Christopher Plummer Biography

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER

Date of Birth: December 13, 1929

Born in Toronto, Christopher Plummer went on to a stage and film career in Canada, the U.S. and overseas. One of his finer roles, shot in his hometown was 1978's The Silent Partner, in which he co-starred with Elliot Gould. But of course, the role Plummer will always be most fondly remembered for will be as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965), although it was only his fourth film. Since then, he has appeared in over 75 films, as well as countless TV movies and mini-series.

As for Plummer's take on his profession, he says, "I'm bored with questions about acting. There's more to life than acting. Talking about acting is murder for the artist. Most actors I know are sophisticated, charming, informed people who, contrary to popular opinion, know a good deal about other things. You don't have to sweat about it."

Much decorated for his acting work, Plummer has been nominated four times for a Genie award, winning once for Murder by Decree (1979); was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2001 for his performance in the TV movie American Tragedy (2000) and again in 2009 for his work in The Last Station (2009); and as supporting Actor in The Insider (1999) he won awards from the National Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Boston Society of Film Critics. He has also won two Emmy awards: in 1977 for the mini-series Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers and in 1994 for his voiceover performance in Madeline. In 1968, Plummer was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada and in 1997 was awarded The Edwin Booth Lifetime Achievement Award. In December 2002 he reunited with Julie Andrews to tour North American cities with a "Royal Christmas" show. At the age of 80, Plummer received his first Academy Award nomination, for his work in The Last Station (2009). Although he didn't win, in 2012 he received his first Academy Award and first Golden Globe for his supporting role in Beginners. He also starred in Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014), Danny Collins (2015) and Remember (2015).

Later films include The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), The River of My Dreams: A Portrait of Gordon Pinsent (2017) and The Star (2017). When he replaced Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World in 2017, Christopher received his third Academy Award nomination (which made him the oldest acting Oscar nominee ever at 88), as well as his fourth Golden Globe nomination. He also played a starring role alongside Vera Farmiga in the road trip movie, Boundaries (2018).

Plummer died in Connecticut on February 5, 2021 following a fall that resulted in a blow to the head, according to his third wife, Elaine Taylor. He had just completed work on the second season of the TV series Departure. Married three times and divorced twice, he leaves behind a daughter, award-winning actress Amanda Plummer with first wife, actress Tammy Grimes.

Filmography:

Boundaries (2018)
All the Money in the World (2017)
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
The River of My Dreams: A Portrait of Gordon Pinsent (2017)
The Star (2017)
The Exception (2016)
Danny Collins (2015)
Remember (2015)
The Forger (2014)
Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)
Elsa & Fred (2014)
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (2013)
The Legend of Sarila (2013)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Barrymore (2011)
Priest (2011)
Beginners (2010)
The Last Station (2009)
9 (2009)
Up (2009)
My Dog Tulip (2009)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Caesar and Cleopatra (2009)
Closing the Ring (2007)
Already Dead (2007)
Emotional Arithmetic (2007)
Man in the Chair (2007)
Inside Man (2006)
The Lake House (2006)
The New World (2005)
Syriana (2005)
Heidi (2005)
Must Love Dogs (2005)
Alexander (2004)
National Treasure (2004)
Blizzard (2003)
The Visual Bible The Gospel of John (2003)
Cold Creek Manor (2003)
Blizzard (2002)
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
Ararat (2002)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Lucky Break (2001)
Dracula 2000 (2000)
The Dinosaur Hunter (2000)
The Insider (1999)
Madeline: Lost in Paris (1999)
Hidden Agenda (1999)
The Clown at Midnight (1999)
Blackheart (1998)
The First Christmas (1998)
Babes in Toyland (1997)
12 Monkeys (1995)
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
Crackerjack (1994)
Wolf (1994)
Impolite (1992)
Malcolm X (1992)
Liar’s Edge (1992)
Rock-A-Doodle (1991) (voix)
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Money (1991)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Firehead (1991)
Red Blooded American Girl (1990)
Where the Heart Is (1990)
Mindfield (1989)
Souvenir (1989)
Kingsgate (1989)
Shadow Dancing (1988)
Nosferatu a Venezia (1988)
Light Years (1988)
Dragnet (1987)
I Love N.Y. (1987)
The Gnomes’ Great Adventure (1987)
An American Tail (1986) (voix)
The Boss’ Wife (1986)
The Boy in Blue (1986)
Ordeal by Innocence (1985)
Lily in Love (1984)
Dreamscape (1984)
Highpoint (1982)
The Amateur (1981)
Eyewitness (1981)
Somewhere in Time (1980)
Hanover Street (1979)
Murder by Decree (1979)
Starcrash (1978)
International Velvet (1978)
The Silent Partner (1978)
Uppdraget (1977)
The Disappearance (1977)
Aces High (1976)
Conduct Unbecoming (1975)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Sarajevski atentat (1975)
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Spiral Staircase (1975)
The Pyx (1973)
Waterloo (1970)
Battle of Britain (1969)
Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969)
Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969)
Nobody Runs Forever (1968)
Oedipus the King (1968)
The High Commissioner (1968)
The Night of the Generals (1967)
Triple Cross (1966)
Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
The Sound of Music (1965)
The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)
Wind Across the Everglades (1958)
Stage Struck (1958)