, Amorth, a Roman Catholic priest, helped promote the ritual of banishing the devil from people or places. He was 91. Full obituary

The American playwright was known for works such as “The Zoo Story,” “The Sandbox,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “A Delicate Balance.” He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama three times. He was 88. Full obituary

The ska pioneer and Jamaican music legend recorded thousands of records, including such hits as “Al Capone” and “Judge Dread.” He helped ignite the ska movement in England, and later helped carry it into the rock-steady era in the mid-1960s. He was 78. Full obituary

Known as “the first lady of anti-feminism,” Schlafly was a political activist who galvanized grass-roots conservatives to help defeat the Equal Rights Amendment and, in ensuing decades, effectively push the Republican Party to the right. She was 92. Full obituary

O’Brian helped tame the Wild West as the star of TV’s “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp” and was the founder of a long-running youth leadership development organization. “Wyatt Earp” became a top 10-rated series and made O’Brian a household name. He was 91. Full obituary

Jerry Heller, the early manager of N.W.A, was an important and colorful personality in the emerging West Coast rap scene in the 1980s. Heller was 75. Full obituary

Two-time Oscar nominee Gene Wilder brought a unique blend of manic energy and world-weary melancholy to films as varied as 1971’s children’s movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and the 1980 comedy “Stir Crazy.” He was 83. Full obituary

The beloved top-selling Mexican singer wooed crowds on both sides of the border with ballads of love and heartbreak for more than four decades. He was 66. Full obituary

Known as the “queen of knitwear,” Sonia Rykiel became a fixture of Paris’ fashion scene, starting in 1968. French President Francois Hollande praised her as “a pioneer” who “offered women freedom of movement.” She was 86. Full obituary

The conservative political commentator hosted the long-running weekly public television show “The McLaughlin Group” that helped alter the shape of political discourse since its debut in 1982. He was 89. Full obituary

Best-known for his post-bop recordings for Blue Note Records in the 1960s and 1970s, the inventive jazz vibraphonist played with a litany of jazz greats as both bandleader and sideman during a career spanning more than 50 years. He was 75. Full obituary

The British actor, who was 3-foot-8, gave life to the “Star Wars” droid R2-D2, one of the most beloved characters in the space-opera franchise and among the most iconic robots in pop culture history. He was 81. Full obituary

For many in L.A., Folsom was the face of the Parent Teacher Student Assn., better known as the PTSA or PTA. He served as the official and unofficial watchdog over the Los Angeles Unified School District and wrote about his experiences in his blog . He was 69. Full obituary

Fountain combined the Swing Era sensibility of jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman with the down-home, freewheeling style characteristic of traditional New Orleans jazz to become a national star in the 1950s as a featured soloist on the “The Lawrence Welk Show.” He was 86. Full obituary

Lowery was a pioneer in efforts to help people suffering from poverty, addiction and mental illness move out of tents and cardboard boxes on Los Angeles’ sidewalks and into supportive housing. She was 70. Full obituary

Nixon, a Hollywood voice double, can be heard in place of the leading actresses in such classic movie musicals as “West Side Story,” “The King and I” and “My Fair Lady.” She was 86. Full obituary

The department store heir’s widow was a socialite and philanthropist who hobnobbed with the world’s elite, epitomized high fashion and was best friends with former first lady Nancy Reagan. She was 93. Full obituary

The author and teacher was long established as a leading literary figure of Southern California. Her works include “Golden Days,” “There Will Never Be Another You” and her memoir “Dreaming, Hard Luck and Good Times in America.” She was 82. Full obituary

The Nazi concentration camp survivor won the Nobel in 1986 for his message “of peace, atonement and human dignity.” “Night,” his account of his year in death camps, is regarded as one of the most powerful achievements in Holocaust literature. He was 87. Full obituary

One of the greatest basketball coaches of any gender or generation, Summitt spent 38 years as coach of the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team before dementia forced her early retirement. She was 64. Full obituary

The iconic New York Times fashion photographer darted around New York on a humble bicycle to cover the style of high society grand dames and downtown punks with equal verve. He was 87. Full obituary

Aguirre was best known for his portrayal of the towering “Profesor Jirafales,” the likable and often disrespected giraffe teacher on the 1970s-era hit show “El Chavo del Ocho.” The screwball comedy helped usher in an era of edgier comedy in Mexico and elsewhere. Aguirre was 82. Full obituary

The three-time heavyweight boxing champion’s brilliance in the ring and bravado outside it made his face one of the most recognizable in the world. He was 74. Full obituary

Like Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow, the CBS newsman became part of a group of journalists who set the tone for storytelling on television. He was on “60 Minutes” for 46 years, holding the longest tenure on prime-time television of anyone in history. He was 84. Full obituary

The first African American chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Williams steadied the agency in the tumultuous wake of the 1992 riots but was distrusted as an outsider by many officers and politicians. He was 72. Full obituary

Best known for her role as Marie Barone on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Roberts won four Emmys for her work on that show and one for her work on “St. Elsewhere.” She was 90. Full obituary

The country music legend sang of his law-breaking Bakersfield youth and penned a stream of No. 1 hits. He owed some of his fame to conservative anthems, including the combative 1969 release “Okie from Muskogee,” which seemed to mock San Francisco’s anti-war hippies. He was 79. Full obituary

The acclaimed Native American historian was the last surviving war chief of Montana’s Crow Tribe. President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He was 102. Full obituary

Germany’s longest-serving foreign minister brokered an end to the painful 40-year division of his homeland in 1990, but only after persevering for decades through the most tragic and destructive phases of Germany’s 20th century history. He was 89. Full obituary

The Iraqi-born British architect was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor. She made her mark with buildings such as the London Aquatics Centre, the MAXXI museum for contemporary art in Rome and the innovative Bridge Pavilion in Zaragoza, Spain. She was 65. Full obituary

The former television talk show host became the first openly gay man to serve on the Los Angeles City Council. He advocated for the homeless, gays and lesbians and other liberal causes. He was 70. Full obituary

Garry Shandling’s comedic career spanned decades, but he is best known for his role as Larry Sanders, the host of a fictional talk show. His sitcom pushed the boundaries of TV, influencing shows such as “The Office” and “Modern Family.” He was 66. Full obituary.

Ken Howard was president of SAG-AFTRA and an actor known for his role on TV’s ‘The White Shadow.’ He championed the merger of Hollywood’s two largest actors unions, which had a history of sparring. He was 71. Full obituary

The longtime Los Angeles radio disc jockey, whose real name was Art Ferguson, hosted the morning radio show for popular and influential station KHJ-AM in the late 1960s and went on to be a key player in the launch of latter-day powerhouses KROQ-AM and KIIS-FM. He was 71. Full obituary

The veteran actor built his early career playing heavies and won an Academy Award in 1968 for his supporting role as the tough Southern prison-camp convict who grew to hero-worship Paul Newman’s defiant title character in “Cool Hand Luke.” He was 91. Full obituary

A prolific entrepreneur, Mann over the course of seven decades founded 17 companies in fields ranging from aerospace to pharmaceuticals to medical devices. He was 90. Full obituary

The Egyptian diplomat helped negotiate his country’s landmark peace deal with Israel but then clashed with the United States when he served a single term as U.N. secretary-general. He was 93. Full obituary

Pro-BMX biker Dave Mirra was one of the most decorated athletes in X Games history. He held the record for the most medals in history with 24. He was 41. Full obituary

Maurice White, co-founder and leader of the groundbreaking ensemble Earth, Wind & Fire, was the source for a wealth of euphoric hits in the 1970s and early ‘80s, including ‘Shining Star,’ ‘September,’ and ‘Boogie Wonderland.’ He was 74. Full obituary

In a career that encompassed everything from big-budget Hollywood movies to classical theater, Rickman made bad behavior fascinating to watch from “Die Hard” to the “Harry Potter” movies. He was 69. Full obituary

The composer and former principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic was known for pushing music lovers and the music establishment to let go of the past and embrace new sounds, structures and textures. He was 90. Full obituary

The Academy Award winner was revered as one of the most influential cinematographers in film history for his work on classics including “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Deer Hunter.” He was 85. Full obituary

Gordon helped revolutionize surfing with the creation of the foam surfboard. His polyurethane boards were lighter and easier to ride, making surfing accessible -- which helped popularize the sport globally. He was in his 70s. Full obituary

The attorney and almond farmer was known for his battle to stop the $68-billion California bullet train project from slicing up his almond orchards -- part of a deeply emotional land war that has drawn in hundreds of farming families from Merced to Bakersfield. He was 92. Full obituary

Drake Doremus, who directed Yelchin in the 2011 film “Like Crazy,” praised the late actor for his humor and charm and offered condolences to his family.

“Anton was one of a kind. Such an old soul who was one of the most sincere but also funniest people I have ever met,” Doremus said in a statement. “He taught me what being a humble and hard working artist is all about.”

Doremus added: “His laugh was the best sound in the world, it was so contagious and comforting. He was always up to something to make you laugh especially if you were getting frustrated or being too serious.”

Justin Lin, director of the “Star Trek Beyond,” due out next month, tweeted: “Still in shock. Rest in peace, Anton. Your passion and enthusiasm will live on with everyone that had the pleasure of knowing you.”

J.J. Abrams , who directed Yelchin in 2009’s “Star Trek” and 2013’s “Star Trek Into Darkness,” tweeted a photo of a handwritten note that reads: “You were brilliant. You were kind. You were funny as hell. And you weren’t here nearly long enough. Missing you, JJ.”

‘Star Trek’ actor Anton Yelchin’s SUV was recalled in April over rollaway risk

Anton Yelchin’s talent went far beyond ‘Star Trek’

Hollywood reacts to death of ‘Star Trek’ star Anton Yelchin

When Anton Yelchin met Anthony Hopkins: An Oscar winner becomes a mentor to a 12-year-old actor

From the Archives - Anton Yelchin is ready to launch; Never heard of him? After ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Terminator Salvation,’ that should change

From the Archives - Anton Yelchin’s work has been praised as he plays the crafty teen in ‘Charlie Bartlett’

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Times staff writer Tre’vell Anderson contributed to this report.

12:07 p.m.: This article was updated with more background.

11:35 a.m. : This article was updated with staff reporting.

This article was originally published with Associated Press reporting at 11 a.m.

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Kate Mather covered crime, policing and breaking news across Southern California before leaving The Times in 2018 to attend law school. A native of Lawrence, Kan., she studied journalism at USC before first joining The Times in 2011. Mather was part of the team of reporters that received a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, as well as the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its reporting on a deadly 2014 rampage in Isla Vista, Calif.

Cindy Chang is a deputy Metro editor. She came to the Los Angeles Times in 2012, first covering immigration and ethnic communities before moving to the L.A. County sheriff’s beat and then the LAPD. Previously, she was at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, where she was the lead writer for a series on Louisiana prisons that won several national awards. A graduate of Yale University and NYU School of Law, she began her journalism career at the Pasadena Star-News.

Matt Hamilton is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting with colleagues Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle and was part of the team of reporters that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attack. A graduate of Boston College and the University of Southern California, he joined The Times in 2013.

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Anton Yelchin, "Star Trek" actor, dead at 27

Updated on: June 19, 2016 / 12:40 PM EDT / CBS/AP

LOS ANGELES -- Anton Yelchin, a charismatic and rising actor best known for playing Chekov in the new "Star Trek" films, has died at the age of 27. He was killed in a fatal traffic collision early Sunday morning, his publicist, Jennifer Allen confirmed.

Yelchin, 27, was struck by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway in Studio City, according to Los Angeles police Officer Jenny Hosier. The car pinned Yelchin against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.

He had gotten out of the vehicle momentarily, but police did not say why he was behind it when it started rolling.

He was on his way to meet friends for a rehearsal, Hosier said. When he didn't show up, the group came to his home and found him dead.

An LAPD spokesperson told CBS News that foul play is not expected.

Yelchin began acting as a child, taking small roles in independent films and various television shows, such as "ER," ''The Practice," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." His breakout big-screen role came opposite Anthony Hopkins in 2001's "Hearts in Atlantis."

Yelchin, an only child, was born in Russia. His parents were professional figure skaters who moved the family to the United States when Yelchin was a baby. He briefly flirted with skating lessons, too, before discovering that he wasn't very skilled on the ice. That led him to acting class.

"I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing," Yelchin told The Associated Press in 2011 while promoting the romantic drama "Like Crazy." He starred opposite Felicity Jones.

"(My father) still wanted me to apply to college and stuff, and I did," Yelchin said. "But this is what I wanted."

His biggest role to date has been in the rebooted "Star Trek" films as the heavily accented navigator Chekov, for which he was able to draw on his Russian roots. The third film in the series, "Star Trek Beyond," comes out in July.

"What's great about him is he can do anything. He's a chameleon. He can do bigger movies or smaller, more intimate ones," ''Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus told the AP in 2011. "There are a lot of people who can't, who can only do one or the other. ... That's what blows my mind."

Yelchin transitioned between the big sci-fi franchise and voicing a part for "The Smurfs." He also appeared in more eccentric and artier fare, like Jim Jarmusch's vampire film "Only Lovers Left Alive" and Jeremy Saulnier's horror thriller "Green Room," a cult favorite that came out earlier this year.

The actor's publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed his death and said his family requests privacy.

• Car Accident

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Anton Yelchin death officially ruled an accident

LA County coroner’s office has confirmed the cause of the Star Trek actor’s death while Fiat Chrysler continues to investigate any vehicular malfunction

The death of Anton Yelchin has been officially ruled as an accident by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

The 27-year-old actor, known for roles in Star Trek and Green Room , died after his car rolled down his driveway and pinned him against a security fence. The coroner confirmed that the cause of death was “blunt traumatic asphyxia” and estimated that his injuries would have killed him in under a minute.

An investigation has been launched by Fiat Chrysler as Yelchin’s car, a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, had been recalled due to a “rollaway risk”, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Drivers erroneously concluding that their vehicle’s transmission is in the ‘park’ position may be struck by the vehicle and injured if they attempt to get out of the vehicle while the engine is running and the parking brake is not engaged,” the organisation said in a report about the problem.

More than 850,000 vehicles have been involved in the initial investigation about the issue, according to CBS News .

Yelchin’s death has led to tributes from across the industry, including his Star Trek director JJ Abrams who called him “brilliant … kind … funny as hell, and supremely talented” and his Alpha Dog co-star Justin Timberlake who tweeted that he was a “genius actor” and an “amazing human being”. A number of Yelchin’s films are yet to be released, including this summer’s Star Trek Beyond and thriller Thoroughbred.

• Anton Yelchin

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Anton Yelchin's Chekov Accent In Star Trek Was Inaccurate On Purpose

V iacom, the parent company of Paramount, underwent a dramatic split in 2005, causing the TV rights to "Star Trek" and the movie rights to "Star Trek" to be divided among two separate companies. This meant that if the movie-owners wanted to make a new feature film, they would have to license "Star Trek" iconography from the TV-owners. Under the conditions of such a liscense, a movie had to look legally distinct from the old TV show. What a headache.

This situation led to the creation of the Kelvin-verse, a "Star Trek" continuity that took place in a parallel timeline. The 2009 "Star Trek" movie featured the same ships and characters as the 1966 "Star Trek," but altered into something similar-yet-different. New actors played younger versions of the 1966 originals, and the U.S.S. Enterprise was now twice as big. Director J.J. Abrams also made the new movie more dramatic, action-packed, and full of explosions. There's some debate among Trekkies as to whether or not the Kelvin-verse is in the spirit of "Star Trek" or if it should be considered an autonomous media entity. 

What everyone seemed to agree on, however, was the new film's savvy casting. The newer, younger actors all did exemplary jobs of capturing the looks, mannerisms, and personalities of their 1960s counterparts. They were youthful, more impulsive versions of the characters we knew, but held the same appeal. 

The role of Ensign Pavel Chekhov, previously played by Walter Koenig, went to the late Anton Yelchin. Yelchin captured Koenig's cockiness, Russian-centric ego, and dazzling charm. He also recreated Koenig's broad Russian accent, a notable feature of the character. 

In 2009, Yelchin spoke with TrekMovie , and he revealed that the accent was deliberately broad; it wasn't supposed to sound authentic. He also explained why he made that decision. 

Read more: Lucille Ball Suffered Life-Changing Sacrifices For Star Trek

12 Actors Who Were on Curb Your Enthusiasm Before They Were Famous

From brief bits to more fully realized characters, these 12 actors displayed comedic talents that would later achieve household name status.

• As a cult favorite, Curb Your Enthusiasm thrives on unhinged satire of social norms with comedy legend Larry David at the helm.
• The show's success lies in simple, believable scenarios in LA, populated by talented performers elevating Larry's antics to absurd heights.
• Early spots on the show helped launch actors like Anton Yelchin, Kaitlin Olson, Bobby Lee, Melissa McCarthy, Bob Odenkirk, and more into stardom.

Ever since its debut in 2000, Curb Your Enthusiasm has branded itself as a cult favorite. The reason? It delivers an unhinged and biting satire of everyday social cues and mannerisms. Led by comedy legend Larry David, who plays a semi-fictionalized version of himself, the hit HBO sitcom is all about having a laugh as Larry gets into some well-intentioned misadventures and somehow makes things worse with his ways.

Curb Your Enthusiasm was a standout because it never relied on complicated plots or subtexts – it simply threw Larry into the most awkward and believable situations in Los Angeles. With no laugh track to guide reactions, the series’ own ability to churn out hilarious scenarios was genuinely remarkable.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

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Central to Curb Your Enthusiasm’s success were the talented performers that showed up in Larry’s world. Of course, no one was more maladjusted and egoistical than Larry David himself, but supporting players like Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, Jeff Garlin and Cheryl Hines as his long-suffering wife elevated the absurdity. Along with some mainstays, there were integrated cameos from big name comedians as well as actors who were yet to hold their own. This list focuses on just that. We have narrowed down 12 actors who got early spots on Curb Your Enthusiasm and were then launched into unexpected stardom.

12 Anton Yelchin

In Episode 33, “The Blind Date,” Anton Yelchin delivered a memorable and hilarious performance as Stewart, Cheryl’s cousin. On a couple of occasions, he would refuse to give up the secret of his card tricks, and even when Larry got angry, he wouldn’t budge. He was just a teenager at the time, but Yelchin stole his scenes with effortless comic timing and the ability to hold his own against series veteran Larry David.

Yelchin Found Success in Star Trek

After his introduction to American audiences on Curb , Yelchin went on to prove himself as one of the most talented performers of his generation. His most acclaimed outing was in the Star Trek reboot, a role that established him as a skilled actor. Yelchin also stars in movies like Alpha Dog , Green Room , and Like Crazy . Tragically, Yelchin would suddenly pass away in mid 2016, with his last film role being in 2017's We Don't Belong Here .

11 Kaitlin Olson

Before spending over a decade honing her skills playing a character who is equal parts pathetic and outrageous (yes, we’re talking about Sweet Dee on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ), Kaitlin Olson had viewers do a double take on her brief but remarkable turn as Cheryl’s sister, Becky, in Episode 8, "Beloved Aunt." She originally had a smaller role that saw her butting heads with Larry over relationship squabbles. Only recently, she returned for a longer stint and dated Larry for a brief period of time in Season 10, starting with Episode 98, "Elizabeth, Margaret, and Larry."

It's Always Sunny for Kaitlin Olson

Olson’s razor-sharp humor and confidence came to define her career, before she was eventually chosen to play Dee on FX’s longest-running series. She would later star in movies like The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, as well as Leap Year with Amy Adams. Olson would even get a lead role in her very own series, The Mick , which ran for a modest two seasons on Fox.

10 Bobby Lee

Bobby Lee , a stand-up comedian and actor, popped up in a hilarious role as a Korean bookie named Sung in Episode 49 of Curb Your Enthusiasm , which was also titled “The Korean Bookie.” Even in a tiny part, watching Lee screw Larry over was genuinely funny and infectious. It is true that his comedic stylings were beyond honed by the time Curb Your Enthusiasm called him in. After all, Lee was quite well-known on the LA stand-up circuit, and he was the first Asian cast member on MADtv .

Bobby Lee Has Explored Multiple Roles

But in the years since, Lee has transformed into an unstoppable scene-stealing comedian whose fearless improv skills garnered massive acclaim. He has had small roles in a series of comedies. As one third of the beloved no-holds-barred podcast TigerBelly , he has also proven himself as someone whose opinions on pop culture and life are worth tuning in for.

He is also the co-host of the Bad Friends podcast with Andrew Santino ( Ricky Stanicky ), and he's currently slated to play the role of Larry in Eli Roth's upcoming film adaptation of the Borderlands video game series. One of his latest roles was in the Johnny Knoxville dramedy Sweet Dreams .

9 Oscar Nunez

You probably know him as the smartest guy in one of the most hilarious workplace comedy sitcoms of all time. But before Oscar Nunez became Oscar Martinez, he delivered an understated performance as a parking lot attendant on Curb Your Enthusiasm . Coincidentally, it also doubled as his first-ever television role. Episode 5, “Interior Decorator,” sees Nunez putting on a thick Mexican accent and arguing with Larry about the most trivial matters. In this case, a series of errors puts Larry in a pickle when he can't get his car parked.

Oscar Nunez Found Success in The Office

Nunez then found mainstream success in The Office , where he was endlessly entertaining, vibing along with the surrounding zaniness at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. In acclaimed films like The Proposal , The 33 , and The Lost City as well , he has continued to lend his humor. Even though Curb Your Enthusiasm was relatively early in his career, it helped Nunez prove his potential. His latest television role was in the now-canceled AMC series Lucky Hank , where he starred alongside Bob Odenkirk.

10 Worst Things Larry Ever Did on Curb Your Enthusiasm

8 melissa mccarthy.

One of the most versatile actresses of our time and recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, Melissa McCarthy is an essential part of modern cinema and television. In Episode 37, “The Surrogate,” McCarthy played the role of a salesperson at a toy store. She has an awkward interaction with Larry where she is all smiles while listening to him talk about biracial dolls.

McCarthy Became a Household Name

Not a household name at the time, McCarthy infused her character with the same inquisitive charm, compassion, and intelligence that would define her in The WB's hit comedy drama, Gilmore Girls . Following that, McCarthy has won credits in hits like Bridesmaids , Spy , Ghostbusters , and more. Today, she continues to expand the idea of what female stars can accomplish, with her latest role being in Donna Stankowski's 2024 Netflix comedy Unfrosted .

7 Bob Odenkirk

A then little-known Bob Odenkirk delivered a pitch-perfect performance in Curb Your Enthusiasm as Gil, a former adult film star who offered Cheryl an unfiltered glimpse into his career while sitting next to her at a dinner party. The episode was, quite unsurprisingly, titled “Porno Gil,” and it showed Odenkirk’s mastery of bizarre characterization and timing. Though he had a brief stint on Saturday Night Live as well as his own show on HBO with David Cross, Mr. Show with Bob and David , his career really started to take off after his brief time on Curb Your Enthusiasm .

Bob Odenkirk Became a "Criminal" Lawyer

Odenkirk then took those skills to new heights with his career-defining role as Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad . A perfect comedic foil to the drug-making antics of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul), Odenkirk's performance is easily one of the most well-regarded aspects of the series as a whole. Odenkirk was so popular, his character even got his own spin-off series, Better Call Saul , which allowed him to channel both comedy and drama in an unforgettable lead role. Odenkirk has also starred in a bunch of other shows and movies, including FX's Fargo and Nobody . His genius for making characters feel real continues to mesmerize us.

6 Stephen Colbert

In Episode 40 of Curb Your Enthusiasm , “Opening Night,” Stephen Colbert played an aggressive New York tourist who asks Larry to take a picture of him with his wife. But an argument erupts between the two after Larry fails and Colbert’s character puts a curse on him. With the subtle hilarity he infused in that brief exchange, Colbert left viewers wanting to see more of his unique and sharp sense of humor.

Colbert Took Over Late-Night

Of course, Colbert soon rocketed to superstar status when he started hosting The Colbert Report in 2005. Through the show, he reinvented political satire in a way that's just as commanding and relevant today. Currently, Colbert hosts The Late Show , and has been doing so after taking over for David Letterman in 2015. Naturally, when Larry showed up as a guest on The Late Show , the two looked back on their time working together.

5 Doug Benson

Doug Benson has a very small role in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Episode 16, “The Acupuncturist,” where he plays Barry’s cousin. He wasn’t an established name then, which is why Benson’s character was easily missable. But since then, he has endeared himself to audiences with his iconic comedic sensibilities.

A Cameo Exploded Into Something Much Greater

He starred in the movie Super High Me , which is a cult favorite and enthusiastic documentary surrounding weed culture and its physiological effects. Benson went on to host numerous podcasts like Doug Loves Movies and Getting Doug with High , where he pushed the boundaries of the medium and explored thought-provoking ideas, proving comedy can be about and achieve much more. He would also drift in and out of the world of television and film, voicing Bane in The Lego Batman Movie and starring as himself in the FX series You're the Worst .

4 Jorge Garcia

In Episode 36, “The Car Pool Lane,” Jorge Garcia played a drug dealer. The conversation between Jorge’s character and Larry revolves around smoking cannabis to help with his eyesight, which is a classic Curb Your Enthusiasm scenario. From Larry’s over-the-top hilarity to Garcia’s deadpan reaction, every aspect of the episode is unique and effortless.

Jorge Garcia Found Success in Lost

In a matter of months, Garcia found worldwide fame by starring in Lost , where he brought heart and humor as lottery winner Hugo “Hurley” Reyes. He was also a member of the main cast in Hawaii Five-0 , playing the role of Jerry Ortega alongside other talents like Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Cann. In movies like Deck the Halls and The Ridiculous 6 , Garcia balanced his dramatic skills with earnest laughter, with his latest role in the Max-exclusive series Bookie leaning more heavily into the latter.

When Curb Your Enthusiasm Saved an Innocent Man from the Death Penalty

3 zachary levi.

Another star who earned fame after his appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm is Zachary Levi . In a tiny but memorable role in "Opening Night" as an “unreliable” Bellman who simply wouldn’t get a tip from Larry, he delivered every line with a smooth and inventive charm. The episode also features Jerry Seinfeld's first-ever appearance in Curb Your Enthusiasm .

Zachary Levi Became a Superhero and a Spy

Levi has since become a familiar face, starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series Chuck , a spy-themed comedic drama about an average next-door nerd who ends up working for the CIA. Levi is also known for starring as the titular Shazam! in the DC hit film and its sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods . In projects like Tangled and The Star , he lent his immensely likable voice and wit to the characters of Flynn and Joseph, respectively. His latest role saw him replacing Mel Gibson's performance in the long-awaited sequel to Chicken Run , Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget .

2 Ken Jeong

Ken Joeng had been making brief appearances in shows like Community , The Office , and Curb Your Enthusiasm before properly breaking out. In the latter, his character didn't have an official name, and he showed up in Episode 52, which was titled “The Anonymous Donor.” Despite his incredibly minor role here, however, his success in the entertainment world afterward is nothing to scoff at.

From a Minor Comedic Role to a Competition Panelist

Since then, Jeong has emerged as one of comedy’s most adventurous performers . His role as Leslie Chow in The Hangover film series was a massive hit with critics and fans alike. Always taking risks in the comedy landscape, Jeong has added new dimensions to the genre with his acting, writing, and frenetic energy, later earning his own stand-up comedy special on top of starring in his own sitcom, Dr. Ken . Additionally, he is one of several panelists on the hit reality competition series The Masked Singer .

1 Mindy Kaling

Just months after The Office first premiered on NBC, when Mindy Kaling still hadn’t established herself as the wildly delusional customer service representative at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, she landed a cameo in Curb Your Enthusiasm . She played Richard Lewis’ assistant in Episode 45, “Lewis Needs a Kidney.” She gets a call from Larry and bursts into tears after hearing that he is sick.

Mindy Kaling Starred in Her Own Series

Kaling later went on to co-create and star in The Mindy Project , where she candidly addressed topics related to romance, femininity, and adulthood. Even in movies like Late Night and Four Weddings and a Funeral , she brought the kind of quirkiness and hilarity that cemented her status as one of the industry’s most talented artists. Her most recent television project, Velma , has recently returned for Season 2, with Kaling voicing the title character once more.

Ben Affleck’s Curb Your Enthusiasm Cameo May Be the Shortest in TV History