Christopher Plummer
Birth Place: Toronto, ON, CANADA
Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Orpheum Theatre Memphis (Feb 19, 2026)
Ronald Rand to Star in LET IT BE ART! South Carolina Premiere at Bluebird Theatre (Feb 16, 2026)
SCHMIGADOON!'s Cinco Paul Picks Favorite Golden Age Love Songs (Feb 13, 2026)
BIO
Christopher Plummer made his professional acting debut with Ottawa’s Stage Society in The Rivals (1948). He worked with the Montreal Repertory Theatre in the early 1950s and made his Broadway debut in The Starcross Story (1953), followed by Home Is the Hero (1954), The Dark Is Light Enough (1955), and The Lark (1955). His early stage work also included Medea (1955), Julius Caesar (1955), The Tempest (1955), and extensive performances at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival beginning in 1956, including Henry V (1956), Hamlet (1957), Twelfth Night (1957), Much Ado About Nothing (1958), and J.B. (1959), for which he received his first Tony Award nomination.
Plummer appeared frequently on television in the 1950s and early 1960s, including Othello (1953), Studio One (1953), Appointment with Adventure (1956), The Philadelphia Story (1959), A Doll’s House (1959), Cyrano de Bergerac (1962), and Hamlet at Elsinore (1964). He made his film debut in Stage Struck (1958) and appeared in Wind Across the Everglades (1958), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), and Inside Daisy Clover (1965).
He achieved international recognition starring as Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965). His subsequent film work included Triple Cross (1966), The Night of the Generals (1967), Oedipus the King (1968), Battle of Britain (1969), Waterloo (1970), The Pyx (1973), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), Aces High (1976), The Silent Partner (1978), International Velvet (1978), and Murder by Decree (1979).
On stage, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Cyrano (1973) and appeared in The Good Doctor (1973), After the Fall (1974), and Barrymore (1997), winning a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for the latter. His other notable stage roles included Othello (1982), Macbeth (1988), King Lear (2002, 2004), Inherit the Wind (2007), Caesar and Cleopatra (2008–2009), The Tempest (2009–2010), and A Word or Two (2012, 2014).
Plummer’s later film credits include Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Wolf (1994), Dolores Claiborne (1995), 12 Monkeys (1995), The Insider (1999), A Beautiful Mind (2001), National Treasure (2004), Syriana (2005), The New World (2005), The Lake House (2006), Up (2009), The Last Station (2009), Beginners (2011), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Remember (2015), The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), All the Money in the World (2017), and Knives Out (2019).
His television work from 1977 onward included Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Thorn Birds (1983), Counterstrike (1990–1993), Madeline (1993–1995), Nuremberg (2000), Our Fathers (2005), and Departure (2019–2021). He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners (2011) and received additional Academy Award nominations for The Last Station (2009) and All the Money in the World (2017).
Plummer also performed voice work in An American Tail (1986), Rock-a-Doodle (1991), Up (2009), 9 (2009), and the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011). He remained active in film, television, and theater until shortly before his death in 2021.
Photos
STAGE CREDITS
Productions
Movies
[ 1958 ] Dr. Jack Pelletier
[ 1958 ] Kenneth Boyd
[ 1958 ] Joe Sheridan
[ 1958 ] Walt Murdock
[ 1959 ] Torvald Helmer
[ 1959 ] Mike Connor
[ 1960 ] Captain Brassbound
[ 1961 ] Prince Albert
[ 1962 ] Cyrano de Bergerac
[ 1964 ] Hamlet
[ 1964 ] Commodus
[ 1965 ] Raymond Swan
[ 1965 ] Captain Georg von Trapp
[ 1966 ] Eddie Chapman
[ 1967 ] Field Marshal Rommel
[ 1968 ] Oedipus
[ 1968 ] Sir James Quentin
[ 1968 ] Narrator
[ 1969 ] Squadron Leader Colin Harvey
[ 1969 ] Lord Foppington
[ 1969 ] Atahuallpa
[ 1970 ] Arthur Wellesley - Duke of Wellington
[ 1973 ] Dt. Sgt. Jim Henderson
[ 1974 ] Quentin
[ 1975 ] Maj. Alastair Wimbourne
[ 1975 ] Archduke Ferdinand
[ 1975 ] Rudyard Kipling
[ 1975 ] Sir Charles Litton
[ 1975 ] Dr. Sherman
[ 1976 ] Sinclair
[ 1977 ] Kaptain Behounek
[ 1977 ] Deverell
[ 1978 ] John Seaton
[ 1978 ] The Emperor
[ 1978 ] Reikle
[ 1979 ] Paul Sellinger
[ 1979 ] Sherlock Holmes
[ 1979 ] Prime Minister John A. Macdonald
[ 1980 ] Burrifous
[ 1980 ] W. F. Robinson
[ 1980 ] Brian
[ 1981 ] Tony Wendice
[ 1981 ] Joseph
[ 1981 ] Professor Lakos
[ 1981 ] Duke Royal
[ 1982 ] James Hatcher
[ 1983 ] Dr. Carl Forrester
[ 1983 ] Col. Herbert Kappler
[ 1984 ] Bob Blair
[ 1984 ] Fitzroy Wynn / Roberto Terranova
[ 1984 ] Leo Argyle
[ 1986 ] Henri - Voice
[ 1986 ] Mr. Roalvang
[ 1986 ] Knox
[ 1986 ] Narrator - Voice
[ 1987 ] Sir Giles Staverley
[ 1987 ] Whirley
[ 1987 ] John Robertson Yeats
[ 1987 ] Narrator
[ 1987 ] Narrator - Voice
[ 1988 ] Edmund Beaumont
[ 1988 ] Ernst Kestner
[ 1988 ] Professor Paris Catalano
[ 1989 ]
[ 1989 ] Doctor Satorius
[ 1989 ] Vladimir Nabokov
[ 1990 ] The Grand Duke Ivan
[ 1990 ] Dr. John Alcore
[ 1990 ] Shitty
[ 1991 ] Alfred Stieglitz
[ 1991 ] Vaughn
[ 1991 ] Martin Yahl
[ 1991 ] Grand Duke - Voice
[ 1991 ] Chang
[ 1991 ] Victor Abakumov
[ 1991 ] Sir Charles
[ 1992 ] Harry Weldon
[ 1992 ] Chaplain Gill
[ 1992 ] Mel Wexler
[ 1993 ] Clifton Lawrence
[ 1994 ] Ivan Getz
[ 1994 ] Joker
[ 1994 ] Raymond Alden
[ 1995 ] Detective John Mackey
[ 1995 ] John Klaxon
[ 1995 ] Dr. Goines
[ 1996 ] Wilfred Fransiscus
[ 1997 ] Barnaby Crookedman - Voice
[ 1997 ] Reverend Carlyle
[ 1998 ] Holmes
[ 1998 ] Mr. Caruthers
[ 1998 ] Narrator - Voice
[ 1998 ] Franklin D. Roosevelt
[ 1999 ] Ulrich Steiner
[ 1999 ] Narrator - Voice
[ 1999 ] Mike Wallace
[ 2000 ] F. Lee Bailey
[ 2000 ] Abraham Van Helsing
[ 2000 ] Archbishop Hume
[ 2000 ] Hump Hinton
[ 2001 ] Dr. Rosen
[ 2001 ] Graham Mortimer
[ 2001 ] Norman Thayer
[ 2002 ] John Watkins
[ 2002 ] David
[ 2002 ] Ralph Nickleby
[ 2002 ] 'Flash' Harry Peters
[ 2003 ] Santa Claus
[ 2003 ] Mr. Massie
[ 2003 ] Narrator - Voice
[ 2004 ] Aristotle
[ 2004 ] John Adams Gates
[ 2005 ] Archie Mason
[ 2005 ] Grandfather - Voice
[ 2005 ] Bill
[ 2005 ] Cardinal Bernard Law
[ 2005 ] Dean Whiting
[ 2005 ] Captain Newport
[ 2006 ] Arthur Case
[ 2006 ] Simon Wyler
[ 2007 ] Dr. Heller
[ 2007 ] Jack
[ 2007 ] David Winters
[ 2007 ] Flash Madden
[ 2009 ] Caesar
[ 2009 ] J.R. Ackerley - Voice
[ 2009 ] Doctor Parnassus
[ 2009 ] Leo Tolstoy
[ 2009 ] Charles Muntz - Voice
[ 2010 ] Hal
[ 2010 ]
[ 2010 ] Prospero
[ 2011 ] John Barrymore
[ 2011 ] Monsignor Orelas
[ 2011 ] Henrik Vanger
[ 2013 ] John Harlan
[ 2013 ] Croolik - Voice
[ 2014 ] Fred
[ 2014 ] Professor Coreman
[ 2014 ] Joseph Cutter
[ 2015 ] Frank Grubman
[ 2015 ] Pixie King - Voice
[ 2015 ] Zev Guttman
[ 2016 ] Dr. West - Voice
[ 2016 ] Kaiser Wilhelm II
[ 2017 ] J. Paul Getty
[ 2017 ] Dr. West - Voice
[ 2017 ] Scrooge
[ 2017 ] Herod - Voice
[ 2018 ] Jack
[ 2019 ] Thanasi
[ 2019 ] Harlan Thrombey
[ 2019 ] Frank Pitsenbarger
[ 2022 ] Rizzo - Voice
TV Shows
Dick
Robert Carr
Christian de Neuvillette
Roger Manning
Lewis Rohnen
Walter Shelley
Bruce Quealy
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
[ 1957-1961 ] Rudolf Rassendyll, King Rudolf, Sir Miles Hendon
Don Juan
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
Roscoe Heyward
Herod Antipas
Sherlock Holmes
Reggie Vanderbilt
Archbishop Vittorio Contini-Verchese
Narrator
Armand DeVilliers
Lord Jack Cruze
Jonathan Lawrence
Wilhem Speer
[ 1990-1993 ] Alexander Addington
[ 1990-1994 ] Narrator
Narrator
George Hees
Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe
Magnus the Maker
P.J. Aimes
Grand Duke, Captain Von Trapp
Tulip's Owner
[ 2019-2021 ] Howard Lawson
Awards and Nominations
winner
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
winner
Christopher Plummer, King Lear
Christopher Plummer, King Lear
winner
Christopher Plummer, Barrymore
winner
Christopher Plummer, Barrymore
winner
Christopher Plummer, Barrymore
Christopher Plummer, No Man's Land
Christopher Plummer , No Man's Land
Christopher Plummer, Othello
Christopher Plummer, Othello
winner
Christopher Plummer
winner
Christopher Plummer, Cyrano
winner
Christopher Plummer, Cyrano
winner
Christopher PlummerPlay
Christopher Plummer, J. B.
winner
Christopher Plummer, The Dark is Light Enough
Videos
Video: GOOD MORNING AMERICA Celebrates 60 Years of THE SOUND OF MUSIC
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-09-04 12:00:54
Video: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Spotlighted on TODAY for 60th Anniversary
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-07-18 12:03:11
Video: Murin and Grant Perform 'Jackson' from THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY AND JUNE at La Jolla
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-06-09 14:43:00
Video: What it's like playing Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in The Ballad of Johnny and June
by Joshua Wright - 2024-05-29 10:09:01
Video: Go Inside Rehearsals for La Jolla Playhouse's THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY AND JUNE
by Joshua Wright - 2024-05-21 13:51:00
Listen: Hear Christopher Plummer & Julie Andrews' Original Vocals on 'Something Good' From THE SOUND OF MUSIC
by Michael Major - 2023-11-08 14:38:04
Video: How Tovah Feldshuh Built a Five-Decade Career Onstage
by Backstage Live with Richard Ridge - 2023-05-24 15:43:27
Photos/Video: Tovah Feldshuh Celebrates 50 Years on Broadway at FUNNY GIRL
by Stephi Wild - 2023-05-15 08:36:31
Flashback Video: Christopher Plummer Talks THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Julie Andrews, and More
by Stephi Wild - 2021-02-06 19:07:04
VIDEO: Ewan McGregor Talks About Being Mistaken for Jesus on CONAN
by Sarah Leiber - 2020-01-08 21:05:14
Photos/Video: First Look at Playhouse on the Square's ON GOLDEN POND
by Stephi Wild - 2019-09-20 06:07:18
VIDEO: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans Star in New Trailer for KNIVES OUT
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-09-18 11:47:56
VIDEO: See Chris Evans, Daniel Craig the Trailer for Rian Johnson's KNIVES OUT
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-07-02 12:34:19
VIDEO: Patti LuPone and Christopher Plummer Star in the CLIFFS OF FREEDOM Trailer
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-02-19 12:49:37
VIDEO: Christopher Plummer Chats Replacing Kevin Spacey in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD & More on THE VIEW
by Macon Prickett - 2018-06-12 08:56:42
VIDEO: First Look - Chenoweth & More Lend Voices to New Holiday Film THE STAR
by Caryn Robbins - 2017-10-04 13:22:12
VIDEO: First Look - Dan Stevens Stars as Charles Dickens in THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS
by Caryn Robbins - 2017-09-05 14:04:58
VIDEO: First Look - Zachary Levi & More in New Animated Holiday Film THE STAR
by Caryn Robbins - 2017-07-26 14:12:33
VIDEO: CHICAGO Celebrates The Weissler's 50th Wedding Anniversary!
by BWW News Desk - 2017-06-29 07:24:13
TV: She's a Shining Light! O'Neill Theatre Center Honors Judith Light with Monte Cristo Award!
by Nicole Rosky - 2017-05-28 13:00:03
News
by AniKatrina Fageol - Feb 19, 2026
What did our critic think of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Orpheum Theatre Memphis?
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 16, 2026
U.S. Cultural Ambassador Ronald Rand will be bringing Harold Clurman, the 'Elder Statesman of the American Theatre' alive in the South Caroilna premiere of his solo play, Let It Be Art! at the Bluebird Theatre in Orangeburg.
by Cinco Paul - Feb 13, 2026
To celebrate Valentine's Day, BroadwayWorld asked Schmigadoon! Composer/Bookwriter/Lyricist Cinco Paul to share his ultimate Golden Age love song playlist. See his picks, read why they were chosen, and save our playlist.
by R. Scott Reedy - Jan 11, 2026
What did our critic think of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Citizens Opera House?
by Nicole Rosky - Dec 18, 2025
The Stephen Sondheim Theatre stage is getting kandi koated this holiday season. The singer, songwriter, producer, and television icon Kandi Burruss just joined the Broadway cast of & Juliet. Kandi took a break from rehearsals to tell us about the music that puts her in the holiday spirit.
by Rebecca Kaplan - Dec 8, 2025
NYC has so many incredible events, but here are a few top picks to consider this week including song and dance duo Nic and Desi, a Sound of Music singalong hosted by Christine Ebersole, and more.
by Rebecca Kaplan - Dec 3, 2025
Celebrate the winter holidays with cheer and plenty of good music with these 15 shows. There's something for everyone in this list – family-friendly shows you can take your kids to, queer celebrations, and more.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 3, 2025
Westport Country Playhouse will stage “A Sherlock Carol,” a family-friendly holiday production based on two classic tales, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” a classic Sherlock Holmes story, and “A Christmas Carol.”
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 1, 2025
92NY will present Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long—a magical celebration of the 60th anniversary of the beloved 1965 movie musical—hosted by Christine Ebersole.
by Josh Sharpe - Nov 29, 2025
From the new Jonas Brothers Christmas special to musical classics like White Christmas, take a look here to find out which holiday streaming titles will bring a Broadway fan some extra joy this year.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Nov 23, 2025
While the large majority of plays that make it to Broadway were written in English, a small fraction of plays were originally penned in a different language and translated.
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 18, 2025
The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, NH will present sing-a-long screenings of THE SOUND OF MUSIC on November 23 and MARY POPPINS on November 29. Both classic Julie Andrews films will feature on-screen lyrics for full audience participation.
by Josh Sharpe - Nov 4, 2025
ABC is ringing in the 2025 holiday season with the official lineup of festive programming arriving in the coming months including holiday episodes of “Abbott Elementary,” specials like “CMA Country Christmas,' and more.
by Stephi Wild - Oct 9, 2025
Grammy Award winner and Tony Award and Emmy Award nominee Kandi Burruss will return to the stage this winter in the hit Broadway musical & Juliet. Burruss will join the cast as ‘Angélique’ for a limited engagement.
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 17, 2025
To celebrate the return of The Sound of Music in theaters, we are taking a look back at Christopher Plummer's expansive stage career, from Cyrano to King Lear, and more.
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 16, 2025
To celebrate the return of The Sound of Music in theaters, we are taking a look back at Julie Andrews' expansive stage career, from My Fair Lady to Victor/Victoria, and more.
by Stephi Wild - Sep 15, 2025
McCarter Theatre Center has commissioned a new musical based on the film A Beautiful Mind. The musical is from the award-winning team of composer/lyricist Zoe Sarnak and playwright Sarah Treem.
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 4, 2025
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music, Good Morning America dedicated a segment to the iconic film on Thursday, traveling to Salzburg, Austria, where the movie was filmed and the real events took place.
by Josh Sharpe - Sep 4, 2025
In honor of its 60th anniversary, a new restored and remastered edition of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music will debut on 4K Ultra HD on September 23.
by Jerri Shafer - Sep 2, 2025
Heathers The Musical is the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass...but J.D. has another plan for that bullet.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Christopher Plummer has appeared on Broadway in 16 shows.
Christopher Plummer has not appeared in the West End.
John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre (Theatre World Awards), Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Inherit the Wind, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Inherit the Wind, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Inherit the Wind, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for King Lear, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for King Lear, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Barrymore, Best Actor - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Barrymore, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Barrymore, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for No Man's Land, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for No Man's Land, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Othello, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Actor in a Play (Tony Awards) for Othello, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Cyrano, Outstanding Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for Cyrano, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Play, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for J. B. and Performance (Theatre World Awards) for The Dark is Light Enough.
Christopher Plummer has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including the John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre from the Theatre World Awards. He won Outstanding Actor - Play at the Drama Desk Awards for both King Lear and Barrymore. For Barrymore, he also earned Best Actor - Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards. Additionally, he received the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League Awards. In the musical category, Plummer won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for Cyrano, along with Outstanding Performance at the Drama Desk Awards for the same role. He was recognized as Outstanding Actor in a Play by the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Play and received a Performance award from the Theatre World Awards for The Dark is Light Enough.
Videos