Anton Viktorovich Yelchin, born March 11, 1989, in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia), was an American actor known for his roles in Star Trek, Like Crazy, and Green Room. He tragically passed away in 2016 at the age of 27.

     Yelchin immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was six months old. His parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were professional figure skaters who had been denied the opportunity to compete in the 1972 Winter Olympics. The family settled in California, where Yelchin developed an early interest in acting.

     His career began with guest roles in ER, Judging Amy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He gained recognition for his performance in Hearts in Atlantis (2001), earning a Young Artist Award. He later starred in Alpha Dog (2006), Charlie Bartlett (2007), and Terminator Salvation (2009).

     Yelchin was cast as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek (2009), reprising the role in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He also starred in Fright Night (2011), Odd Thomas (2013), 5 to 7 (2014), and The Driftless Area (2015). His final films, including Thoroughbreds (2017), were released posthumously.

     Beyond acting, Yelchin was passionate about music and photography. He played guitar and piano and was an avid chess player. His life was tragically cut short in 2016 when his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backward, pinning him against a brick pillar and security fence. His death led to a recall of the vehicle model due to a gear shift defect.