Anton Yelchin Honored by Star Trek Co-Stars, Friends and Family at Statue Unveiling

Late actor was remembered by friends, family and stars who were close to him

By Meg Swertlow Oct 09, 2017 3:09 AMTags
Anton YelchinPascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

It was a day to celebrate the too-short life of Anton Yelchin

Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Lawrence, J.J. Abrams, Simon Pegg, Demi Moore, Rumer Willis and more famous faces joined Yelchin's mother, famed Russian figure skater Irina Yelchin, and others at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles to honor the actor, who died in June 2016 at the age of 27 after being pinned by his own car outside his home in Studio City, Calif.

The memorial included readings, remarks by friends and family, as well as the unveiling of a statue made in the actor's likeness, which was created by sculptor Nick Marra and FX artist Greg Nicotero.

The statue is located in the Garden of Legends at the cemetery, near late singer Chris Cornell's memorial.

Previously, Yelchin's family held a private funeral in June 2016.

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During the emotional event, Saldana, the actor's co-star in the Star Trek franchise, spoke to the crowd, reports People.

According to the outlet, the actress, who is a mother of twins, read a passage from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

She then said, "Ever since I read that chapter about friendship, that is the one thing I always try to seek in people, and when I find human beings who truly understand the meaning of friendship, I’m moved and inspired."

Director Fred Parnes also gave a speech about his deep sadness over the loss of the actor, but said that today he was choosing to celebrate the star's life.

Yelchin’s mother also delivered a speech and spoke about the Anton Yelchin Foundation, a foundation created in memory of him, which helps young artists "who face career challenges due to debilitating disease or disability."

Irina reportedly said, "We want to keep Anton’s spirit, his legacy, alive for many, many years to come."

"After Anton left, there are only a couple of things left to do. A foundation, photography book and sculpture. We accomplish two by today. The Anton Yelchin Foundation and the statue at Hollywood Forever, so he would be surrounded by the people he admired and to be in the middle of the city that he loved so much," she said.