Video Tribute to Christopher Plummer

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

This one hurts, ladies and gentlemen. Legendary actor Christopher Plummer has passed away at the age of 91. The star of everything from The Sound of Music to Knives Out, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to The Man Who Would Be King, Plummer was the definition of a Hollywood star. In a career that spanned eight decades, Plummer did it all from television and film to stage and even video games.

The Canadian-born Plummer was the recipient of countless awards including the 2011 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Beginners. He was also nominated for The Last Station (2009) and in 2018 for Ridley Scott's All The Money In The World for which he stepped in after scandal forced Kevin Spacey's role to be fully reshot, something that had never been done so close to the release of a film in movie history.

Plummer won two Tony Awards and two Emmy Awards and was a Grammy short of earning an EGOT. He was nominated for a Grammy in 1988 for a recording of The Nutcracker. Plummer was bestowed with multiple honors from his native Canada, most recently earning the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2021. Married three times, Plummer is survived by his daughter, the actress Amanda Plummer, and his wife of fifty years, Elaine Taylor.

Highlights from Plummer's illustrious career include his voice work as Charles Muntz in Pixar's beloved Up, playing Sherlock Holmes in 1979's Murder By Decree, as well as roles in Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind, Oliver Stone's Alexander, Terence Malick's The New World, David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, amongst so many more.

“Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self-deprecating humor, and the music of words. 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,” said Lou Pitt, Plummer's longtime friend, and manager of 46 years.

As memorable as Plummer's early work truly was, the actor once said that enjoyed the freedom that age provided him, explaining in an interview, “My type of roles [early on were] sort of uptight, urbane, sophisticated young men … sort of boring and dull. People don’t have any imagination in this business, do they?” he said. “I can do comedy. I can do all sorts of things. Why are they giving me this uptight crap? So I was so happy when I arrived at a certain age and I could become a character actor and be free of all that nonsense.”

At one point in his storied career, Plummer went from being a leading man to a supporting actor, which allowed him to play a number of memorable roles and become a character actor. "I didn't really begin to enjoy the real depth of the screen until I did The Man Who Would Be King," he told THR in 2018. "I was no longer a leading man; I was a kind of supporting actor, a character actor, and the minute I became a character actor, the parts grew much more interesting."

We here at JoBlo would like to extend our most profound sympathies to Mr. Plummer's family, friends, and fans. His absence from this world will be felt by many for generations to come, and we wish him peace in his next life. Thank you, Mr. Plummer, for all the smiles you have given us. You will be missed, good sir.