Anton Yelchin, best known for his role as Ensign Paval Chekov in the J.J. Abrams rebooted ‘Star Trek’ film series died early Sunday in a tragic unexplained car accident early Sunday morning. Yelchin was only 27 years old.
According to TMZ, Yelchin’s friends became alarmed when didn’t show up to meet them for a rehearsal. When they went to his home, they found the actor pinned between his car and a brick mailbox that was attached to his security gate located on a steep inclined driveway. The car was still running and in neutral when they arrived. Authorities are treating the incident as an accident. No foul play is suspected.
Yelchin’s death was confirmed by the actor’s publicist Jennifer Allen:
“Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”
Yelchin started his career with indie roles but it was his work on films like ‘Alpha Dog,’ ‘Terminator: Salvation’ (where he played Kyle Reese) and ‘Fright Night’ (as Charlie Brewster) that helped him stand out in Hollywood. Cast as Ensign Chekov in the rebooted ‘Star Trek’ film series shot his star presence event higher.
More recently, Yelchin was set to star in Stephen King’s small screen adaptation ‘Mr. Mercedes’ and was just added to the voice cast of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Trollhunters’ for Netflix.
Our deepest condolences to Yelchin’s family, friends and fans.
R.I.P. Anton Yelchin: March 11th, 1989 – June 19th, 2016
