Christopher Plummer
Born
December 13, 1929
Died
February 5, 2021 (91 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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".
Kalahari: The Flooded Desert
Narrator (voice)
2021
Priest
Monsignor Orelas
2011
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Doctor Parnassus
2009
The Last Station
Leo Tolstoy
2009
9
#1 (voice)
2009
Up
Charles F. Muntz (voice)
2009
Emotional Arithmetic
David Winters
2008
Already Dead
Dr. Heller
2007
Closing the Ring
Jack
2007
Man in the Chair
Flash Madden
2007
The Lake House
Simon Wyler
2006
Inside Man
Arthur Case
2006
The New World
Captain Newport
2005
Syriana
Dean Whiting
2005
Must Love Dogs
Bill
2005
Our Fathers
Cardinal Bernard Law
2005
Alexander
Aristotle
2004
National Treasure
John Adams Gates
2004
Cold Creek Manor
Mr. Massie
2003
The Gospel of John
Narrator (voice)
2003
Nicholas Nickleby
Ralph Nickleby
2002
Ararat
David
2002
A Beautiful Mind
Dr. Rosen
2001
Lucky Break
Graham Mortimer
2001
Dracula 2000
Matthew Van Helsing
2000
The Insider
Mike Wallace
1999
The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of 'Twelve Monkeys'
Self
1996
Twelve Monkeys
Dr. Goines
1995
Harrison Bergeron
John Klaxon
1995
Dolores Claiborne
John Mackey
1995
Wolf
Raymond Alden
1994
Malcolm X
Chaplain Gill
1992
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
General Chang
1991
Firehead
Col. Garland Vaughn
1991
Where the Heart Is
Shitty
1990
Madeline
Narrator (voice)
1988
Nosferatu in Venice
Professor Paris Catalano
1988
Dragnet
Reverend Jonathan Whirley
1987
An American Tail
Henri (voice)
1986
Dreamscape
Bob Blair
1984
The Scarlet and the Black
Col. Herbert Kappler
1983
The Amateur
Professor Lakos
1981
Eyewitness
Joseph
1981
Somewhere in Time
William Fawcett Robinson
1980
Hanover Street
Paul Sellinger
1979
Murder by Decree
Sherlock Holmes
1979
Starcrash
The Emperor
1978
The Silent Partner
Reikle
1978
International Velvet
John Seaton
1978
Aces High
Capt. 'Uncle' Sinclair
1976
The Man Who Would Be King
Rudyard Kipling
1975
The Return of the Pink Panther
Sir Charles Litton
1975
Waterloo
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
1970
Battle of Britain
Squadron Leader Colin Harvey
1969
Triple Cross
Freddie Chapman
1966
Madeline at the Ballet
Narrator (voice)
Heroes of the Golden Mask
Rizzo (voice)
2023
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
Self
2022
Mooseltoe
Mooseking
2021
The Last Full Measure
Frank Pitsenbarger
2020
Knives Out
Harlan Thrombey
2019
Cliffs of Freedom
Thanasi
2019
Howard Lovecraft & The Kingdom Of Madness
Dr. Jeffrey West (voice)
2018
Boundaries
Jack Jaconi
2018
All the Money in the World
Jean Paul Getty
2017
The Star
King Herod (voice)
2017
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Scrooge
2017
Howard Lovecraft & the Undersea Kingdom
Dr. West (voice)
2017
The Exception
Kaiser Wilhelm II
2017
The River of My Dreams
Himself
2017
Howard Lovecraft & the Frozen Kingdom
Dr. West (voice)
2016
Remember
Zev Guttman
2015
Pixies
Pixie King (voice)
2015
Danny Collins
Frank Grubman
2015
The Untold Story of The Sound of Music: A Diane Sawyer Special
Self
2015
The Captains: Still Kicking
Himself
2013
Kali, the Little Vampire
Narrator (english version)
2012
Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar
2009
Nuremberg: The Nazis Facing their Crimes
Self - Narrator
2006
The Life Of Jesus
Narrator
2003
Blizzard
Santa Claus
2003
Night Flight
'Flash' Harry Peters
2002
Full Disclosure
Robert Lecker
2001
On Golden Pond
Norman Thayer
2001
The Clown at Midnight
Mr. Caruthers
1998
Blackheart
Holmes
1998
The First Christmas
Narrator (voice)
1998
Babes in Toyland
Barnaby Crookedman (voice)
1997
The Conspiracy of Fear
Wakeman
1996
Michael Caine: Breaking the Mold
Self (archive footage)
1994
A Stranger in the Mirror
Clifton Lawrence
1993
Rock-A-Doodle
Grand Duke (voice)
1991
The Little Crooked Christmas Tree
Narrator
1990
Red Blooded American Girl
Dr. John Alcore
1990
Nabokov on Kafka
Vladimir Nabokov
1989
Souvenir
Ernst Kestner
1989
The First Emperor of China
Self - Narrator (voice)
1989
Shadow Dancing
Edmund Beaumont
1988
Spearfield's Daughter
Lord Jack Cruze
1986
The Tin Soldier
Narrator (voice)
1986
Rumpelstiltskin
Narrator
1985
The Velveteen Rabbit
Narrator (voice)
1985
Highpoint
James Hatcher
1982
Being Different
Self (Narrator) (voice)
1981
Dial M for Murder
Tony Wendice
1981
Desperate Voyage
Jacques Burrifous
1980
The Shadow Box
Brian
1980
The Day That Shook the World
Archduke Ferdinand
1975
TED ALLAN: MINSTREL BOY OF THE 20TH CENTURY
Narrator
Bondarchuk. Battle
self
2021
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
Self
2021
Alan Pakula: Going for Truth
Self
2019
Departure
Howard Lawson · (9 episodes)
2019
The Forger
Joseph Cutter
2014
Hector and the Search for Happiness
Professor Coreman
2014
Elsa & Fred
Fred
2014
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
John Marshall Harlan
2013
The Legend of Sarila
Croolik (voice)
2013
Titans of the Ice Age
Narrator
2013
Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim
Self
2012
Barrymore
John Barrymore
2012
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Hard Copy
2012
Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen
(archive footage)
2012
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Henrik Vanger
2011
Discovering Hamlet
Self
2011
Beginners
Hal Fields
2011
The Tempest
Prospero
2010
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Narrator · (7 episodes)
2010
Madeline's Christmas
Narrator (voice)
2010
My Dog Tulip
J.R. Ackerley (voice)
2010
The Summit
P.J. Aimes · (2 episodes)
2008
Hamlet {Solo}
Self
2007
Eugene O’Neill: A Documentary Film
Self
2006
Four Minutes
Archie Mason
2005
Miracle Planet
Himself - Host · (5 episodes)
2005
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
Self
2002
Agent of Influence
John Watkins
2002
American Tragedy
F. Lee Bailey
2000
Back To "Somewhere In Time"
Self
2000
Possessed
Archbishop Hume
2000
The Dinosaur Hunter
Hump Hinton
2000
Nuremberg
Sir David Maxwell Fyfe · (2 episodes)
2000
Hidden Agenda
Ulrich Steiner
1999
Madeline: Lost in Paris
Narrator (voice)
1999
Winchell
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1998
Skeletons
Reverend Carlyle
1997
The Arrow
George Hees
1997
The Arrow
George Hees · (2 episodes)
1997
Crackerjack
Ivan Getz
1994
Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic
Narrator
1993
Impolite
Naples O'Rorke
1992
Secrets
Mel Wexler
1992
Liar's Edge
Harry Weldon
1992
Madeline in London
Narrator (voice)
1991
Madeline and the Gypsies
Narrator (voice)
1991
Money
Martin Yahl
1991
Madeline and the Bad Hat
Narrator (voice)
1991
Young Catherine
Sir Charles · (2 episodes)
1991
Berlin Lady
Wilhelm Speer · (1 episode)
1991
Counterstrike
Alexander Addington · (66 episodes)
1990
A Ghost in Monte Carlo
The Grand Duke Ivan
1990
Mindfield
Doctor Satorius
1989
American Experience
Narrator · (1 episode)
1988
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
Narrator (voice)
1988
Madeline
Narrator (voice) · (39 episodes)
1988
A Hazard of Hearts
Sir Giles Staverley
1987
I Love N.Y.
John Robertson Yeats
1987
The Nightingale
Narrator (voice)
1987
Crossings
Armand DeVilliers · (3 episodes)
1986
The Boy in Blue
Knox
1986
The Boss' Wife
Mr. Roalvang
1986
Lily in Love
Fitzroy Wynn / Roberto Terranova
1984
The Cosby Show
Jonathan Lawrence · (1 episode)
1984
Ordeal by Innocence
Leo Argyle
1984
Prototype
Dr. Carl Forrester
1983
SuperTed
(12 episodes)
1983
The Thorn Birds
Archbishop Vittorio Contini-Verchese · (4 episodes)
1983
Little Gloria... Happy at Last
Reggie Vanderbilt · (2 episodes)
1982
Nature
Narrator (voice) · (2 episodes)
1982
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
When the Circus Came to Town
Duke Royal
1981
The Disappearance
Deverell
1977
The Assignment
Kaptain Behounek
1977
Jesus of Nazareth
Herod Antipas · (4 episodes)
1977
Silver Blaze
Sherlock Holmes
1977
Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers
Roscoe Heyward · (4 episodes)
1976
Conduct Unbecoming
Maggiore Alastair Wimbourne
1975
The Spiral Staircase
Dr. Sherman
1975
The Happy Prince
The Happy Prince (voice)
1974
After the Fall
Quentin
1974
The Pyx
Dt. Sgt. Jim Henderson
1973
The Royal Hunt of the Sun
Atahualpa
1969
Lock Up Your Daughters
Lord Foppington
1969
Nobody Runs Forever
Sir James Quentin
1968
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1968
Oedipus the King
Oedipus
1968
Omnibus
Narrator · (1 episode)
1967
The Night of the Generals
Field Marshal Rommel
1967
Inside Daisy Clover
Raymond Swan
1965
BBC Play of the Month
Don Juan · (1 episode)
1965
The Sound of Music
Captain Georg von Trapp
1965
Salzburg Sight and Sound
Self
1965
Hamlet at Elsinore
Hamlet
1964
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Commodus
1964
Trans-Canada Journey
Narrator (voice)
1963
30 Minutes, Mister Plummer
Himself
1963
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (1 episode)
1961
Captain Brassbound's Conversion
Captain Brassbound
1960
A Doll's House
Torvald
1959
NBC Sunday Showcase
(1 episode)
1959
Johnny Belinda
Dr. Jack Pelletier
1958
Wind Across the Everglades
Walt Murdock
1958
Stage Struck
Joe Sheridan
1958
Little Moon of Alban
Kenneth Boyd
1958
DuPont Show of the Month
Sir Miles Hendon · (1 episode)
1957
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee · (2 episodes)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter · (3 episodes)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Winner · (2 episodes)
1956
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee/Presenter · (1 episode)
1956
Kraft Television Theatre
(1 episode)
1953
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953
General Electric Theater
Walter Shelley · (1 episode)
1953
Omnibus
(2 episodes)
1952
Omnibus
Oedipus · (1 episode)
1952
Omnibus
Thomas Mendip · (1 episode)
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Dr. Jack Pelletier · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Torvald Helmer · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Captain Brassbound · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Prince Albert · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Cyrano de Bergerac · (1 episode)
1951
Suspense
(2 episodes)
1949
Studio One
Dick · (1 episode)
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Winner · (1 episode)
1944
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee · (1 episode)
1944