Christopher Plummer

The Right Honourable Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer CC (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was an iconic Canadian actor and memoirist who is widely revered as one of the greatest performing artists of his generation. Born in Toronto, raised in Montreal, and a great-grandson of Prime Minister Sir John Abbott, he achieved supreme mastery across theatre, television, and film over a career spanning seven decades. He was a legendary pillar of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and Canada’s Stratford Festival, earning profound acclaim for definitive stage portrayals of King Lear, Macbeth, and Prospero. On screen, he achieved permanent global stardom as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965), later captivating modern audiences in blockbusters like The Insider, Knives Out, and Beginners (2010)—the latter making him the oldest actor to win a competitive Academy Award. A highly gifted writer, he penned the widely praised 2008 memoir, In Spite of Myself, showcasing a brilliant wit and literary sophistication that matched his theatrical genius. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada and remains one of the elite few to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting" by winning an Oscar, two Emmys, and two Tony Awards.