STUDIO CITY—Actor Anton Yelchin, 27, known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the remake of the “Star Trek” movie in 2009, died on Sunday, June 19 after being pinned by his car in his driveway, according to reports.
Yelchin was found dead by friends after he did not show up to a scheduled rehearsal. It is estimated that he died around 1:10 a.m. after his car rolled backward down his steep driveway and trapped him against a brick mailbox and a security fence at his Studio City home. Fellow actors mourned the loss of the actor and colleague on social media.
“Our dear friend. our comrade. our anton. one of the most open and intellectually curious people i have ever had the pleasure to know,” said actor Zachary Quinto on Instagram. “So enormously talented and generous of heart. wise beyond his years. and gone before his time. all love and strength to his family at this impossible time of grief.”
“Devastated to hear about the brilliant Anton Yelchin,” said actor Chris Evans on Twitter. “He was thoughtful, kind, and gifted. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
“I loved Anton Yelchin so much,” said actor John Cho on Twitter. “He was a true artist – curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I’m in ruins.”
Yelchin was born on March 11, 1989 in Russia and migrated to the United States at six months old, according to the International Movie Database. His parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were successful figure skaters who started coaching once they moved to the U.S.
“He demonstrated his strong personality from the early age of four, and declined his parent’s tutelage in figure skating, because he was fond of acting, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do in his life,” says his bio on the International Movie Database.
Yelchin began taking acting classes in Los Angeles and in 2000 he made his debut at the age of 10 in the television show “ER.” He received his first award in 2002 for Best Performance in a Feature Film as Leading Young Actor for his role of Bobby Garfield in “Hearts in Atlantis” where he played opposite Anthony Hopkins.
In his lifetime he had over 20 roles spanning across films and television shows. His breakthrough role was as Pavel Chekov in “Star Trek” (2009) and “Star Trek Into Darkness.” He is also known for his roles as Charlie Bartlett in “Charlie Bartlett” and Charley Brewster in the remake of “Fright Night.” He wrote music and performed in a band where he played the piano and guitar.
Canyon News reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for more information, but was unable to receive comment.
TMZ reported that Yelchin’s death was a result of blunt traumatic asphyxia. His death may have been the result of a defect with the stick/shifting mechanism in his 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The default can cause drivers to leave the car in the wrong gear unintentionally. TMZ reported the models were recalled because of the e-shift transmission.