Hollywood actor Anton Yelchin had a drive to succeed like few others. Sadly, a freak accident at his own home cut his life—and career—tragically short.
1. He Knew It Would Be Short
Anton Yelchin arrived in America from Russia and, against the odds, became a movie star. He seamlessly moved between mega-blockbusters and arthouse indies. He seemed both comfortable as a leading man and in supporting roles.
And above all else, he worked at an manic, unsustainable pace. It turns out, Yelchin had a reason to fear his career might be cut short...
2. They Held Them Back
Anton Yelchin was born in Leningrad, Russia on March 11, 1989. His parents were both high-profile figure skaters—but that didn't mean their life was easy. Before Yelchin was born, the Russian government had forbidden Yelchin’s parents from participating in the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo Japan—and Yelchin believes he knows the disturbing reason why.
3. They Suffered
Yelchin's Jewish grandparents had suffered horrific persecution under Stalin, and he always believed religious oppression was the same reason they kept his parents out of the Olympics. In typical fashion, the government never revealed the real reason.
But Yelchin’s parents had a plan to take their son and escape Russia for America. At that time, they had no idea that a career in Hollywood would be his future.
4. He Made A Big Move
In September 1998, when Yelchin was just six months old, his parents packed him up—along with two of his grandparents—and moved to the US. Because of the family’s hardships in Russia, the US government offered them refugee status.
Mom and Dad quickly got jobs in the figure skating world and Anton…well, he got a strange premonition at a young age.
5. She Saw Something In Him
Yelchin wasn’t able to follow in his parent’s footsteps and pursue a career in ice dancing. He just didn’t have the talent. But he did get a random prediction about his career. His mom said that one day a woman looked at Yelchin, said he was beautiful, and announced that he would be an actor.
This was before Yelchin was even old enough to speak. As it turned out, this woman knew what she was talking about.
6. He Was Glum
In 2001, Yelchin got a chance to play the title character in a movie. He was only 12 when he got the call to play Milo in Delivering Milo. This film had experienced stars like Albert Finney and Bridget Fonda in the cast. It was Yelchin’s big break—but sadly, a critic called his performance “disappointingly glum”.
This was strike one, but Yelchin was ready to try again.
American Entertainment Investors, Delivering Milo (2001)
7. He Had A Scary Costar
In 2001, Yelchin received an offer to appear in Hearts in Atlantis. Not only was this based on a Stephen King novella, but his costar would be Silence of the Lambs actor Anthony Hopkins. You’d think this film had “hit” written all over it—but it once again it received mixed reviews at best.
But Yelchin still found a way to turn this disappointing film into something good.
Castle Rock, Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
8. He Took It Home
Yelchin’s performance in Hearts in Atlantis stood out, and he received three nominations as a young actor. He ended up taking home one trophy at the Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a Feature Film—Leading Young Actor. He even beat out some tough competition, like future mega-star Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance in Donnie Darko.
But there was something else that young Yelchin took away from this film.
Castle Rock, Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
9. He Kissed Her
While making Hearts In Atlantis, Yelchin got close to his costar Mika Boorem. The two had previously met in smaller roles in the spy thriller Along Came A Spider. Even though he was 12 and she was 14, Boorem said that she had her first kiss with Yelchin. Teen kisses aside, Yelchin had some learning to do.
He wanted to be a major movie star, and he had to figure out how to do that.
Castle Rock, Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
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10. He Learned
Yelchin continued acting and honed his skills while making independent films. He did this in films you may not have heard of like Fierce People and House of D. These movies didn't make him a superstar, but they gave him a chance to work with established stars like Donald Sutherland, Tea Leoni, and Robin Williams. He was slowly learning what it took to be a movie star.
Besides learning how to act, Yelchin still had time for romance.
Lionsgate, Fierce People (2005)
11. It Was Puppy Love
While working on Fierce People, Yelchin had a teenage romance with another budding star. This was with Kristen Stewart, who was just one year younger than Yelchin. Stewart had not yet become the Twilight phenomenon and only had a few films under her belt.
Like most teen romances it didn’t last—but only one of the pair walked away unscathed.
Lionsgate, Fierce People (2005)
12. He Was Intimidating
Stewart later said that Yelchin intimidated her and then, when he ended it, broke her heart. To Stewart, it seemed that Yelchin just casually walked away from the relationship, and probably she was right. Years after they he’d broken it off, he called her out of the blue.
Yelchin’s call surprised Stewart, and she was more than a little curious about what he had to say.
Lionsgate, Fierce People (2005)
13. He Knew How She Felt
Years after he dumped Stewart, Yelchin unexpectedly reached out to Stewart. She never expected what he had to say: As it turned out, Yelchin was a different person because a girlfriend had dumped him. He said he knew what it felt like and was calling Stewart to apologize for the way he broke it off with her.
But Yelchin couldn’t spend all his time working on romance, he still had a career to get off the ground.
Lionsgate, Fierce People (2005)
14. He Stood Out
In 2006, Yelchin appeared in the ensemble film Alpha Dog. This film was filled with stars including Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, and Sharon Stone, but Yelchin held his own. Variety even took note and mentioned Yelchin’s skill at being “able to bring out all of the conflicting emotions” of his character.
Working on ensemble pieces was fine, but if he wanted to be a star, Yelchin needed a lead role.
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Alpha Dog (2006)
15. It Was All About Him
In 2007, Yelchin had a chance to play a title character. This was the film Charlie Bartlett about a teenager serving as a therapist and pharmacist to get popular at his high school. Sadly, even a strong supporting cast—including Hope Davis and Robert Downey Jr—could not make this feature film a success.
The misses were starting to pile up. If Yelchin wanted to continue in Hollywood, he really needed a hit film.
16. He Did It Again
Yelchin seemed to have a knack for being in films with big stars but little success. In 2008 he carried on this tradition with Middle of Nowhere with Susan Sarandon. Like in Charlie Bartlett, Yelchin plays a teenager who turns into a drug dealer. Middle of Nowhere did not do well with critics or at the box office.
He must have been feeling pretty bad about his career at this point—but all his hard work on these somewhat forgettable films was about to pay off big time.
Bold Films, Middle of Nowhere (2008)
17. He Was Too Young
In the late 2000s, Paramount Pictures thought it was a good time to take a look at making a Star Trek movie reboot. A fan-favorite character was Pavel Chekov, who sported a Russian accent. Surely 20-year-old Yelchin was far too young to play Chekov. Well director JJ Abrams didn’t think so, and the part went to Yelchin.
It wasn’t much of a surprise, as he and his predecessor had a surprising amount in common.
18. They Had A Connection
Being a substitute for the much loved original Chekov was sure to be a challenge for Yelchin. As it turned out, he had a lot in common with Walter Koenig, who did the role in both the original series and the first Star Trek movies. Both had parents from Russia, and both had a Jewish background.
But now that he had the part, Yelchin had figure out how he was going to play it.
19. There Was A Special Meaning
Back in the original Star Trek, Koenig had decided that his Chekov would pronounce a “V” like a “W”. Both Yelchin and Koenig knew that this was more Polish than Russian, but Yelchin didn’t change it. His comedic pronunciation of “Wictor” instead of “Victor” was especially funny to him because it was his father’s name.
Yelchin must have done something right as Chekov, as another major Hollywood reboot came knocking at his door.
20. He Rebooted A Classic
Hot off the tail of Star Trek, Yelchin got a chance for another major Hollywood remake. This was Terminator Salvation. Here Yelchin plays Kyle Reese, a character previously played by Michael Biehn. Sadly, critics didn’t love the film, but they did credit Yelchin as having “some of the best lines”.
As it turned out, Yelchin also had some of the best looks.
The Halcyon Company, Terminator Salvation (2009)
21. He Was Hot
In 2008, Yelchin received an unexpected accolade. He took the second to the last spot in “The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25” put out by Moviefone. His ex, Kristen Stewart, beat him out by appearing in the number 14 spot. Hope there were no hard feelings.
Yelchin’s next film would take him back to his roots. .
22. He Returned To His Homeland
In 2008, Yelchin got an offer to make a movie in his birthplace, Russia. This was You and I, and at the helm was Roland Joffe, who made the much lauded The Mission. Yelchin likely enjoyed using a Russian accent that he probably borrowed from his parents. Sadly, the film didn’t do well with critics and ended up going direct-to-DVD.
Yelchin barely had time to unpack, as his next film had a sudden change of location.
23. They Sent Him Flying
In 2010, Yelchin signed on to appear in a movie based on a popular young adult novel called Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. Sometime after Yelchin had signed on, the producers made a shocking change. They decided to do a complete 180 with the setting of the story and put it in an English language school in Japan.
Yelchin’s next project also had a shocking turn. It had no script.
Dot Dot Dot Films, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (2010)
24. He Improvised
When filmmaker Drake Doremus was looking for an actor for his film Like Crazy, he went directly to Yelchin. After a very brief meeting, Yelchin had the job. There was only one catch. Doremus only had an outline of about 50 pages to work from. Yelchin soon learned the truth: Doremus expected the actors to improvise.
This film had disaster written all over it.
25. He Was The Best Thing
On January 22, 2011, Like Crazy had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it surprisingly won the Grand Jury Prize. This set off a battle between distributors for the rights to it. Also, critics wrote favorably about Like Crazy, and most agreed that it was Yelchin and his costar’s improvisation that was the best thing in the film.
In his next project, being the best would be as easy as pie.
26. It Was Odd
In 2011, Yelchin had the chance to work with superstar actor and director Jodie Foster in a film called The Beaver. The subject of the film was certainly odd. In it, Yelchin’s depressed father decides to speak only through a beaver puppet.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the odd subject that kept audiences away from The Beaver, it was one of Yelchin’s costars.
Summit Entertainment, The Beaver (2011)
27. His CoStar Was The Problem
Unfortunately, working with Foster also meant working with her buddy Mel Gibson. You see, moviegoers weren’t so thrilled with Gibson for prejudiced remarks he'd recently made. There was also that annoying restraining order his girlfriend had against him.
Audiences avoided The Beaver, and few of them saw Yelchin’s work in the film. Yet somehow, even fewer people got to see Yelchin in his next role.
Summit Entertainment, The Beaver (2011)
28. He Went Too Far
Movie 43 is an anthology comedy that seems to feature almost every actor in Hollywood. Yelchin got on board, and his part was to play a mortician who got a little too intimate with the bodies he works on. Apparently, Yelchin’s scene was a little over the top, as it only appeared in a test screening and then magically disappeared.
Another disappearing act almost cost Yelchin a job.
29. He Missed The Offer
New feature film director Victor Levin had an idea for a film, and he thought Yelchin would be perfect for the leading male role. To get Yelchin to say yes to the part, he wrote a letter basically begging Yelchin to be in his romantic drama, which he called 5 to 7. There was only one problem. Yelchin never got the letter.
30. They Called Him Modest
Eventually, Yelchin found out about Levin’s offer and jumped on board with the film about a younger man who meets a married older woman and starts an affair. Once again, critics noticed Yelchin’s performance and called him “modest and endearing”. Strangely, one critic compared his role to Kristen Stewart’s in The Twilight Saga. Huh?
Yelchin had done vampires, now he was ready to give zombies a try.
Mockingbird Pictures, 5 to 7 (2014)
31. He Saw His Final Resting Place
Next for Yelchin was a zombie comedy by Gremlins director Joe Dante. The film did only so-so at the box office, but there was a tragic coincidence. There are several scenes in Burying the Ex, shot at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Sadly, this would be Yelchin’s final resting place in just two years.
Of course, Yelchin had no idea, and kept up his manic work pace.
Gary Minnaert, Wikimedia Commons
32. He Was The Replacement
One thing that signals a film is in trouble is huge changes in staffing. Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader’s film Dying of the Light lost its original director, and then the two male leads—Harrison Ford and Channing Tatum—also walked away. Nicholas Cage and Yelchin stepped in to star, and Schrader decided to direct the film himself.
Things were not looking good for this film. And it was only going to get worse.
TinRes Entertainment, Dying of the Light (2014)
33. He Couldn’t Talk About It
When they finished filming Dying of the Light, the studio didn’t think Schrader had made a film they could market, so they took it away from him. Yelchin was stuck in the middle of a huge controversy and had to sign a “non-disparagement clause” which stopped him from saying anything negative about the film.
As it turned out, Yelchin had no problem keeping his mouth shut.
TinRes Entertainment, Dying of the Light (2014)
34. He Wore A Controversial Shirt
Instead of telling the world that they were unhappy with how Dying of the Light ended up, the stars found a way to get their point across without even opening up their mouths. Yelchin, Cage, and Schrader wore T-shirts that had the non-disparagement clause printed on them.
This action took courage—which he would need even more of for his next role.
TinRes Entertainment, Dying of the Light (2014)
35. He Was Brave
Back in 2011, Yelchin had appeared in a Fight Night remake with Imogen Poots, and there were rumors that the two had dated. Well, he reunited with Poots in 2016 for Green Room, a horror film about a punk band. Yelchin bravely faced his ex and did something that required even more courage: He actually played the guitar in the punk band scenes.
Yelchin had been working non-stop, but it was all about to come to a tragic end.
36. He Was A No Show
On June 18, 2016, Yelchin was due at a late-night rehearsal. When he didn’t show up, his concerned friends went to his home to see what was the matter. When they got to Yelchin’s house, they found something that would likely stay with them for the rest of their lives.
37. They Found Him
What Yelchin’s friends found was his lifeless body pinned up against a gate by his Jeep Grand Cherokee. This gate was just outside his home. What everyone wanted to know was how this could have possibly happened. It was impossible for a car to pin a man to a wall unless there was someone behind the wheel.
Well, the answer to this is just bizarre.
EEIM, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
38. It Rolled Backward
When Yelchin was leaving his house that day, he decided to stop his car to go check for mail. Yelchin stopped his car, put it in park, and then went down the sloped driveway to the mailbox. Yelchin didn’t know it, but while he was checking his mail, the vehicle started rolling down the driveway, directly in his direction.
No one knows for sure if he saw it coming, but it quickly pinned Yelchin against the brick gate of his own house. Yelchin couldn’t move.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
39. He Only Had Minutes
Experts say that Yelchin was likely alive for just a couple of minutes before the weight of the vehicle crushed him. The reason the coroner’s office gave for Yelchin’s untimely demise was traumatic asphyxia. Once reality had set in, people wanted to know how this could possibly have happened.
The answer is truly heartbreaking.
Donmike10, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
40. There Was A Flaw
As it turned out, it wasn’t only Yelchin who’d had trouble with this vehicle. Other Grand Jeep Cherokee owners were having trouble ensuring that the car was in “park”. Apparently, the gear system was confusing, and so users mistakenly thought they could safely get out of their vehicle when, in reality, the car could easily roll.
What’s truly heartbreaking is how easily the car company could have prevented this accident.
41. He Didn’t Get The Letter
The problem with Yelchin’s vehicle was that there should have been a warning when the driver got out of the vehicle if it wasn’t in park. The company that makes the Grand Jeep Cherokee—Fiat Chrysler—knew about this problem and was in the process of sending recall notices to all the owners of this year of the Jeep.
Sadly, Yelchin’s letter arrived too late. The question on everyone’s mind was whether Fiat Chrysler were liable.
42. They Were Angry
Yelchin’s parents felt unbearable grief over the loss of their son. They were also angry at Fiat Chrysler, so in August, 2016, they launched a lawsuit. It stated that their son’s demise was the fault of the automaker. It took almost two years, but the Yelchins eventually settled with Fiat Chrysler out of court.
Winning a lawsuit is all well and good, but Yelchin’s parents were still looking for a way to get past their grief.
43. It Was Too Painful
One painful task after losing a son is dealing with his belongings. One of Yelchin’s biggest assets was his house. His parents’ first thought was to sell it, but they found they couldn’t face the morbid task. They then decided to simply move in. Both parents say that they feel their son’s presence in the home.
What Yelchin’s parents needed next was to preserve the legacy of their son.
David Livingston, Getty Images
44. They Couldn’t Deal
Yelchin’s parents were having trouble dealing with their loss. Yelchin’s costar in Court of Conscience, Jon Voight, gave them an idea. He said they should make a documentary about him. Love, Antosha Includes conversations with JJ Abrams, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pine, Jodie Foster, and Kristen Stewart.
Love, Antosha helped Yelchin’s parents and loved ones to heal. But there was another group who was also moved by this documentary.
45. His Life Got Raves
Yelchin’s films had had their share of negative response from the critics. Love, Antosha was another thing altogether. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of an astonishing 97%. Critics called it “a rich reminiscence” with “a sadness that is close to overwhelming”.
While his passing is nothing less than a tragedy, this fact may just help him rest in peace. The remaining question was what had driven Yelchin to work so hard in his last years.
46. He Had Five More
It seemed that Yelchin spent the last years of his life working at a breakneck speed—making one film after another. After his passing, he had no less than five feature films ready for theaters. In the usual Yelchin style the films were both big and small budget and were a cornucopia of genres.
As it turned out, there may have been a reason why he was working so hard.
47. They Had A Secret
Yelchin’s parents knew something about their son that they kept secret. Since he was a baby, Yelchin’s parents knew that there was something physically wrong with their son. Over the years they worried about telling their son. Their biggest concern was that their very sensitive son would not be able to deal with the truth.
When Yelchin turned 17, his parents thought it was time he knew.
48. They Told Him The Truth
When he was 17 years old Yelchin’s parents told him that he had cystic fibrosis. They had kept this news from him because they thought it might panic their son. There was a reason for their fear. You see, in 2010 the life expectancy for a man with this disease was just 40 years old.
Yelchin knew he was on borrowed time, and moviegoers also received a warning.
49. There Was An Omen
Yelchin’s final performance as Chekov was in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Though it's unconfirmed if it was intentional, once scene ended up featuring a heartbreaking tribute to yelchin. When Chris Pine—playing Captain Kirk—raises his glass and says, “to absent friends,” the next shot in the film is right on Yelchin.
His sudden departure from the Star Trek series was perhaps the most hard to deal with.
Paramount, Star Trek Beyond (2016)
50. He Was Irreplaceable
Yelchin’s tragic demise occurred just one month before the release of Star Trek Beyond. Director JJ Abrams took the loss to heart. He said they would never get another actor to do Yelchin’s Chekov. He couldn’t imagine someone replacing him and thought that Yelchin deserved better than that.
