The cast of "Star Trek" wasn't complete until the addition of Ensign Pavel Chekov at the beginning of the show's second season. Ensign Chekov was not only a youthful counterpoint to the stuffy Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the stuffier Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), but he also rounded out the series' multicultural bridge crew. Notably, Chekov was Russian and proud of his Russian heritage. The original "Star Trek" was being produced in the late 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, so including a Russian character was a bold move. Actor Walter Koenig played Chekov with aplomb, joining the ensemble with ease. Indeed, it felt like he had always been there.

Koenig has always been pragmatic and realistic about his career. He has spoken openly that he was hired in order to appeal to a y

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