Walter Koenig Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

[Jan]

Found on the Zocalo Today:

WALTER KOENIG
For science fiction fans, Walter Koenig has created two memorable television characters: Chekov and Bester. He is the only original Star Trek cast member without a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Walter has been nominated for a star and the Walk of Fame Committee will be voting in June 2007 on whether to award it to him. A letter-writing campaign to convince the committee to vote for him has started, and you can help! Walter's official website www.WalterKoenigSite.com has all the information. Thank you for your help and support!

So after you've written to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about Andreas (and if you haven't yet, get going!), you might want to drop a line to support Walter.

Jan

[JohnFourtyTwo]

I'll do what I can for him. Honestly though, without going to imdb.com, I haven't a clue to what other movies or TV shows he's been in besides Star Trek and B5. I do remember a low-budget scifi movie he was in during the late '80s where he played an astronaut who found a nude woman on the moon. Don't remember too much more about that movie. Unfortunately it seems like he's been a terrible victim of type-casting like some of the other TOS actors/actresses.

I remember he wrote a book in the very early '80s called Checkov's Diary, which was he view of the making of Star Trek the Motion Picture. Unfortunately I don't have it but I do remember reading a portion of it in Starlog at that time about a fight between Shatner and Nimoy when Shatner jokingly pulled Nimoy's ears off which really pissed Nimoy off because it hurt like hell! They didn't get into blows, but there were plenty of words between them. From what I've read and heard from others, Shatner was always pulling pranks on Nimoy since the TOS days. One memoriable one was when Shatner stole Nimoy's bicycle and hit it in the rafters of the studio or someplace closeby while Nimoy frantically searched for it.

[Jan]

I'll do what I can for him. Honestly though, without going to imdb.com, I haven't a clue to what other movies or TV shows he's been in besides Star Trek and B5.

If you click on the link on his site, it has a review of the things he's done that qualify him for a star.

Jan

[JohnFourtyTwo]

Cool! Thanks Jan.

[B5_Obsessed]

I'll do what I can for him. Honestly though, without going to imdb.com, I haven't a clue to what other movies or TV shows he's been in besides Star Trek and B5. I do remember a low-budget scifi movie he was in during the late '80s where he played an astronaut who found a nude woman on the moon. Don't remember too much more about that movie. Unfortunately it seems like he's been a terrible victim of type-casting like some of the other TOS actors/actresses.

I remember he wrote a book in the very early '80s called Checkov's Diary, which was he view of the making of Star Trek the Motion Picture. Unfortunately I don't have it but I do remember reading a portion of it in Starlog at that time about a fight between Shatner and Nimoy when Shatner jokingly pulled Nimoy's ears off which really pissed Nimoy off because it hurt like hell! They didn't get into blows, but there were plenty of words between them. From what I've read and heard from others, Shatner was always pulling pranks on Nimoy since the TOS days. One memoriable one was when Shatner stole Nimoy's bicycle and hit it in the rafters of the studio or someplace closeby while Nimoy frantically searched for it.

Shatner was always stealing Nimoy's bicycle. One time he chained his two beloved Dobermans to it, another time he disassembled it and mailed it back to Nimoy one piece at a time.

[JohnFourtyTwo]

Shatner was always stealing Nimoy's bicycle. One time he chained his two beloved Dobermans to it, another time he disassembled it and mailed it back to Nimoy one piece at a time.

ROFLMAO! Thanks, I'll have to send this to a friend of mine who's a huge Nimoy fan!

[Dan Dassow]

Found on the Zocalo Today:

WALTER KOENIG
For science fiction fans, Walter Koenig has created two memorable television characters: Chekov and Bester. He is the only original Star Trek cast member without a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Walter has been nominated for a star and the Walk of Fame Committee will be voting in June 2007 on whether to award it to him. A letter-writing campaign to convince the committee to vote for him has started, and you can help! Walter's official website www.WalterKoenigSite.com has all the information. Thank you for your help and support!

So after you've written to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about Andreas (and if you haven't yet, get going!), you might want to drop a line to support Walter.

Jan

It looks like Walter Koenig was finally selected.

http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/waltersstar.html
Walter awarded his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

On June 21, 2011, John Pavlik, Committee Chairman for the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce, announced that Walter Koenig had at last been chosen to be one of the recipients for a stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Said Walter: "This is something that you hope and wish for: dream about, but something you never expect to really happen. It's a joyous occasion and I am deeply honored."

While all of them have their handprints and signitures in cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Walter is the last of the main seven cast members of "Star Trek: The Original Series" to be awarded a star.

Walter has been nominated yearly since 2006 and fans had been constantly rallying to impress upon the committee why they thought Walter should receive a star. His qualifications include a television career spanning over 51 years - starting with the pilot episode for "General Hospital", and the creation of not one, but two iconic characters: "Pavel Chekov" in "Star Trek" and "Alfred Bester" in "Babylon 5" - for which he was submitted for Emmy consideration. His community involvement has included grassroots work to restore community theatres, work on behalf of two American Indian communities, organizations committed to animal rights, a charity assisting teens living on the streets, and an on-going commitment to help bring an end to the human rights violations in Myanmar. ...

[Jan]

Great news, Dan. Thanks for finding that. I remember what JMS posted a while back:

From: J. Michael Straczynski <[email protected]>
Subject: <Severed Dreams, WOW>
To: CIS
Date: 4/7/1996 7:33:00 AM

"JMS is on an anti-typcasting crusade."

That's actually true, in a lot of ways. My sense is that here
we have many actors who created enduring works because they were good
at what they did; they're *good actors*. But because they were so good
at it, they got typecast as only able to play that. How many people
snickered, wrongly, when they heard Walter was going to be Bester?
"Chekhov in the Psi Corps," was the usual lament.

Until they *saw* him. And saw what he could do.

To work against the typecasting is simply payment on a debt to
those who created enduring characters. And I'll continue to do it
wherever and whenever I can. (Look for Robert England in an upcoming
episode playing a very different sort of character than he's played
elsewhere lately.)

jms

I'm happy to see him finally get his star.

Jan

[AstroBoy]

I remember he wrote a book in the very early '80s called Checkov's Diary, which was he view of the making of Star Trek the Motion Picture. Unfortunately I don't have it but I do remember reading a portion of it in Starlog at that time about a fight between Shatner and Nimoy when Shatner jokingly pulled Nimoy's ears off which really pissed Nimoy off because it hurt like hell! They didn't get into blows, but there were plenty of words between them. From what I've read and heard from others, Shatner was always pulling pranks on Nimoy since the TOS days. One memoriable one was when Shatner stole Nimoy's bicycle and hit it in the rafters of the studio or someplace closeby while Nimoy frantically searched for it.

I have that book actually signed by Walter. My one and only Trek convention was in 1979 after the 1st movie was released. Walter was there as was Issac Asimov. I purchased the book and had Walter sign it. I also got Asimov's autograph on a piece of paper, but in the subsequent 30+ years have lost it somewhere.

[DGTWoodward]

We met Walter this weekend at the London Film & Comic Convention. He loked very tired (Jet lagged?) but was smiling and interacting with fans.

I am very glad the he has his star. Well deserved.

Over here his book was called Chekov's Enterprise, and was a very good read. In places a very amusing read indeed (eg: the high level but hushed conversations on set between Shatner and Nimoy, that Walter was not party to), and in others very enlightening as to the time/motion involved in making a mojor motion picture with a fixed (ie non-changable) start date.

[Jan]

For those in the area in September, it looks like there will be quite a gala leading up to Walter getting his star. JMS and Leonard Nimoy will be speaking at the ceremony itself:

http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/waltersstar.html

Gotta love the names of the packages they're selling.

Bester Package
Chekov Package

Jan

[Delenn_of_Mir]

That's so cool! I'm really happer for Koenig to finally get his star. I loved him as Bester, and think I may have seen bits and pieces of Chekov. I watched part of a startrek movie once, and his character was getting rescued or something. And I've seen more than several episodes of TOS but am not sure I saw him on any of the episodes, But he was a wonderful Bester!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dan Dassow]

For those in the area in September, it looks like there will be quite a gala leading up to Walter getting his star. JMS and Leonard Nimoy will be speaking at the ceremony itself:

http://www.walterkoenigsite.com/waltersstar.html

Gotta love the names of the packages they're selling.

Bester Package
Chekov Package

Jan

This seems like a perfect opportunity for Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy and JMS to do a cameo on The Big Bang Theory.

[Jan]

The new star for Walter Koenig will be installed soon. JMS will be a speaker at the ceremony. Found this article where Walter's role of Bester is mentioned:

http://hollywood.patch.com/articles/...k-of-fame-star

Walter has the notable and remarkable distinction of adding a second iconic character to the American television lexicon. In the 1990's he again became well-known throughout the world as "Bester" on Babylon 5. He was both "The man we most love to hate" (1997 poll of 200,000 sci-fi fans) and "The best villain in a series: most evil and complicated character (2006).

The ceremony will be live streamed for those who can access it www.WalkofFame.com

Congratulations to Walter! It's about time!

Jan

[babylonlurker]

The new star for Walter Koenig will be installed soon. JMS will be a speaker at the ceremony. Found this article where Walter's role of Bester is mentioned
. . .
Congratulations to Walter! It's about time!

Jan

And mentioned in as good a way as we could expect .

I met Walter a few months ago at Fedcon in Germany, and he is still a champ.