Biography

Walter Koenig was born in Chicago on September 14, 1936 to Lithuanian parents, who according to him, "spoke Russian, Yiddish, German, and French." He is quick to add that he himself speaks "nothing but English ... and that not too well." (Hawk, 1993)

Koenig grew up in New York in the Inwood area of Manhattan. He attended public school (P.S. 52 and P.S. 98) through the sixth grade there and then Fieldstone High School of the Ethical Culture School System in Riverdale, New York.

Koenig displayed an interest in acting from a young age. "When I was eight years old, I did my first play, and I played an atomic physicist," he said. "It was a summer resort project, and there were all adults except for me. And it was great fun, and they all laughed, and it was a very nice memory to have." (Kaplan, 1996) In high school, he played the lead role in a school production of "Peer Gynt" his sophomore year. His senior year, he again played a lead in Shaw's "Devil's Disciple."

At Grinell College in Iowa, Koenig pursued his interest in psychiatry as a Pre-Med major. However during his summer vacations, he kept his theatrical interests alive by performing summer stock in Vermont. After his father's death, he moved to California and finished his studies in psychology at UCLA.

At the urging of Professor Arthur Friedman, whose class was the only Theatre Arts course he took in college, Koenig returned to New York. With Professor Friedman's recommendation he was enrolled at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He says of the experience, "Of the seventy students who attended that first year of study, my classmates included James Caan, Dabney Coleman, Chris Lloyd, Jessica Walters, Elizabeth Ashley and Brenda Vaccaro. That's out of seventy students, all of whom went on to stardom." (Hawk, 1993) During his second year at the Playhouse, he was awarded a scholarship offer from the school's regents.

After a couple years off-Broadway, Koenig returned to Los Angeles where he was quite successful in winning a variety of roles in television and on the local stage. In fact, his first television lead was in actuality only his second filmed television part. Interestingly enough, he was cast as a Russian student defecting from behind Iron Curtain on the Mr. Novak series. His non-all-American boy-from-the-continent-next-door good looks allowed casting directors to envision him as a wide variety of ethnic types -- including an Armenian grape picker on Great Adventure, a Swedish businessman on Gidget, an Arabian rock and singer on I Spy, and a French resistance fighter on Jericho.

In a foreshadowing of career paths to come, Koenig also appeared opposite soon-to-be Star Trek alum Gary Lockwood in an episode of Gene Roddenberry's short-lived crime drama Lieutenant. He met Trek writer-and-Grinch-to-be Harlan Ellison on the set of Alfred Hitchcock Presents when he played the juvenile delinquent villain in a script written by Ellison. Most importantly, however, Koenig met and impressed Joe D'Agosta, the casting director for Mr. Novak who was later the casting director for Star Trek at the critical point after the first season when the show was looking for someone who could play a Russian. Koenig says of these pre-Trek days, "I had a more fertile career before Star Trek than in 15 years after Trek." ( German, 1996)

In 1967 he joined the cast of Star Trek as Ensign Chekov. In a 1968 interview, he said of his vocation, "I'm glad I'm an actor when I'm working. When I am not working I wish I was practically anything else." Nevertheless, Koenig expressed satisfaction with life, saying, "The truth of the matter is, I don't think I would want to be anybody but me. I would like to be me at my most productive and achieving my greatest potential, whatever that would be. I don't mean to sound like I'm hedging, but, I admire other people. I admire a feat or particular thing they've done, but I don't think I'd want to be anyone else. I'd just like to be me at my most healthy emotionally, my most healthy physically, and my most healthy creatively." (Kaplan, 1996)

In 1969, after the cancellation of Star Trek, Koenig moved on, although his career momentum had slowed. He appeared in occasional TV shows (such as the unsold pilot for Roddenberry's The Questor Files) and films, but concentrated more on teaching acting.

Koenig extended his talents into the area of script writing as well. His television writing credits include an episode of Land Of The Lost, and an episode for the animated version of Star Trek ("The Infinite Vulcan"). Koenig has also written scripts for such TV series as Class Of '65, The Powers Of Matthew Starr and Family. He wrote and produced a lowbudget movie entitled I Wish I May.

In 1979, Koenig authored a behind-the-scenes log about his experiences making Star Trek :The Motion Picture called "Chekov's Enterprise" and in 1988 he published a science fiction novel titled "Buck Alice And The Actor Robot". He is also the writer for the comic book series "Raver".

Until Mark Lenard's death in 1996, Koenig and Lenard intermittently toured their performances of the two-man one-act play "Actors" and later Bernard Sabbath's play "The Boys Of Autumn". [Personal Note: I regret I missed my opportunity to see the two of them perform together in either one of these productions. I did see Lenard and Koenig at a convention in Atlanta, however. Never before or since have I laughed so hard at a convention presentation. Speaking unrehearsed and off-the-cuff in response to members of the audience's questions that often veered in from far, far, far left field, they naturally blended into a perfectly balanced comedic team with Lenard - who I mistakenly assumed from his on-screen persona to be a serious and solemn person -- playing the charming but slightly ditzy Gracie Allen-ish counterpoint to Koenig's George Burnsian dry, sarcastic wit. You had to see it to believe it.]

Koenig has been married since 1968 to actress Judy Levitt (who appeared with him on an episode of Babylon 5). They have two children, Andrew and Danielle who have also dabbled in the family profession. Andrew gueststarred in an episode of Deep Space 9 and is probably best known for his recurring roles as "Boner" on ABC's Growing Pains. Danielle appeared on Simon & Simon.

For more detailed information about Koenig and his career, look for a copy of his autobiography scheduled to be released by Taylor Publishing later this year.