'Star Trek' Actor Robert Walker Jr. Dies at 79: 'His True Art Was Living Fully'

Star Trek actor Robert Walker Jr. has died. He was 79.

The beloved drama series confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, “We are saddened to report the passing of Robert Walker Jr., the actor who played the titular role in Star Trek: The Original Series episode ‘Charlie X.'”

According to the show’s website, Walker’s family shared the devastating news. His cause of death is not immediately clear.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, his wife Dawn said, “Bob always beat to his own drum and stayed true to himself in all of his endeavors. Although an accomplished actor, his true art was living fully. He was a photographer, drummer, raconteur and gallery owner.”

“His love of the ocean kept him in Malibu, and he had great tales of his adventures paddling to Catalina from there,” she added. “Bob [also] had a constant interest in developing his internal martial arts practice.”

Walker is most known for his role as Charlie Evans on Star Trek: The Original Series season 1 episode 2.

In the episode titled “Charlie X,” which aired on Sept. 15, 1966, the Enterprise meets 17-year-old Evans (Walker), the sole survivor of a transport ship that crashed on the planet Thasus. Evans lived on the planet for 14 years alone. It is later revealed that Evans possesses dangerous superpowers.

D.C. Fontana, the Star Trek writer who wrote the episode and who passed away on Monday, told StarTrek.com in 2013, “I loved the work Robert Walker Jr. did… the ending I had written was retained — with Charlie being taken away where he could do no harm, but where he could never be with anyone he could ever really touch.”

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Born in in 1940 in Queens, New York, Walker is the son of actors Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones. His parents split in 1945 and his mother went on to marry legendary producer David O. Selznick.

In addition to his work on Star Trek, he appeared on several other iconic TV shows and movies, including the series Charlie’s Angels in 1979, Dallas from 1984 to 1986, Murder, She Wrote from 1987 to 1990 and the 1969 film Easy Rider.

Walker won a Golden Globe in 1964 for Most Promising Newcomer for his role in The Ceremony. He was also nominated for two Laurel awards: Top New Male Personality in 1963 and Top Male New Face in 1964.