Christopher Plummer biography

Synopsis

Profile

Actor. Born Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer on December 13, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Regarded as one of the most brilliant Canadian actors of his generation, Plummer was classically trained as a stage actor and headlined for Britain's National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company.

Plummer made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.

Throughout his career, the consummate actor has been a reluctant film star, eschewing the blockbuster movie for roles in such films as 1978's International Velvet and 1995's thriller Dolores Claiborne. Nonetheless, Plummer is probably best known to audiences as the widower Captain Von Trapp in the hit 1965 musical movie The Sound of Music opposite Julie Andrews. Plummer has also tackled various television projects, including the legendary miniseries The Thorn Birds and the role of General Chang on Star Trek.

In 1999, Plummer won several awards for his uncanny portrayal of TV journalist Mike Wallace in Michael Mann's The Insider. He soon turned in strong performances in such film as the 2001 intellectual drama A Beautiful Mind and the 2003 thriller Cold Creek Manor.

Continuing to be in demand, Plummer took on a variety of projects from the 2004 action adventure tale National Treasure with Nicolas Cage, to the 2005 romantic comedy Must Love Dogs with Diane Lane. Also in 2005, Plummer played a lawyer in George Clooney's critically acclaimed political drama Syriana. He found time to return to the stage, appearing on Broadway in William Shakespeare's King Lear in 2004 and Inherit the Wind in 2007. Plummer earned Tony Award nominations for both of these roles. In addition to his film and stage work, he has also lent his distinctively rich voice to several animated films, including the 2009 hit Up.

Despite his tremendous talents as an actor, Plummer didn't receive an Academy Award nomination until 2010. He earned a Best Supporting Actor nod for his portrayal of Russian literary great Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009). His on-screen wife played by Helen Mirren was also nominated for an Academy Award. Plummer will next be seen in the upcoming vampire thriller Priest with Paul Bettany.

Plummer has been married three times. He and his first wife, Tony-winner Tammy Grimes, are the parents of Tony-winning actress Amanda Plummer.

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