ACADEMY AWARD winner Christopher Plummer has died, aged 91.
The Canadian-born actor, who was best known for playing Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music, passed away at his home in Connecticut, New England, on the morning of Friday, February 5.
His wife of 53 years, Elaine Taylor, was by his side as he died.
A prolific and widely acclaimed performer, Plummer enjoyed an acting career spanning more than seven decades.
In 2012 he made history by becoming the oldest man to win an Oscar after claiming the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the drama Beginners.
Plummer’s close friend of 46 years, Lou Taylor, announced the sad news of his passing.
“Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old-fashioned manners, self-deprecating humour and the music of words,” he said.
“He was a national treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come.
“He will forever be with us.”
Plummer is survived by his wife Elaine and daughter Amanda Plummer, 63, from his first marriage to Tammy Grimes.
As acclaimed for his stage work as he was his film career, Plummer first hit the big time in 1956 with his performance as the titular character in William Shakespeare’s Henry V at the Stratford festival.
The early 1980s saw him garner more praise on the stage for his performance as Iago in a Broadway production of Othello.
Plummer’s film work and varied and consistent, with the actor enjoying memorable supporting roles in films like A Beautiful Mind, The Insider, 12 Monkeys, Up, Inside Man and, more recently, Knives Out.
His last film role came with 2019’s The Last Full Measure while he still has one film posthumous voice role in Heroes of the Golden Masks, which is due to be released later this year.
