We’ve just lost a true Hollywood icon as legendary actorChristopher Plummerhas sadly passed away. The actor’s family has confirmed that Plummer died peacefully at his home in Connecticut with his wife and best friend for 53 years, Elaine Taylor, by his side. An exact cause of death wasn’t revealed. Plummer was 91 years old.
“Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self deprecating humor and the music of words,” said Lout Pitt, Plummer’s manager of 46 years, said in a statement. “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.”
Born in Toronto in 1929, Plummer’s career in entertainment spans 75 years. He started acting while attending the High School of Montreal and studied the craft as an apprentice with the Montreal Repertory Theatre. By the mid-1940s, he was performing regularly on stage, which includes a prominent role in Jean Cocteau’sLa Machine infernaleat the age of 18. He would make his Broadway debut in 1953 in the showThe Starcross Story.
Plummer also started to appear on television and in movies in the 1950s. He made his movie debut in the 1958 movieStage Struckand would go on to play dozens of other major movie roles in the coming years. Plummer is particularly known for playing historical figures in different projects, such as Commodus inThe Fall of the Roman Empire, Mike Wallace inThe Insider, Kaiser Wilhelm II inThe Exception, andfamously replacing Kevin SpaceyasJ. Paul GettyinAll the Money in the World.
One of Plummer’s most celebrated roles came in 1965 when he played Captain Von Trapp musicalThe Sound of Music, starring opposite Julie Andrews. Though he enjoyed working with Andrews, Plummer was not very fond of his role inThe Sound of Musicfor many years, but after decades of distancing himself from the role, Plummer reunited with the full cast onThe Oprah Winfrey Showin 2010.
An accomplished actor, Plummer’s many awards include a Best Supporting Actor Oscar forBeginners, two Primetime Emmy Awards forArthur Hailey’s the MoneychangersandMadeline, and Tony Awards forCyranoandBarrymore. Plummer has also appeared in movies likeMalcolm X,A Beautiful Mind, andThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. More recently, he was featured in Rian Johnson’s 2019 movieKnives Outas part of a large ensemble cast. We last saw the actor last year when he appeared as a video clue presenter for theJeopardy! The Greatest of All Timetournament.
Our thoughts go out to Plummer’s wife, Elaine, along with the rest of his family and friends at this time. As one of the all-time greatest actors we’ve ever seen in Hollywood, it’s certain that Plummer will always be remembered. May herest in peace. This news comes to us fromDeadline.
