It’s been over three years since the world tragically lost 27-year-old Anton Yelchin, but it’s clear that in such a short time, the actor made a massive impact on those around him.
Just this weekend, Chris Pine attended a special 10th-anniversary screening of the first film in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot series, which was dedicated to the memory of the young actor. Speaking in front of a massive audience of fans, Pine reflected on their time working together:
“This curious, fascinating, complex, strange little dude who, when we started [Star Trek], was about 10 years younger than all of us. He was kind of our younger brother, and we saw him grow up and continue to get stranger and more curious.”
A trailer for the documentary about Yelchin’s life, Love, Antosha, played prior to the screening. Pine is one of the many stars featured in the documentary, which also includes interviews with Kristen Stewart and Simon Pegg.
Yelchin portrayed Chekov in the three most recent Trek films, where he developed friendships with both Pine and Pegg. Though undisclosed at the time of his death, the Russian-American actor had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis prior to shooting Star Trek Beyond, yet silently worked through it despite the onset of his symptoms.
Pine also took a moment to address his co-star’s strength, saying:
“We had about a week of doing a pretty intense stunt, like a really grueling, physically demanding stunt. I haven’t actually thought about it until now, but looking back on it, I remember how hard it was for him to get through it. And he never complained.
Love, Antosha will receive a limited run in theaters this August. Meanwhile, the fate of a potential fourth Star Trek movie remains unclear. While it seems like Chris Pine won’t be returning, writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s hoping to put his own R-rated spin on the franchise in the near future.
If and when the fourth film finally comes to fruition, the role of Checkov would be retired in his memory, a fitting tribute to an actor that left us all too soon.