Arthur Christopher Orme Plumme...
Sign | Sagittarius |
Born | Dec 13, 1929 Toronto, Canada |
Died | Feb 5, 2021 Weston, CT |
Age | Died at 91 |
Christopher Plummer | |
Job | Actor |
Top Roles | Squadron Leader Colin Harvey, Field Marshal Rommel, Commodus, Joe Sheridan, Eddie Chapman |
Top Genres | Drama, Action, Romance, Thriller/Suspense, War, Adventure |
Top Topics | Period Piece, World War II, Aviation |
Top Collaborators | Trevor Howard, Robert Shaw, Donald Pleasence, Susannah York |
Shares birthday with | Van Heflin, Larry Parks, Robert Coogan see more.. |
Christopher Plummer Overview:
Actor, Christopher Plummer, was born Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer on Dec 13, 1929 in Toronto, Canada. Plummer appeared in over 190 film and TV roles. His best known films include The Fall of the Roman Empire , Inside Daisy Clover , A Beautiful Mind, Up -- and most famously The Sound of Music as Captain Von Trapp. Plummer died at the age of 91 on Feb 5, 2021 in Weston, CT .
EARLY YEARS:
With a career that spans over six decades, Christopher Plummer is one of the most important actors of our time. Plummer was born on December 13, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario to Isabella Mary and John Orme Plummer. Through his mother, Plummer is a great-grandson of the third Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John Abbott. Before developing a love for acting, Plummer had been studying to be a concert pianist. But after watching Laurence Olivier's film Henry V (1944), Plummer began to develop a love for the theater and began to act in high school.
THEATER:
Before going into film, Plummer made his name known on the stage, gaining experience travelling with the Canadian Repertory Theatre from 1948-1950, appearing in 75 roles. Beginning in 1952, he began acting in the Bermuda Repertory Theater. Plummer made his Broadway debut in 1953 with the play The Starcross Story. Unfortunately for him, it was a flop and closed after one night. Plummer would go on to appear in 15 other Broadway plays, the highlight being Elia Kazan's production of Archibald Macleish's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, J.B. Plummer would go on to be nominated for his first Tony Award as Best Actor in Play.
THE SILVER SCREEN:
1958 marked the year where Plummer first appeared on the big screen, playing a young writer, in Sidney Lumet's film Stage Struck. During that year, he also appeared in Nicholas Ray's Wind Across the Everglades as Walt Murdock, which would be Plummer's first leading role. After this, he did not appear in film again for six years until Anthony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire, in which Plummer played the Emperor Commodus.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC:
With his next film, Plummer became a household name -- as he would star as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.
It's important to note that Plummer's first preference would always be the theater. In an interview with NPR, Plummer says, ÃÂÃÂYou see, I loved the theater and I stayed in the theater most of my life and I was a bit snobbish about it. I made a lot of movies through the '60s and '70s which were pretty awful, but then most of the movies in the '60s and early '70s were pretty awful. The quality wasn't always there, unfortunately, but the money was. And I was grateful for that because I could afford to then do what I wanted to do in the theater.ÃÂÃÂ
While he may have not enjoyed The Sound of Music (often referring to it as The Sound of Mucus), Plummer does say that he is grateful for the film ÃÂÃÂbecause it certainly was famous and put me in the public eye and I could help fill a theater when I was doing the great works.ÃÂÃÂ
RECENT YEARS:
Plummer not only appeals to those who knew him as Captain Von Trapp, but he has also become popular with younger audiences as well. His rise to fame to ÃÂÃÂus younglings' began with his appearance in Michael Mann's Oscar-nominated film The Insider in 1999. Many predicted that Plummer would be nominated for an Oscar, but unfortunately he wasn't. Plummer would go on to appear in Ron Howard's Academy Award-winning film A Beautiful Mind in 2001 as Dr. Rosen. In the Best Animated Film of 2009, Up, Plummer voiced the role of villain Charles Muntz, which he describes as ÃÂÃÂan absolutely marvelous movie.ÃÂÃÂ In the same year, he appeared in Shane Acker's animated film 9, Terry Gilliam's marvelous fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (playing the lead role of Doctor Parnassus), and Michael Hoffman's The Last Station. The Last Station provided Plummer with his very first Oscar Nomination for his portrayal of Leo Tolstoy. He would go on to lose the Best Supporting Actor award to Christoph Waltz for his role as Colonel Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds.
At the ripe, young age of 82, Christopher Plummer has become the oldest actor to ever win an Academy Award for his supporting performance in the film Beginners (as of 2012). It was the 84th edition of the Oscars ceremony, which prompted Plummer to say to the award, ÃÂÃÂYou're only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?ÃÂÃÂ Plummer would go on to win numerous other awards for Best Supporting Actor as well, such as the Golden Globe award, BAFTA award, and numerous Critics awards.
(Source: article by Josh Kaye for Classic Movie Hub).HONORS and AWARDS:
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Christopher Plummer was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners (as Hal) in 2011.
Academy Awards
Year | Award | Film name | Role | Result |
2009 | Best Supporting Actor | The Last Station (2009) | Tolstoy | Nominated |
2011 | Best Supporting Actor | Beginners (2010) | Hal | Won |
Plummer was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame and Theater Hall of Fame .
BlogHub Articles:
Streaming Diary: Buster Keaton, and More Stream Free Via The National Film Board of Canada
By KC on Mar 21, 2018 From Classic MoviesThe National Film Board of Canada is a wondrous organization, giving opportunities to innovative, talented filmmakers and preserving decades of fascinating work. Many of the films supported by the group are available to stream on its official website, several for free (some limited to residents of C... Read full article
on Franchot Tone
By Franchot Tone Fan on Apr 24, 2016 From Finding Franchot: Exploring the Life and Career of Franchot ToneFranchot & Christopher in the Alcoa production of Even the Weariest River, 1956.Source: www.fantasfilm.org Not too many years ago, published his autobiography, In Spite of Myself. I greatly admire Mr. Plummer, so much so that I wrote him a letter gushing to him just how much... Read full article
Hollywood?s Greatest: Then and Now ? Part 3
By Josh Kaye on Mar 10, 2012 From Classic Movie Hub BlogWhere Is He Now? Plummer seems to be becoming more famous now than he ever has been before, not just appealing to those who knew him as Captain Von Trapp, but becoming popular to a younger audience as well. His rise to fame to us younglings began with his appearance in Michael Mann’s Oscar-nom... Read full article
Hollywood’s Greatest: Then and Now – Part 2
By Josh Kaye on Mar 8, 2012 From Classic Movie Hub BlogWith a career that spans seven decades, is one of the most important actors of our time. Plummer was born on December 13, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario to Isabella Mary and John Orme Plummer. Through his mother, Plummer is a great-grandson of the third Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Jo... Read full article
Hollywood’s Greatest: Then and Now –
By Josh Kaye on Mar 5, 2012 From Classic Movie Hub BlogAfter paying tribute to some of the greatest award-winning films to ever hit the big screen, it’s only fair to pay tribute to some of the greatest Classic Movie actors and actresses who are still living and working today. These living legends will forever be idolized by today?s upcoming actors... Read full article
See all articles
Christopher Plummer Quotes:
Captain von Trapp: Berlin. They've offered me a commission. I've been requested to accept immediately and report to their naval base at Bremerhaven tomorrow.
Maria: I knew this would happen. I didn't think it would be so soon.
Captain von Trapp: To refuse them would be fatal for all of us. And joining them would be unthinkable.
Liesl: [singing with the children at the Villa] So long, farewell, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen! I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne. Yes?
Captain von Trapp: No!
Captain von Trapp: The first rule of this household is discipline.
read more quotes from Christopher Plummer...