RUSSELL CROWE and Dame Julie Andrews have led the tributes to Christopher Plummer, following the Oscar-winning actor’s sad passing aged 91.
Plummer enjoyed a stellar career on the stage and screen spanning more than seven decades.
While he was primarily known for playing Captain von Trapp in the iconic 1965 musical The Sound of Music, Plummer garnered similar acclaim for films like The Man Who Would Be King and, more recently, Knives Out.
He also made history in 2010 as the oldest recipient of an acting Oscar following his memorable turn in the underrated comedy drama Beginners.
Fellow stars were quick to pay tribute to the Canadian actor after news of his death broke.
Crowe, who starred alongside Plummer in The Insider and A Beautiful Mind, remembered the veteran star as a “good man” and “fine actor.”
He went on to share a story Plummer told him about the time he bumped into Peter Finch, the Oscar-winning star of Network, while working in London in the 1960s.
Plummer had just started dating a young woman at the time who happened to be an ex of Finch’s. They all ended up meeting at a party in Chelsea with Finch said to be in a “very confrontational mood”.
The story went that Funch proceeded to follow Plummer and his partner around the party “making disparaging remarks.”
Eventually they decided to leave, but Finch followed close behind and even ended up getting into the same car as the couple where he “kept up a torrent of abuse from the back seat”.
In the end, Plummer’s female companion had enough and kicked them both out.
Plummer recalled to Crowe how he was “chilled with fear” at being left alone with Finch who had “threatened him with physical violence a number of times”.
However, according to Crowe, “In an instant the red anger left his (Finch’s) face, and the piercing knives of his eyes resolved into something impish and charming… ‘Thank f*** we got rid of her’ he bellowed mellifluously, echoing off the empty street, then whispered ‘let’s find a drink’. They became friends.”
Christopher Plummer ...
I worked with him twice.
The Insider (1999)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Good man. Fine actor.
We were sitting on the set of ABM one day and for some reason we started talking about the movie Network.
Particularly the performances of Peter Finch and Ned Beatty— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) February 5, 2021
Crowe also spoke of the special moments they enjoyed together.
“Occasionally we would spend time together after work,"” he said.
“He preferred one on one, a good drink, not just any drink. I appreciated his candour and wisdom. As Actors do though, in the big circles we swing around, we fell out of touch.
“I reached out to him in 2012 after he won the Academy Award to say ‘on behalf of Finch and I, welcome to the club’. He laughed. Rest In Peace Mr Plummer. Good man. Fine actor.”
Andrews, Plummer’s co-star on The Sound of Music, was similarly effusive, describing him as a “consummate actor” and “cherished friend” in a statement to the PA news agency.
“I treasure the memories of our work together and all the humour and fun we shared through the years,” she said.
“My heart and condolences go out to his lovely wife Elaine and his daughter Amanda.”
Anne Hathaway, who was just 19 when she appeared alongside Plummer in a 2002 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby also paid tribute to the veteran star as “calm, steady, generous, and so, so funny.”
“It felt so special when it was you who handed me my Oscar a decade later. I was still the one shaking in my shoes; somehow you were still keeping me steady just with your formidable, warm, loving presence.”
She added “I hope you felt all the love you created.”
Sir Ridley Scott, who most recently directed Plummer in All The Money In The World, said: “What a guy. What a talent. What a life.”
Several of Plummer’s co-stars from one of his most recent films, Knives Out, also took to social media to pay their respects.
Ana de Armas wrote on Instagram: “My heart is broken, my dear Chris. I feel your loss deep inside. How lucky was I having you next to me in what’s been one the best experiences of my career.
“Thank you always for your laughter, your warmth, your talent, your stories about Marilyn, the vitamins when I got sick, your patience, your partnership and your company. I will always think of you with love and admiration. Rest In Peace.”
Chris Evans said: “What an unbelievable loss. Few careers have such longevity and impact. One of my favourite memories from Knives Out was playing piano together in the Thrombey house between set ups. He was a lovely man and a legendary talent.”
Direcotr Rian Johnson also remembered Plummer as “a living legend who loved his craft, and was an absolute gentleman”.
