The actor, aged 27, was killed early on the morning of Sunday June 19. According to Entertainment News, Yelchin was standing behind his car, parked on his driveway, when the car rolled backwards. The actor was pinned against a brick mailbox and a security fence, with death caused by crushing. The Guardian reports that Yelchin’s friends alerted police after he failed to turn up to a rehearsal on Sunday.
Deadline Hollywood reports that his his publicist, Jennifer Allen has said: “Actor Anton Yelchin was killed in a fatal traffic collision early this morning. His family requests you respect their privacy at this time.”
Anton Viktorovich Yelchin appeared in several television roles and the Hollywood films. As well as the three rebooted Star Trek movies, the actor was also known for his roles in Terminator Salvation, Only Lovers Left Alive, Hearts In Atlantis, Charlie Bartlett.
Yelchin was born March 11, 1989, in Leningrad, Soviet Union (a few months before the USSR’s collapse.) His parents were pair figure skaters who qualified for the 1972 Winter Olympics. The family moved to the U.S. in September 1989, claiming refugee status.
On hearing the news, actor Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) tweeted: “Devastated to hear about the brilliant Anton Yelchin. He was thoughtful, kind, and gifted. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Yelchin’s first acting role came at the age of 9 and he had a long career ahead of him. His best Star Trek moments can be seen in the video below:
