Walter Koenig

Walter: (on the refugee crisis in Burma) I was shocked at how little I knew. The time was right in my life to be a part of something that is worthwhile. It's one thing to espouse a liberal and political attitude and quite another to act on it.

Walter: I have done several dialects on television and stage. My father spoke with a Russian accent, and although he was no longer with us when I started Star Trek, his speech probably influenced the accent that I used.

Walter: (after it had been mentioned that George Takei really does speak Japanese) I too speak fluent Japanese... But seriously doubt George knows a single word in Russian!

Walter: (when asked about his novel "Warped Factors") I wrote the first 20,000 words in about three months, and then once it was sold, I did the finally 90,000 over a period of five months.

Walter: (discussing his guest starring role alongside William Shatner in an episode of Columbo) It was purely by chance and it's questionable whether I was actually in the show. It was another one of a short list of appearances I've made that were very slight in nature.

Walter: (about his appearance on the Howard Stern Show) Oh, boy! I was anticipating it to actually be more uncomfortable than it was. I had been warned about Howard and wasn't sure how I would deal with the provocative questions that he is known to ask.

Walter: Well, Chekov was the Russian representative at a time when the Cold War was still very much an influence in world politics. To that extent, the introduction of a nationality considered hostile to our way of life was certainly a step toward developing a sense of multi-nationality, multi-ethnicity, multi-racial make-up that Star Trek has always been known for.

Walter: (when asked if he would consider writing a Star Trek novel) No. Star Trek has been so much a part of my life that when I do write, I try to investigate storylines that are a departure from the constant experience that I've had with Star Trek.

Walter: Star Trek affected my career from the first moment I said "Varp Fector Two, Sair." It has not ceased to affect my career and my life since.

Walter: I've been a member of this family {the Star Trek cast} for so long, in at least one sense, it's like being part of my own family. You don't question it... It just is.

Walter: (about the controversial topics covered in Star Trek) You know we were still very much involved with the Vietnam War and it was it was really sort of verboten to do any kind of drama at that time that that dealt with that. It was a very, very touchy subject and I think, with the exception of perhaps one episode, I think our attack and the posture that we took on social issues and vital topical issues, was, as I say, one that was very easy to support.

Walter: I didn't watch "Star Trek" the first year it was on, before I was on the show. I took one look at the styrofoam rocks and said: 'There's no way I'm going to watch this!