Talented Up-And-Comer Dead At 27
At the still-young age of 27, actor Anton Yelchin was more than accomplished. One look at his IMDb filmography shows a lifelong career of exceptional diversity. And yet, he was only getting started.
Effortlessly floating back and forth between indie films (Only Lovers Left Alive, 5 to 7) and big studio tentpoles (the Star Trek reboots, Terminator: Salvation), between supporting parts (Experimenter, Dying of the Light, Alpha Dog) and lead roles (Like Crazy, Odd Thomas, Fright Night), Yelchin was the real deal, a multi-faceted presence who elevated everything he appeared in. On screen, he recently headed up a doomed punk rock band in the acclaimed survival horror Green Room, and will be seen as Pavel Chekov for the third and final time in this summer’s Star Trek Beyond. Under the surface of his soft and boyish exterior was a human depth reflecting emotional worlds that he could tap into so well.
All of which makes death this weekend all the more senseless and tragic. In a tough year brimming with all manner of deaths in the news, some may casually wonder why the loss of one actor warrants special attention. Yelchin, in his many roles, demonstrated the kind of vulnerable humanity that helps us relate to all people. His accomplishment is a celebration that even a career capped at 27 can be an inspiring legacy.
Yelchin as Pavel Chekov in the STAR TREK reboots.
In Jim Jarmusch’s ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
As the troubled lead in the indie LIKE CRAZY