Toronto-born actor Christopher Plummer passed away on Friday morning.
By, Federico S. Gutierrez
Actor Christopher Plummer is photographed at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (a Four Season Hotel), on Jan. 10, 2014. (Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times).
A dedicated artist, Plummer’s career spanned for over 60 years, gracing both the stage and the silver screen with his presence. Born in Toronto, Plummer moved to Montreal at an early age where he attended high school. Plummer made his stage debut in 1948 with the play Cymbeline at the Canadian Repertoire Theatre in Ottawa, followed soon after by a CBC television production of Othello.
He moved to New York in the early 1950s, where he rapidly began to pick up work for television on shows such as Hallmark Hall of Fame, Producer’s Showcase, Appointment with Adventure, among many others. In 1954, Plummer made his breakthrough debut for Broadway in the stage-play, The Starcross Story.
Christopher Plummer plays Capt. von Trapp in The Sound of Music 1965 (20th Century Fox.)
Plummer’s debut on the big screen came in 1958, under the direction of the great Sidney Lumet in Stage Struck. The Canadian actor truly catapulted into stardom with the 1965 film adaptation of The Sound of Music, in which Plummer plays Captain von Trapp.
Despite the huge splash, The Sound of Music created with its academy Award for Best Picture in 1966 and top-grossing film title for the year, Plummer has been very outspoken about his dislike for the film.
“This is sort of a fairy story brought to life,” said Plummer for an interview with Vanity Fair. “In a world that is so horrific—we know what’s going on now, it’s inconceivable—it’s the last bastion of innocence in a very cynical time.” Plummer grew so discontent with the final product that he would usually refer to the film as The Sound of Mucus whenever he was asked about it during interviews.
Nevertheless, the film inspired Plummer to change his approach when choosing characters to play; he became interested in portraying characters with many shades of grey, whose actions and motivations weren’t easy to classify as “good or bad.”He opted to play powerful characters in extreme situations.
Though he continued to play characters for the big screen, including his brief yet invigorating performance as Rudyard Kipling opposite Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and as Sherlock Holmes in Murder by Degree (1980), most of Plummer’s career during the following decades were dedicated to his work in theatre. Plummer returned to Broadway in 1982 when he starred as Iago in a version of Othello, a performance which New York Times critic Walter Kerr called “quite possibly the best single Shakespearean performance to have originated on this continent in our time.” He won his first Tony Award in 1974 for the musical Cyrano, and a second one in 1996 for his one-man show, Barrymore.
Alongside his theatre success, Plummer continued to deliver notorious performances in smaller film roles. It wasn’t until 1999 that Plummer regained the attention of Hollywood producers after he played opposite Al Pacino in the conspiracy thriller, The Insider. After Pacino suggested that director Michael Mann watch Plummer’s debut Stage Struck, Plummer became the only choice to play the antagonistic Mike Wallace in The Insider without having to audition for the role. To the disappointment of many, Plummer did not receive a nomination for his role. However his performance pushed the film to earn a Best Picture nomination, a feat he would repeat in 2001 in A Beautiful Mind, this time successfully helping the film win the Best Picture Academy Award.
Christopher Plummer plays J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World “All the Money in the World.” (Giles Keyte/Sony Pictures/Associated Press)
Going unrecognized by the Academy for his solo performances for many decades, Plummer’s overdue first nomination arrived in 2010 for his performance as Russian novelist Leo Toltsoy in the film The Last Station. In 2012 Plummer returned to the Academy ceremony as a nominee in the film Beginners; this time Plummer went home with the accoladed golden statue under his arm. At 82 years old, Plummer became and, to this day, remains the oldest actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Christopher Plummer wins Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2012 (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times).
The last few years of Plummer’s career will forever be remembered for his role as the real-life oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in the film All the Money in the World. With Kevin Spacey originally set to star, he was immediately fired and disposed of his role after news of his sexual misconduct broke out. Plummer was promptly hired to take over and, with only one month to the premiere of the film, he delivered an electrifying performance as the billionaire who refused to spare a cent to rescue his kidnapped grandson. The role landed Plummer his third and last Academy Award nomination.
“Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old-fashioned manners, self-deprecating humor and the music of words,” said Lou Pitt, Plummer’s manager and longtime friend. “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.”
Christopher Plummer died peacefully in his Connecticut home. His legacy has left us with an array of colourful performances loaded with Plummer’s majestic presence.
Oscar acceptance speech