
Biography
Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer CC (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1958's Stage Struck, and notable film performances include The Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, The Man Who Would Be King, and The Insider. In a career that spans seven decades and includes substantial roles in each of the dramatic arts, Plummer is probably best known to film audiences as the autocratic widower Captain Georg Johannes von Trapp in the hit 1965 musical film The Sound of Music alongside Julie Andrews. Plummer has also ventured into various television projects, including the legendary miniseries The Thorn Birds. In the 21st century, his film roles include The Insider as Mike Wallace, Inside Man with Denzel Washington, the Disney–Pixar 2009 film Up as Charles Muntz, the Shane Acker production 9 as '1', The Last Station as Leo Tolstoy, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus as Doctor Parnassus, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as Henrik Vanger, and Beginners as Hal. Plummer has won numerous awards and accolades for his work, including an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award, and a BAFTA Award. With his win at the age of 82 in 2012 for Beginners, Plummer is the oldest actor and person ever to win an Academy Award. On February 5, 2021, Plummer died at his home in Weston, Connecticut, aged 91, after suffering complications from a fall. His family released a statement announcing that Plummer had "died peacefully at his home in Connecticut with his wife Elaine Taylor at his side".
Awards & recognition
- John Willis Award — Lifetime Achievement · 2014
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2012
- Governor General's Performing Arts Award · 2001
- Canada's Walk of Fame · 1998
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 1997
Show all 23 awards →
- Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie · 1977
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Musical · 1974
- Companion of the Order of Canada · 1968
- Theatre World Award · 1955
- Golden Globe Awards
- Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa
- Honour in Gold — Services to the Republic of Austria
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
- Sam Wanamaker Award
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2018 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2012 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 2010 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 2007 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 2004 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 1994 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 1982 · nominated
- Tony Award — Best Actor in a Play · 1959 · nominated
Filmography50+ titles

Michael Caine: Breaking the Mold

The Tempest

Up

A Beautiful Mind

A Hazard of Hearts

Nature

Knives Out

Jesus of Nazareth

Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic

The Sound of Music

The Gospel of John

12 Monkeys

Malcolm X

The Insider

Somewhere in Time

The Man Who Would Be King

Remember

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Inside Man

International Velvet

The Last Full Measure

Dolores Claiborne

When the Circus Came to Town

Agent of Influence

The Thorn Birds

The Silent Partner

Heroes of the Golden Mask

Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster

9

The Lake House

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The Cosby Show

The Scarlet and the Black

Cliffs of Freedom

The Exception

Nicholas Nickleby

Battle of Britain

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Beginners

Madeline: Lost in Paris

An American Tail

Being Different

The Return of the Pink Panther

The Dick Cavett Show

The Night of the Generals

The Ed Sullivan Show

Danny Collins

Hector and the Search for Happiness

National Treasure

American Experience