Gallery: Anton Yelchin Through The Years, In Honor Of His 23rd Birthday

Ah, the medical drama, where every young aspiring actor ends up. Here, he's a cutie who's lost his parents in a car crash.

It's weird, I clearly remember Anthony Hopkins from this film, but not the little boy with whom he has a startling connection. As it turns out, that was Anton.

There were so many actors who would go on to be famous crammed into this miniseries about multiple generations of a family affected by alien abductions, that most people just got a few minutes of screen-time. But let's consider it practice for his role in Star Trek.

Critics were so wrapped up in praising boy bander Justin Timberlake for his unexpectedly good movie debut that no one really noticed young Anton.

I still haven't seen this movie, but I remember the trailers and its quirky, smart, smug tone—very much resembling its protagonist, actually. Anton's title character brought to mind a more inventive Ferris Bueller, who found ways to manipulate his school life to his advantage instead of just playing hooky.

Anton starred in this charming short about a young man who takes his deli guy's daughter (Olivia Thirlby) to the prom. And here's a surprise: I just learned that Brett Ratner directed this segment! I guess the guy does have a heart.

In the original series, the character of Chekov was meant to draw in younger audiences; and people were certainly impressed with Anton taking on the role in J.J. Abrams' reboot. He'll be reprising the role in the untitled sequel.

Two big movies in one summer: Here, Anton plays a teenage Kyle Reese, who ironically is inspired to join the fight against Skynet by his future son John Connor, played by Christian Bale.

And here's the movie that cemented Anton's status as a romantic lead. I confess that I still haven't seen it; but I'm not going to look up the plot/spoilers on Wikipedia for you, that's how much I want to enjoy this one without any outside influence.

And yet, I'd recommend that you check out The Beaver for Anton's incredibly nuanced performance. A lot of people want to boycott it for Mel Gibson, but you shouldn't let that principle deprive you of Anton playing his son, a depressed kid terrified of turning out like his crazy father. Plus, this marks his second on-screen romance with The Hunger Games' Jennifer Lawrence.

This is still my favorite of Anton's roles, because it lets him do everything: Wisecrack, try to save the girl, get the shit beat out of him, and be utterly terrified in the face of ancient evil.