RIP Anton Yelchin: March 11, 1989 – June 19, 2016
I wasn’t going to do this today, on Father’s Day, but when something tragic like this happens, there’s NEVER a good time to talk about it. You just have to. Earlier today, actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a freak car accident. Yelchin, who is known for playing Povel Chekhov in the latest Star Trek films, was found dead pinned between his car and a brick mailbox. According to police reports, he got out of his car and was behind the vehicle when it rolled into him. Anton Yelchin was born to Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin in Leningrad(St. Petersburg), Russia. They came to America when Anton was 6 months old. It’s unthinkable that someone so young, with so much talent died in a freak accident. This kid had so much going for him. I had been cast in some of the biggest movies in the last ten years which included Terminator and Star Trek. He was chosen for those roles, because the film makers felt he was the right choice, and I don’t disagree. He was a phenomenal actor for his age and he lit up the screen like nobody else. When Anton was first cast as Chekhov in the new Star Trek film, he was perfect. Much like Walter Koenig, Anton Yelchin was absolutely amazing. He got the character’s speech patterns and mannerisms down to a tee. His performance as Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation was pretty good. He played a younger and inexperienced Kyle, but he gave it his all. He sold it.
The year of 2016 is quickly becoming a bit of a serial killer. I wish I was joking, but we’ve already lost so much talent for one reason or another. To lose someone who had an incredible career in front of him, is, for the lack of a better word, shocking. It feels so….surreal. I really wish this wasn’t true. I wish it was some kind of…dream that I would wake up from. It’s even worse for his parents, because he was an only child, so I can’t even imagine the pain they are experiencing right now. My thoughts and well-wishes are with those who knew Anton best.
This video I’m posting is from a YouTube channel called ReelzChannel. It’s an interview between Anton Yelchin and Leonard Maltin about the Star Trek film. Yelchin comes across as very intelligent, eloquent and very easy-going. I think J.J. Abrams made the right call when he cast Anton Yelchin as Povel Chekhov. This is a kid that is going to missed by a lot of people, myself included. Here’s the interview: