Mike 5 Posted September 14, 2005 Many actors in the sci-fi genre long for just one iconic character to call their own. Walter Koenig has two — Babylon 5 aficionados know and love him for his work as bad guy Alfred Bester, while Trek fans remember him best for his portrayal of the genial Pavel Andreievich Chekov. Both roles spotlighted Koenig's considerable talents as an actor. Koenig shined as the sometimes impetuous Chekov during the original Star Trek's run, bringing warmth and vitality to the young character. He was also an integral part of the movies featuring the original cast — his performance in "The Wrath of Khan," which has Chekov being controlled by Khan via a Ceti eel, is particularly memorable. There is, however, one aspect of the Khan/Chekov meeting that continues to plague fans: how did Khan recognize Chekov, as the young ensign wasn't even in the episode "Space Seed"? Koenig has a standard explanation for this, which he related at a "Wrath of Khan" DVD screening on the Paramount lot: "Actually I was in 'Space Seed' ... I was at the time suffering from [an ailment] called Malapropsky's Malady, which is a kind of 23rd-century version of Montezuma's Revenge, and I was ensconced in the bathroom and there for hours and hours, while poor Mr. Khan, genetically engineered kidneys about to explode, pounded pitifully on the bathroom door, banging, banging, and when the doors swung open, I stepped out, and he said..." [Koenig goes into an impression of Ricardo Montalban] "Yoooou! Yoou, I will never forget!!" StarTrek.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sea trooper 0 Posted September 14, 2005 When I saw the picture on the home page I feared the worst. I'm very relieved. Have a great birthday, Walter! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted September 14, 2005 Happy birthday Walter! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KIMIMELA 1 Posted September 14, 2005 :happybirthday: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VaBeachGuy 12 Posted September 14, 2005 Birthday greetings to Mr. Koenig. As a side note while I'm thinking about it, did you all know that Walter Koenig's son was on the TV show "Growing Pains" as "Boner" in the '80's? I'm sure most of you knew but in case there's some among us that didn't I thought I'd mention it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LordOfTheBorg 1 Posted September 15, 2005 (edited) Holy moly, a star trek actor with the same first name as me! Edited September 15, 2005 by LordOfTheBorg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
