Christopher Plummer Remembered By Julie Andrews As Sound Of Music Co-Star Leads Tributes

Dame Julie Andrews has led tributes to her Sound Of Music co-star Christopher Plummer, following his death. 

The Canadian actor died at this home in Connecticut on Friday at the age of 91.

Following news of his death, Julie – who starred opposite Christopher in the beloved 1965 musical – hailed him a as “consummate actor” and a “cherished friend”.

Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews 

In a statement to the PA news agency, she added: “I treasure the memories of our work together and all the humour and fun we shared through the years.

“My heart and condolences go out to his lovely wife Elaine and his daughter Amanda.”

Christopher played stern widower Captain von Trapp in The Sound Of Music, and was later dismissive of the film despite its success, calling his role “a cardboard figure, humourless and one-dimensional”. 

It took him four decades to change his view of the film and embrace it as a “terrific movie” that made him proud.

Russell Crowe, Christopher’s co-star in The Insider and A Beautiful Mind, was among the other Hollywood figures who paid tribute.

Russell Crowe 

He shared a Twitter thread recalling a story Christopher had told him about being a young actor in 1960s London and bumping into Peter Finch, the Oscar-winning star of 1976 drama Network.

Christopher had recently started dating a young woman and former partner of Peter’s, who had arrived at a party in Chelsea in a “very confrontational mood”.

After Peter followed them around “making disparaging remarks”, the woman insisted she and Plummer leave. However, Peter followed them into the car and “kept up a torrent of abuse from the back seat”.

Eventually, according to Russell, the woman kicked them both out. Christopher is said to have been “chilled with fear” at being left alone with Peter, who had “threatened him with physical violence a number of times”.

However, Russell said: “In an instant the red anger left his (Peter’s) face, and the piercing knives of his eyes resolved into something impish and charming… ‘Thank f*** we got rid of her’ he bellowed mellifluously, echoing off the empty street, then whispered ‘let’s find a drink’. They became friends.”

Recalling his time working with Christopher, Russell added: “Occasionally we would spend time together after work. He preferred one on one, a good drink, not just any drink. I appreciated his candour and wisdom. As Actors do though, in the big circles we swing around, we fell out of touch.

“I reached out to him in 2012 after he won the Academy Award to say ‘on behalf of Finch and I, welcome to the club’. He laughed. Rest In Peace Mr Plummer. Good man. Fine actor.”

Anne Hathaway, who appeared alongside Christopher in a 2002 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby, said he was “calm, steady, generous, and so, so funny”. 

In her tribute, she recalled how he was on hand to present her with her Academy Award for 2012’s Les Miserables.

She wrote on Instagram: “It felt so special when it was you who handed me my Oscar a decade later. I was still the one shaking in my shoes; somehow you were still keeping me steady just with your formidable, warm, loving presence.”

Anne added “I hope you felt all the love you created.”

Director Sir Ridley Scott, who worked with Christopher in All The Money In The World, said: “What a guy. What a talent. What a life.”

A number of other Hollywood stars including Kathy Bates and Williams Shatner paid tribute online…

READ MORE: