Star Trek Actor Anton Yelchin Dead After Freak Car Accident

Actor Anton Yelchin has died at the age of 27 after being hit by his own car in the driveway of his home in California's San Fernando Valley. His body was discovered by friends who grew concerned after he failed to arrive for a rehearsal. Yelchin had memorable roles as Kyle Reese in Terminator: Salvation and Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek series; his most recent role was in the critically well-received horror thriller Green Room. In addition to the upcoming Star Trek Beyond, Yelchin had four films slated for release, and it had recently been announced he would lend his voice to Guillermo del Toro's animated Netflix series Trollhunters. It is not yet known how or if his passing will affect those productions.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, the child of Russian figure skaters, Yelchin moved to the United States at six months old. He began his acting career at the age of 9, and received steady work ever since. His first major starring roles were in Alpha Dog, opposite Justin Timberlake, and Charlie Bartlett, in which he played the title character. Yelchin was a promising young actor with immense talent, and his best years were certainly ahead of him. It's a shame we'll never get to see the career that could have been.