Plummer, Christopher (Arthur
Christopher Orme), 1929-2021, Canadian-American actor,
b. Toronto, Canada. Raised by his mother, Plummer first aspired to be a
pianist, but then turned to acting, joining the Montreal Repertory Theater
when he was 16. After performing in regional theater and on Canadian radio,
he made his Broadway debut in 1954 followed by his film debut in 1958. He
became associated in the ‘60s with a group of rebellious British
actors, including Richard Burton
and Peter O'Toole,
who became as famous for their partying and drinking as they were for their
performances. His breakthrough role was as Georg von Trapp in The
Sound of Music (1965), a performance that he sought to distance
himself from because of the film’s saccharine tone. He was known for
his serious stage roles, often in Shakespeare’s works, notably for
his Broadway performances as Iago with James Earl Jones as
Othello (1982), and the title role of King Lear
in 2004. Plummer won a Tony award for portraying the lead role in
the musical Cyrano (1973). He made numerous appearances in major Hollywood
films; his performance in the film Beginners (2012) as a
man who, late in life, comes out as gay earned him an Academy Award at age
82, the oldest person to date to win for Best Actor. He was married three
times, including to actress Tammy Grimes; their daughter, Amanda Plumber, is
also an actress.
See his autobiography (2008).
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