Christopher Plummer, the dazzlingly versatile Canadian actor whose screen career straddled seven decades, including such high-profile films as The Sound of Music, The Man Who Would Be King and All the Money in the World, has died aged 91.
His family confirmed the news, saying he died peacefully at home in Connecticut with his wife of 53 years, Elaine Taylor, by his side.
Lou Pitt, his longtime friend and manager of 46 years said:
“Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self deprecating humour and the music of words. He was a national treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will forever be with us.”
Plummer’s first film appearance was in 1958’s Stage Struck, a backstage drama in which he plays a writer in love with Susan Strasberg’s ingenue. His biggest hit, and arguably best-known role, was as singing anti-Nazi Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music in 1965. More recently, in 2017, he stepped in at short notice to replace Kevin Spacey in the Ridley Scott-directed All the Money in the World, after Spacey was accused of sexual misconduct. Scott praised Plummer at the time, telling the Guardian that “[he’s] got this enormous charm whether he’s doing King Lear or The Sound of Music”. Scott added: “This guy’s a real colouring book, he can do anything.”
Born Arthur Plummer in Toronto in 1929, the great-grandson of John Abbott, Canada’s third prime minister, and grew up in Quebec speaking English and French fluently. After leaving school he joined the Montreal Repertory Theatre, and after a short spell on Broadway achieved his first leading role as Hal in Henry V at the 1956 Stratford festival in Ontario. More stage roles followed, in both Stratford and on Broadway, including his first Tony nomination in 1959 for best actor in Archibald MacLeish’s JB, which was directed by Elia Kazan. He also secured roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK, playing Benedick in the 1961 production of Much Ado About Nothing (opposite Geraldine McEwan) and the title role of Richard III in the same year.
Incredible actor, one of Canada's best. Was so good right up until the end, too.
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Order of Canada winner, unbelivable list of roles. From working in the old hammer movies to the Sound of Music to Star Trek to movies like Knives out.
He was a giant in Canadian theatre as well.
People forget that Plummer played Chang twice, once in the excellent Star Trek VI and once in the video game Klingon Academy. He leave a huge hole in Canadian drama.
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A couple of later career recommendations worth seeking out if you haven't already -
Beginners (2010) - a comedic drama where Plummer plays a 75 year old who comes out as gay after his wife has died. Ewan McGregor plays his son dealing with the news.
Remember (2015) - Atom Egoyan film where Plummer, a Holocaust survivor living in a retirement home with dementia, is presented with info on the Nazi who killed his family and is now living in America under an assumed identity. Plummer's character decides to travel across the country to kill him.
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RIP. Interesting seeing many press releases calling him a "Sound of Music" actor, while I found that role to be completely forgettable compared to many other performances in his epic filmography.
Most recently I loved Plummer in All the Money in the World and Knives Out. The former is even more impressive when you consider he shot all his scenes in 8 days at age 88.
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This is a pretty anti-climactic, but on our cross Canada trip in 2015 we stopped at the Holiday Inn in Sault St Marie and apparently Plummer had just been there filming “Remember” and he had a signed picture hanging up in the lobby thanking the staff. I thought it was nice gesture. I remember that because it was the most interesting thing I had seen between Calgary and there. The end.
RIP Christopher Plummer (1929-2021)
