Christopher Plummer: “The Voice of Music” star dies aged 91

He starred as Sherlock Holmes in “Killed by Royal Decree” and appeared with Peter Sellers in “The Return of the Pink Panther”.

According to reports, Plummer passed away peacefully at his home in Connecticut with his wife Eileen Taylor by his side.

Lu Pitt, his longtime friend and manager for 46 years, remembers him as “an extraordinary man who loved and respected his profession enormously”.

“It was a national treasure with a great interest in its Canadian roots,” he said. He added: “With his art and his humanity he touched all of our hearts and the memory of his legendary life will live on for all future generations. He will be with us forever.”

“Today the world has lost a skillful actor and I have lost a dear friend,” said Plummer’s co-star in The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews.

“I appreciate the memories of our working together and all of the humor and fun we have shared over the years,” she added.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Academy Awards, said Plummer “has amazed viewers across generations.”

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts offered its condolences, praising his “remarkable work since the 1950s”.

Star Trek star George Takei described Plummer as “a giant of the stage and the screen,” adding, “Comfort in Eternal Music, by Captain von Trapp.”

Actor Eddie Marsan worked with Plummer on “The Exception” in 2016, and said, “It was like watching an expert study lecture. He had nothing more to prove, so he was totally free, cute, funny and beautiful to watch.

Eljah Wood, the “Lord of the Rings” star who worked alongside Plummer in the animated film “9”, offered his condolences by saying, “What a legend”.

Plummer has had a diverse career between film, television and theater, playing lead roles on Broadway and with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Nonetheless, he will be forever known and loved for his role in The Sound of Music.

And Plummer had mixed feelings for his most famous film. But he later reconciled with the film, describing it in his 2008 diary as “warm, touching, joyful and totally timeless.”

Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer was born in Toronto, Canada, in December 1929, and raised in Montreal as an only child and his mother introduced him to the arts from an early age.

He first studied the piano before devoting himself to the theater, after deciding that playing the piano professionally “was very lonely and very hard work”.

He made his New York theater debut in 1954 in “The Starcross Story” alongside actress Mary Astor. The play has only been shown once – but that didn’t stop him from participating in more theatrical productions and then leading roles.

Plummer first appeared in the film in 1958 in “Stage Struck”, directed by Sidney Lumet. He was nominated for a Theater Tony Award the following year and eventually won the award in 1974 for his participation in “Cyrano de Bergerac”.

He won the award a second time in 1997 for his role as fellow actor John Barrymore in the play Barrymore.

In 2017, Ridley Scott asked Plummer to appear in the movie “All the Money in the World” which he finished with Kevin Spacey.

After the sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey, the filmmakers decided not to release the film with its original performance.

Plummer filmed his scenes within days and went on to be nominated for Oscars, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes.

Scott and his wife Giannina praised Plummer, telling the Hollywood Reporter, “What a man. What a talent. What a life. I had the good fortune to work with him for less than two years and have a great experience. . My condolences. [زوجته] To Eileen. He will be truly missed. “