Christopher Plummer : 5 Things To Know Hollywood Legend & ‘Sound Of Music’ Star

Christopher Plummer, the Hollywood icon best known for his role as Captain Von Trapp in the musical ‘The Sound of Music,’ has died at 91. Here’s everything to know about the legend.

The sad news was confirmed on February 5 that Christopher Plummer, best known for his roles in The Sound of Music, Beginners, and Knives Out, had passed away at the age of 91. His family and rep confirmed to Deadline that he passed away peacefully, his wife of 53 years, Elaine Taylor, dutifully by his side.

In a statement, Lou Pitt, Christopher’s friend and manager of 46 years told Deadline that Chris was “an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession.” He also talked about his “great old fashion manners, self deprecating humor” and  his love of “the music of words.” The legendary star had been in more than 100 film and countless productions on the stage. He shared the screen with everyone from Chris Evans to Julie Andrews to Michelle Williams and was deeply respected in the Hollywood community. Here, we look back at his life and some must know facts about the beloved star.

1. Christopher is the Father Of Amanda Plummer

Amanda Plummer, best known for her roles in Pulp Fiction, Joe Versus the Volcano, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is the only child of the late Christopher Plummer and actress Tammy Grimes, who passed away in 2016. She grew up in NYC and spent a  good chunk of her early career on the stage, being nominated for 3 Tony Awards (and winning one) in the 1980s. Most recently, she starred alongside Sarah Paulson in the Netflix thriller, Ratched.

2. He Is One of 4 ‘Sound Of Music’ Stars To Have Passed Away

As sad as Christopher’s passing is, he isn’t the first of the members of the iconic musical to pass away.

The first was Eleanor Parker, who played The Baroness Elsa. She passed away at the age of 91, due to complications of pneumonia at a health facility in Palm Springs, California. Sadly, two of the actors who played his children in Sound of Music have also passed away in recent years. Charmian Carr, who played Liesl von Trapp, passed away due to complications from frontotemporal dementia at the age of 73 on September 17, 2016.  Heather Menzies-Urich, who played  Louisa von Trapp, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November 2017 and passed away on December 24, 2017.

3. Yes, He Did Actually Sing ‘Edelweiss’ In ‘Sound Of Music’ — Sort Of

The answer to this widely asked fan question is yes .. and no. In an interview with NPR in 2012, Christopher confessed that they did dub his voice to an extent in the iconic scenes of Sound of Music. “They did for the long passages,” he said about dubbing his singing voice. “It was very well done. The entrances and exits from the songs were my voice, and then they filled in – in those days, they were very fussy about matching voices in musicals.”  The actor who actually sang most of the number was Bill Lee.

4. He Won Only One Oscar In His Lifetime 

After a long and incredible career, Christopher finally received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2012 for his role in the film, Beginners. He  was also nominated in 2010 for The Last Station, and again in 2018 for All the Money in the World, where he famously replaced Kevin Spacey. But over his career, Christophe starred in over 100 films.Some of the highlights: A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe, The Insider with Al Pacino, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Lake House, Inside Man, and 12 Monkeys.

5. His Last Movie Was Not ‘Knives Out’ 

While many enjoyed his performance in the murder mystery film alongside Chris Evans and Daniel Craig, his last film to be released, The Last Full Measure. The drama war film saw Christopher starring alongside Sebastian Stan, Bradley Whitford, William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson and  Peter Fonda, who also made his last on screen performance in this film before his death in August 2019. However, Christophers last appearance overall in a film will be a posthumous vocal role in Heroes of the Golden Masks.