Movies - TV
Anton Yelchin Purposefully Made Chekov’s Star Trek Accent Inaccurate
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
Viacom’s split in 2005 led to the Kelvinverse, continuity in a parallel timeline that includes the 2009 "Star Trek" movie, in which Anton Yelchin played Ensign Pavel Chekhov.
Yelchin recreated the original character’s broad Russian accent. He later told TrekMovie that the accent was deliberately broad on purpose; it wasn't supposed to sound authentic.
For Yelchin, Chekov wasn't so much an authentic Russian as he was an homage to Walter Koenig. As such, Yelchin emulated Koenig’s broad, though inaccurate Russian pronunciation.
Yelchin said, "I have no problem doing a real Russian accent, but that wouldn't be Chekov to me [...] his accent is a Cold War stereotype of a Russian person."
He continued, "Walter came on set and was like 'that sounds like me.'" The actor also said that Russia loved Chekov despite the inaccuracy of his accent.