Anton Yelchin

From the time he decided to perform onscreen at four years old, Russian-born actor Anton Yelchin was on the fast track to stardom starting with his breakthrough role in "Hearts in Atlantis" (2001). Though he had his start on the big screen, Yelchin earned his stripes on television, landing several guest spots on long-running shows before being cast as a series regular on the short-lived comedic drama, "Huff" (Showtime, 2004-06). Despite the critical acclaim for the show and a few awards for co-star Blythe Danner, "Huff" was finished after only two seasons. Undeterred, Yelchin continued to rack up an impressive number of credits in several television and feature projects, though true celebrity still eluded him. But that all changed when Yelchin scored the role of Pavel Chekov in the blockbuster feature remake of "Star Trek" (2009), which practically guaranteed that the young actor instant stardom. The handsome young actor went on to work in several high profile productions, including Jim Jarmusch's vampire drama "Only Lovers Left Alive" (2013) and the cult horror hit "Green Room" (2015), as well as sequels to his breakthrough hit. His death in a freak car accident at his home in Studio City, California on June 19, 2016 at the age of 27 shocked friends and fans alike.