Born on March 11, 1989, in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad,) Russia, Anton Viktorovich Yelchin was the son of professional figure skaters Viktor and Irina Yelchin. Eager to explore new opportunities, Yelkin’s parents – both Soviet Jews –moved to the United States soon after Anton was born. There, they applied for – and were granted – asylum as political refugees. Settling in California, the Yelchins eventually both found work as figure skating coaches. Uninterested in following in his parents’ footsteps, young Anton declared his intention to become an actor at the tender age of four. Impressed by their son’s passion, the Yelchins encouraged his ambitions, enrolling him into acting classes.

In 2000, Yelchin made his television debut at the age of 10 in an episode of “E.R.” (NBC, 1994- ). This guest role led to Yelchin landing his big break starring opposite Anthony Hopkins in the drama “Hearts in Atlantis.” Adapted from a novella by Stephen King, “Hearts in Atlantis” performed disappointingly at the box office, but earned Yelchin critical praise for his portrayal of the fatherless young protagonist, Bobby Garfield.

Yelchin continued to stay busy in his teen years with a number of notable gigs. In addition to memorable guest-starring turns on “NYPD Blue” (ABC, 1993-2005), “Criminal Minds” (CBS, 2005- ), and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC/USA, 2001- ), Yelchin also won a regular role on the cult-fave cable series “Huff” (Showtime, 2004-06).

Yelchin’s career continued reaching new heights. In 2007, Yelchin won the coveted role of cocky, young Russian navigator, Ensign Pavel Chekov, in “Star Trek” (2008), a big screen relaunch of the venerated science-fiction series created by Gene Roddenberry.