Anton Yelchin

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anton Yelchin

• Anton Yelchin was born with cystic fibrosis, a disorder that damages the lungs, digestive tract, and other organs.

  

• Being Jewish, his family initially faced religious and political discrimination in Russia.

• His parents were pair figure skaters in Leningrad, Russia, for 15 years. They were the third-best team in the country and qualified for the 1972 Winter Olympics, but the Soviet authorities prevented them from competing.

• Yelchin was six months old when his family moved from Russia to Los Angeles in the United States, where the Department of State later granted them refugee status.

• He grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

  

• As a child, Anton was shy, except when he was telling stories, which he loved. On a family friend’s suggestion, he took acting classes, which helped him overcome his shyness and develop his creativity.

• Anton was once told by a woman that he would become an actor because he looked handsome.

• When Anton was very young, he was a huge fan of The Beatles. In 1999, actor Albert Finney gifted him a complete set of The Beatles’ CDs on the last day of the shoot of the film ‘Delivering Milo.’

  

• He was 9 when he made his acting debut with an independent film “A Man is Mostly Water” (2000).

• Anton loved playing the guitar, which he learnt while working on ‘A Man is Mostly Water.’ Soon after, he started writing songs and experimenting with tape loops. He eventually led a punk band called ‘The Hammerheads.’

  

• At the age of 12, Anton watched the documentary ‘Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures’ (2001), which sparked his interest in photography. He then got his first camera and started taking pictures of his family and neighbours. Over time, his photography evolved to capture the raw essence of Los Angeles.

  

• His role as ‘Bobby Garfield’ in the film ‘Hearts in Atlantis’ (2001) was highly appreciated by the audience.

  

• He played the role of ‘Byrd Huffstodt’ in Showtime’s television series ‘Huff’ from 2004 to 2006.

  

• He appeared in other television series like ABC’s ‘NYPD Blue’ (2004), NBC’s ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ (2006), and CBS’ ‘Criminal Minds’ (2006).

• In 2005, he appeared as ‘Finn Earl’ in the film ‘Fierce People,’ where he co-starred with actor Kristen Stewart. They soon fell in love while working on the film and started dating. After being in a relationship for a short period, they broke up. Kristen once even called him her ‘first heartbreak.’
  

• Anton gained popularity for his role as ‘Pavel Chekov’ in the film ‘Star Trek’ (2009). He also appeared as Pavel Chekov in the films ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (2013) and ‘Star Trek Beyond’ (2016).

  

• He appeared in other films like ‘Terminator Salvation’ (2009), ‘Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac’ (2010), ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ (2013), ‘Odd Thomas’ (2013) ‘Broken Horses’ (2015).

  

• He lent his voice to the character ‘Clumsy Smurf’ in the films ‘The Smurfs’ (2011), ‘The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol’ (2011), ‘The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow’ (2013), and ‘The Smurfs 2’ (2013).

  

• In 2013, he played the role of ‘Oliver’ in the short films ‘After the Disco Part One: Angel and the Fool’ and ‘After the Disco Part Two: Holding On for Life.’

  

• Anton consumed alcohol occasionally.

• On 18 June 2016, Anton left for rehearsal but did not arrive. On 19 June 2016, his friends found him stuck between his Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brick pillar gatepost outside his house in Studio City, Los Angeles.

• The accident happened when his vehicle rolled back down his steep driveway while he was checking his locked gate for mail. Anton was pronounced dead at the scene due to ‘blunt traumatic asphyxia,’ which refers to severe pressure on the chest that led to a lack of oxygen.

  

• On 1 August 2016, his parents announced their intention to sue Fiat Chrysler for his death. The dealership, however, alleged that Yelchin was responsible for his death as he had used and modified the vehicle inappropriately.

• On 2 August 2016, his parents filed documents in the Los Angeles Superior Court to seek permission to become administrators of his assets, as Anton passed away without a will.

• On 22 March 2017, Yelchin’s family and Fiat Chrysler settled the case confidentially out of court.

• In October 2017, a bronze statue of Yelchin was unveiled at his grave in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

  

• In 2017, a non-profit organisation named the ‘Anton Yelchin Foundation’ was established in his honour. It aims to empower and support young people involved in creative arts who face issues due to serious illness or disability.

• He was later memorialised in the game Star Strek Online. He was also given a memorial plaque alongside other late Star Trek actors. A Starfleet vessel named ‘Yelchin’ was mentioned in Star Trek: Discovery episodes.

• Anton’s collection of photographs entitled ‘Anton Yelchin: Provocative Beauty’ was exhibited at the De Buck Gallery in New York in January 2018. It received praise from magazines worldwide.

  

• In October 2018, the Anton Yelchin Foundation donated $1 million to the Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California in appreciation for their 10 years of treating Anton for cystic fibrosis. In honour of this donation, the clinic dedicated to cystic fibrosis was named the ‘Anton Yelchin Cystic Fibrosis Clinic.’

  

• On 28 January 2019, a documentary about him titled ‘Love, Antosha’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary was created using old footage and memories from more than 60 of Anton’s friends, family, and colleagues.

  

• In 2019, his book ‘In Case of Fire’ was published. It consisted of his collection of photographs.

  

Anton Yelchin as ‘Nathan Harris’ in the television series ‘Criminal Minds’ (2006)