Christopher Plummer, the prolific and versatile actor who rose to celebrity as the romantic lead in one of the most popular movie musicals of all time, has died at the age of 91.
Mr. Plummer’s résumé, which stretched over seven decades, saw him play the classics including a pivotal role in the beloved 1965 musical The Sound of Music, where he starred as the Austrian naval officer Georg von Trapp opposite Julie Andrews. As he found the classics to be much more fulfilling, the legendary actor didn’t love the role as much as others, stating in a 1982 People magazine interview “To do a lousy part like von Trapp, you have to use every trick you know to fill the empty carcass of the role. That damn movie follows me around like an albatross.”
Aside from The Sound of Music, Plummer was known for his roles in many a Shakespeare play, portraying Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III, Mark Antony and other towering protagonists. He starred in Hamlet at Elsinore, a critically praised 1964 television production, directed by Philip Saville and filmed at Elsinore Castle in Denmark, where the play is set.
The Toronto-born actor passed away earlier today (Friday, February 5th) after having won an Oscar, two Tonys and two Emmys. His wife, Elaine Taylor, said the cause of his death was a blow to the head as a result of a fall.
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Photo (Cropped): gdcgraphics