{
  "id": 17230715,
  "title": "‘What a heartbreaking week it has been’: William Shatner mourns as ‘Star Trek’ loses Walter Koenig and Patrick Stewart four days apart",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/what-a-heartbreaking-week-it-has-been-william-shatner-mourns-as-star",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-30T13:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/30/star-trek-walter-koenig-patrick-stewart-shatner-takei-original-cast/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The past week has been a tragic one for fans of the \"Star Trek\" franchise, as two iconic actors passed away in quick succession. Walter Koenig, who portrayed Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original series, died at the age of 90 on Sunday. The following day, Patrick Stewart, who played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in \"Star Trek: The Next Generation\" and \"Star Trek: Picard,\" passed away at 73. William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original series, expressed his grief, stating, \"What a heartbreaking week it has been.\" The loss of these two legends has left a void in the \"Star Trek\" community, which has long celebrated the show's vision of a brighter, more equitable future. Despite being characterized as \"nerdy\" in the past, \"Star Trek\" has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing various aspects of modern society. The franchise has inspired real-life innovations, such as the naming of the first space shuttle \"Enterprise\" after the show's flagship. Phrases from the series, like \"Beam me up, Scotty\" and \"Make it so,\" have become part of everyday language. As the \"Star Trek\" franchise enters a new era with its streaming series, fans are mourning the loss of these two remarkable actors who helped shape the iconic universe.",
  "summary": "\"Time is the fire in which we burn,\" Captain Picard was told in 1994.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}