Christopher Orme Plummer portrayed over 200 characters in his 7 decades-long career that started with the Broadway play ‘The Starcross Story’ (1953). He essayed starring roles in ‘Medea’ and ‘Julius Caesar’ (1955), ‘Anthony & Cleopatra’ (1967), ‘Cyrano’ (1974), ‘Othello’ (1982), ‘Macbeth’ (1988), ‘No Man’s Land’ (1994), ‘King Lear’ (2004), ‘Inherit the Wind’ (2007), and many more.
Plummer’s debut film was ‘Stage Struck’ (1958) while first leading role was in ‘Wind across the Everglades’ (1958). His role as ‘Captain Von Trapp’ in the hit musical epic ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965) brought him world-wide fame.
Plummer’s remarkable films include ‘Oedipus the King’ (1968), ‘Murder by Decree’ (1979), ‘Star Trek VI’ (1991), ‘The Insider’ (1999), ‘Alexander’ (2004), voice-over in ‘Up’ (2009).
Plummer’s performances in ‘The Last Station’ (2009), ‘Beginners’ (2010), and ‘All the Money In the World’ (2017) earned him nominations and awards. His starring roles in ‘Remember’ (2015), and ‘Knives Out’ (2019) brought him appreciation.
After his TV debut with ‘Othello’ (1953), he earned accolades with ‘Little Moon of Alban’ (1958) and ‘Hamlet at Elsinore’ (1964). His other notable TV-appearances include ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (1977), ‘The Thorn Birds’ (1983), ‘Madeline,’ ‘Nuremberg’ (2000), ‘The Moneychangers’ (2000), ‘Departure’ (2019). Â
The biographical movie, partly inspired by Sylvia Nasar’s book, depicts the life of the mathematician and Nobel Laureate, John Nash. Early in his career, he achieves success with his remarkable discovery. However, he soon begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and goes through years of struggle before he eventually manages to succeed and win the Nobel Prize.
The 5 Academy Awards-winning popular musical film depicts the story of Maria, an aspiring nun who is assigned to be governess to 7 motherless children of naval officer, Captain Von Trapp. Her love wins over the initially hostile children, and later she marries the Captain. When he opposes the Nazi commission, the couple with their children decides to flee from Austria.
A group known as the Army of the Twelve Monkeys is suspected of releasing a deadly virus in 1996 that kills the majority of the human population in the 2030s. James Cole, a convict, is sent back to the 1990s to stop the plague, but he soon begins to question his sanity and his perception of reality.
Harlan Thrombey, renowned crime novelist, who is also the patriarch of an eccentric family, passes away. The circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious, and everyone in the house becomes a suspect in the eyes of Detective Benoit Blanc, who is investigating his death.
Based on the eponymous novel by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a thriller that centers around a journalist, played by Daniel Craig, trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of a rich woman 40 years ago. He is aided by a tattooed hacker, portrayed by Rooney Mara, who helps him uncover the dark secrets of Sweden’s high society.
Based on a 60 minutes segment, the movie focuses on Jeffrey Wigand and CBS producer Lowell Bergman. Former Brown & Williamson employee, Wigand survives death threats and corruption in corporate America to reveal the truth about his former company while Bergman struggles against CBS to reveal the entire truth to the public.
This action adventure film tells the story of two ex-non-commissioned officers of the British Indian Army. After leaving the army, they decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set food since Alexander the Great.
The movie is a dramatization of different events of the life of controversial African-American icon, Malcolm X. The film focuses on his early criminal endeavors, his imprisonment, his conversion to Islam, his joining and leaving the Nation of Islam, his marriage, his experiences with racial violence against blacks, his fight for racial unity and his assassination.
The plot of the movie revolves around an elaborate bank robbery planned by a perfectionist robber Dalton Russell. He takes hostages and detective Keith Frazier is called upon to take charge of the negotiations. The bank president, concerned about something important, hires his own negotiator. However, Russell and his team are always ahead.
In a small town in New England, Dolores Claiborne is a housekeeper working for a rich heartless lady named Vera Donovan. When Vera turns up dead, Dolores is accused of killing her employer. Meanwhile, her estranged daughter, who is a journalist living in New York City, decides to pay her mother a visit and investigate the matter herself.
Remember is a suspense drama film which tells the story of a holocaust survivor who is suffering from dementia. He decides to take revenge for the sufferings of his family.
A weak-kneed bank teller Elliott Gould foresees a robbery in his bank. Before the robbery could actually take place, Elliot steals the money himself. When the crook, Christopher arrives, he realizes that he has been fooled. Christopher tracks down the teller and is after him as he wants the money back, by hook or by crook.
Beginners is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of Oliver, a graphic designer who finds himself attracted to a free-spirited and unpredictable woman named Anna, shortly after his father passes away.
When the ozone layer around the Klingon homeworld is destroyed, they are forced to initiate a peace process with the United Federation of Planets, their longstanding foe. The Federation quickly accepts the offer sends USS Enterprise-A to escort Chancellor Gorkon’s ship to the Earth. But on the way, Gorkon is killed by two men wearing Starfleet spacesuit.
When playwright Richard Collier sees a portrait of early 1900’s actress Elise McKenna in Grand Hotel at Mackinac Island, Michigan, he gets obsessed with her. Richard uses self-hypnosis to take himself back in time to 1912 to meet Elise, when both realize that they are meant for each other. But fearing for her career, Elise’s manager William Robinson tries to separate them.
Waterloo is an epic historical film which tells us the story of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who is banished with a thousand men after the disastrous Battle of Leipzig. Eventually, he manages to escape and rallies the French to his side. Within a short time, he assembles an army to conquer Europe, against the Allied Forces of the British, the Prussians, the Austrians, as well as the Russians.
After a prostitute is murdered in Warsaw, Major Grau of the German intelligence investigates the case, and he finds evidence that makes him suspect three Nazi Generals. Soon, it also seems that there is a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Nicholas Nickleby is a young and compassionate man, but when his father passes away, his abusive uncle separates his family. He tries his best to save his family and friends, and prevent his sister’s marriage with Sir Hawk.
Danny Collins is an aging rock star who decides to change his life after he discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon. He even reunites with his illegitimate son and his family, but over time, his past demons return and start to haunt him.
Inspector Jacque Clouseau, a clumsy detective, is put on the case, when a famous jewel which is also a national treasure, named the Pink Panther, is stolen. The only clue the thief has left behind is a white glove.
Famed novelist Leo Tolstoy gets into an argument with his wife over the rights to Tolstoy’s literary legacy. His wife believes that he should bequeath them to her, but Tolstoy’s chief disciple believes that the rights should belong to the people of Russia.
National Treasure, a Walt Disney movie, follows treasure hunter Benjamin Gates, as he tries to find a war chest hidden during the Revolutionary War. During this quest, he also has to beat out his competition to the chest, while avoid capture by the FBI, who are trying to arrest him.
The geopolitical thriller revolves around petroleum politics and the influence of the oil industry worldwide. With interconnected storylines, the movie focuses on Bennett Holiday, an American lawyer, facilitating a deceitful merger, Bryan Woodman, an energy analyst and veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes, who uncovers an assassination plot.
Psychiatrist Hector, though leading a good life with girlfriend Clara, is disillusioned with his work and he feels like a sham, because his patients never seem to improve or experience happiness with his advice. He decides to break away from humdrum life and sets out to find the secret to joy. As he travels around the globe, does he discover the secret?
In 1940, German Luftwaffe begins a series of concentrated aerial attacks to establish air superiority over England. The dedicated pilots of Britain’s RAF face terrible odds, yet repeatedly take to the skies in a desperate battle to stop the outnumbering German Luftwaffe from taking over English skies. Finally, the aggressive counter-attack by the determined RAF succeeds in fending off the Nazi invasion of England.
A fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day, THE MOVIE It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his 'Imaginarium', a traveling show where members of the audience get opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago Dr. Parnassus made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick.
Dr. Kate Forster vacates her Lake House when she moves to Chicago. She leaves behind a note for the next tenant in a mailbox which is discovered by architect Alex. The two begin corresponding and fall for each other; however, they realise that they are living two years apart. So as to be together, they have to solve the puzzle of their romance before it is too late.
All the Money in the World is a crime thriller film, which tells the story of a young boy John Paul Getty III who gets kidnapped. The kidnappers demand $ 17 million from his billionaire grandfather, but the latter refuses. The boy’s devoted mother tries to convince him to pay the ransom to save the boy.
During the Second World War, Captain Stefan Brandt is assigned as the personal bodyguard of deposed German Emperor Wilhelm II at his estate. Although Wilhelm doesn’t have any political power, the Nazi authorities are concerned since he is of symbolic importance, and they feel that a spy may have been planted to assassinate him. Brandt is asked to determine if there really is a spy. He carries out an investigation but he soon falls for a Jewish Dutch woman, who happens to be one of the maids.
After learning about the mass murderer Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror, renowned private detective Sherlock Holmes decides to investigate. He finds that the police are not of much help, as they refuse to share important details of the case with him. However, Holmes carries forward his investigation and seeks the assistance of psychic Robert Lees, hoping that he can set him on the right path.
Set up against a historical backdrop, the film focuses on the passionate native princess, Pocahontas. In love with John Smith, an ambitious English soldier taken prisoner by the natives, she helps him in many ways before being banished by her father. Although Smith reciprocates her love, his career is equally important to him. So, he leaves for England while Pocahontas is told that he has died.
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius decides that his loyal and trustworthy General Livius should be the one to succeed him. However, before he could announce this, the friends of his son Commodus, poisons him, so that they can secure their political futures. Commodus becomes the new leader, but he turns out to be quite corrupt, arrogant and ineffectual. Livius accepts him as the ruler, but changes his mind, after he threatens to kill Aurelius’s daughter.
Wind Across the Everglades is an adventure romantic drama film which tells the story of an ornithologist who tries to implement conservation laws in Florida. However, the only thing standing in his way is a family of bird poachers.
Set in around 1890, the story focuses on Lt. Drake and Lt. Millington arriving in India to join a British regiment. When at a mess dance, a respected widow accuses a drunken Millington of attacking her Drake becomes his defending officer. Although pressured to plead guilty by his superiors, Drake does not believe Millington to be the culprit.
Based on a Greek folk tale, this drama film tells the story of a noble youth who marries his own mother accidentally, and later kills his father as well. Eventually, his actions invoke the wrath of the Gods.
Alex Gardner is a psychic who uses his abilities mostly for personal benefits, which includes gambling and womanizing. He is hired by a government agency to help cure the President of the United States, as the latter is having nightmares of nuclear war.
Ararat is a war drama film which revolves around an 18 year old man who was working as a driver during the production of a historical film about the Armenian holocaust. The story shows us how the making of the film transforms his life.
This romantic horror film tells us the story of Will Randall who becomes a werewolf, and finds himself full of vigor and youth. He fights to regain his job and to woo his former boss’s daughter Laura.
This historical drama film takes us to the early 20th century, and revolves around the events leading to the political murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the would-be emperor of the Austro-Hungarian throne.
Malone, an Australian detective, arrives in London in order to arrest a top diplomat Sir James Quentin, for the murder of his first wife. Quentin doesn’t object to being arrested, but things don’t go as planned as Malone soon uncovers a conspiracy to assassinate Sir James, masterminded by the leader of a dangerous spy ring.
In this homage to the 50’s-60’s police drama, no-nonsense LAPD detective Sgt. Joe Friday, (namesake nephew of the original protagonist) is paired with laid-back cop Pep Streebeck, to solve mysterious ritual killings. Tracing the homicides to a sinister cult, PAGAN, they disrupt a cruel ceremony. Friday falls for the rescued near-victim Connie Swail, who helps them expose the corrupt, powerful people behind the offense.
An overly confident woman arrives in New York City hoping to become a theatrical star. Although she initially has to struggle a lot, she eventually finds success after she steps in for actress Rita Vernon, after the latter quits a show.
Sarah is a preschool teacher in her 40s, who recently went through a divorce. She finds herself in a complicated situation, after her sister creates a profile for her on a matrimonial website which leads to hilarious dates and encounters.
The Forger is a crime drama thriller film which tells the story of Raymond Cutter, a criminal, who has to perform a heist for an underworld art dealer, if he wants to get released early from prison, to spend time with his son who is suffering from a brain tumor. His task involves stealing a famous painting from the National Gallery of Art, and replacing it with a fake.
Priest is a former elite warrior who fought in the long war between humans and vampires and now lives in a walled city controlled by The Church. When his niece, Lucy, is abducted by some vampires and the clergy dismisses the possibility of a vampire resurgence, he launches a rescue attempt with Lucy's boyfriend and a powerful Priestess.
A Montreal-based hitman comes home to find his wife missing and learns that his last kill may have something to do with her disappearance. Despite suspecting his next assignment in England to be a setup, he takes it up, convinced that it may lead him to his missing wife.
Fitz is a successful and talented actor whose wife writes a movie. He wants to star in her movie, but she feels that the role is not suitable for him. Fitz transforms himself into a young Italian man and creates an alter ego, who seems to be exactly what Lily wants for the role.
The movie follows Alexander the Great from his childhood and continues till his adventurous life comes to end with his death at the age of thirty two. When he becomes the King of Macedonia, he starts off an expedition to conquer the world – Persia, Egypt, Afghanistan and India. His relationships with his parents Philips and Olympias; friend Hephaistion and wife Roxana are also explored.
Ordeal by Innocence is a mystery film which tells the story of an Englishman, Dr Arthur Calgary, who finds that a man he knew, was executed for the murder of his adoptive mother. He decides to prove that the man was innocent and begins an investigation of his own.
Cold Creek Manor is a horror thriller film which tells the story of a family who moves into a new home. While renovating it, they learn that the house might have a horrific past.
This supernatural action horror film tells the story of a group of thieves who break into a high-security vault expecting to find painting, but instead they find a crypt that has been unopened for 100 years. They open it, only to unleash the ancient terror of Count Dracula.
Helen has been incapable of speech since she saw her husband die. When she is working in New England as a domestic help, she becomes the target of a maniac who is killing off disabled people.
James Hatcher manages to embezzle millions of dollars from a joint mafia and CIA operation. Now it is up to Lewis Kinley, an accountant to find James, and get the money back. Meanwhile, he also falls for Lise, sister of James.
Crackerjack is an action film which tells the story of a Chicago cop Jack Wild, who loses his wife and kids to a mob hit. He eventually agrees to accompany his brother’s family on a holiday to a ski resort in the Rocky Mountains, but things get complicated when he finds out that the resort has been taken over by a group of violent criminals.
A royal statue is filled with compassion for the people around him, and he is unable to bear all the suffering and the pain of the common folk. He soon befriends a swallow and asks him to peel off his gold covering and give it to the poor and needy people.
The Man Who Planted Trees is an animated short film which tells the story of a shepherd, and his long effort to reforest a barren valley, all by himself. After several years, he is able to turn it into a vibrant and beautiful oasis.
Aspiring explorers Carl and Ellie Fredricksen dreamed of travelling to and living in Paradise Falls, South America, but after marriage they got busy with life until they grew old. Now, with Ellie dead, retired balloon salesman Carl transforms his house into a makeshift airship and flies towards new adventures, only to find a young stowaway scout onboard.
In future a war between humans and machines has wiped out humanity and machine have assumed control. However, a rag doll, 9, created by a scientist in the last days of humanity, awakens; finds eight others like him and inspires them to face the machines that wants to annihilate them. They are perhaps the last hope of life on earth.
An American Tail is an animated adventure comedy film which tells the story of Fieval, a young Russian mouse, who gets separated from his family during their migration trip to America. Despite being completely new to the country, he attempts to trace his family.
Chanticleer is a rooster in a barnyard who has convinced all the other animals that it is his crowing that makes the sun rise and shine. However, one day, he forgets to crow and the sun comes anyway. In shame, he heads for the big city. Things soon take a turn when massive storms and clouds prevent the sun from shining again, and all the animals realize that they need him after all.
Christopher Plummer Awards
Beginners | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | 2012 |
Beginners | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | 2012 |
Madeline | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | 1994 |
Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series | 1977 |
The New Adventures of Madeline | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | 1994 |
Beginners | Best Supporting Actor | 2012 |