Actor Anton Yelchin, perhaps best known for his role as Chekov in the new Star Trek films, was killed in a fatal auto accident outside his Los Angeles home early Sunday morning. He was just 27 years old.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the accident occurred around 1:10 a.m. local time. Yelchin was found pinned between his car, a security gate and a brick mailbox pillar. Friends went to check on him after he didn’t appear at a rehearsal and didn’t respond to calls and messages.
“It appears he momentarily exited his car and it rolled backward, causing trauma that led to his death,” said LAPD spokeswoman Jenny Houser. The driveway to Yelchin’s house is apparently on a steep incline, and he car was reportedly still running when he was found.
Yelchin will be seen in this summer’s Star Trek Beyond, set to open July 22. He had a starring role earlier this year in Green Room, in which he played a member of a punk rock band that’s held hostage by a group of neo-Nazis after witnessing a murder. Yelchin was set to star in a DirecTV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes.
Other recent films Yelchin has appeared or starred include 2008’s Terminator Salvation (in which he played Kyle Reese), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), Charlie Bartlett (2007), Alpha Dog (2006), Fright Night (2011) and Like Crazy (2011).
https://youtu.be/wOviutaCNe4
Yelchin was born in Russia, and his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was an infant. His parents were Olympic-caliber figure skaters and fled the then-Soviet Union for political asylum. He began acting at the age of 9, appearing on TV shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Criminal Minds. His first prominent role was as Hank Azaria’s son in the Showtime series Huff. Yelchin’s breakout film role was in 2001’s Hearts in Atlantis.
As you might expect, many of Yelchin’s friends and colleagues in the movie industry responded to this shocking news on Twitter. Here’s a sampling.
https://twitter.com/OfficialKat/status/744594940403974144
The sweetest, most humble, delightful, talented guy you'd ever meet. Worked together for about a year. Shocked. https://t.co/uyg2NlmhqP
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/BaruchelNDG/status/744595490981941248
So sad to hear this news… pic.twitter.com/fyQajch5kN
— Michael Giacchino (@m_giacchino) June 19, 2016
I loved Anton Yelchin so much. He was a true artist – curious, beautiful, courageous. He was a great pal and a great son. I'm in ruins.
— John Cho (@JohnTheCho) June 19, 2016
— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 19, 2016
