Legendary actor Christopher Plummer died at the age of 91, and the heart of the cinematic world has a hole in it. He won many accolades, including two Tonys, two Emmys and an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his performance in 2011’s “Beginners” from writer and director Mike Mills. At 82, he became the oldest winner of a competitive Oscar in an acting category, surpassing Jessica Tandy for “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Not done making history, he was nominated for an Oscar for 2017’s “All the Money in the World” from director Ridley Scott. At 88, the role made Plummer the oldest Academy Award nominee for acting ever.
With a career that started with Sidney Lumet’s “Stage Struck” in 1958, Plummer didn’t garner Academy attention until 2010 for his turn as Tolstoy in Michael Hoffman’s “The Last Station” opposite Helen Mirren. He was one of the rare stories in Hollywood where an actor of his stature takes off with such ferocity well into his 60s and 70s. He never let up.
With more than 100 films to choose from, here are the 10 best performances of his career. Any list that includes a master such as Plummer is obviously subjective, and there is always an argument to be made for other inclusions or a higher ranking for those that are mentioned.
Honorable mentions: “Oedipus the King” (1968), “Rock-A-Doodle” (1991), “12 Monkeys” (1996), “Inside Man” (2006), “Barrymore” (2011)
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A Beautiful Mind (2001)
ROLE: Dr. Rosen
Directed by: Ron Howard
Dr. Rosen offers the viewer truth to John Nash’s (Russell Crowe) world that’s been disconnected from reality. In this Oscar winner for best picture, Plummer’s simple questions such as, “Who are you talking to?” projects the power of his inquiry, adding to a tension-filled and gorgeously executed moment.
From Variety’s review by Todd McCarthy on Dec 14, 2001:
Nash becomes so unhinged he’s carted off by a doctor (Christopher Plummer) who Nash’s old roomie Charles insists is actually a Russian agent. Shortly past pic’s midpoint, major revelations about Nash’s condition are made to both Alicia, who has been unaware of his activities, and the audience, and Nash begins conventional insulin therapy that is eventually followed by his resolve to battle a disease normally considered incurable.
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The Last Station (2009)
ROLE: Tolstoy
Directed by: Michael Hoffman
The role that brought Plummer his first Academy Award nomination in best supporting actor, his lovable and infectious Tolstoy adds to Michael Hoffman’s beautiful portrait of the famed author. With his acting sparring with Helen Mirren, who was also nominated for an Oscar, the two showcase all of Plummer’s naturalisms that made him amazing during his remarkable career.
From the Variety review by Todd McCarthy on Sept. 7, 2009:
The awestruck Valentin is warmly welcomed by the writer, who, in Plummer’s seductive, appealingly naturalistic performance, instantly emerges as a real man, not as a self-important legend. This Tolstoy does not need his ego bolstered by flatterers and sycophants; well aware of his status, he turns attention back on those around him. There is, impressively, virtually no ham in Plummer’s work here, just stature and humanity.
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All the Money in the World (2017)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sony ROLE: J. Paul Getty
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Plummer was a commanding presence on the screen, stepping into any role with assurance and dignity. His J. Paul Getty in Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World” nabbed headlines because of the reshoots due to the sexual assault and misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey, but his commitment to the complex billionaire erased any controversy. He was always that good.
From Variety’s review by Peter Debruge on Dec. 20, 2017:
We may never know how Spacey would have been, but Plummer is easily the best thing about a film that is technically accomplished, yet a bit too mechanical in the way it sets up and executes the high-stakes kidnapping at its center. Charming yet lethal, he humanizes a character who could have been the villain of a plot directed against himself — so stingy he does his own laundry in order to save a few lire, yet so magnanimous that complete strangers write letters begging for his support.
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Knives Out (2019)
ROLE: Harlan Thrombey
Directed by: Rian Johnson
The “whodunit” from the multi-talented Rian Johnson is nothing without the anchor of the Plummer’s subdued and delicate performance. Especially in his interactions with co-star Ana de Armas, you get a sensitivity that would be missed with any actor taking the reigns.
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Dolores Claiborne (1995)
ROLE: Detective John Mackey
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
The adaptation of the Stephen King novel is one of the underappreciated gems of the 1990s — in particular, the four performances from Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Strathairn and none other than Christopher Plummer as the detective hellbent on proving the titular character’s guilt. He finds his way to make his mark in anything he touches, and he keeps the audience’s internal conflict with Dolores’ actions intact.
From Variety‘s review by Brian Lowry on March 19, 1995:
Accused of murdering the old woman for whom she’s cared the past 22 years, Dolores is forced to confront her estranged daughter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and the mysterious death two decades earlier of her abusive husband, deemed an accident at the time despite the suspicions of the detective involved (Christopher Plummer).
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Dragnet (1987)
ROLE: Reverend Jonathan Whirley
Directed by: Tom Mankiewicz
You can’t love the dramatic parts of Plummer’s career without appreciating the beloved Whirley from the 1980s comedy with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks. It might be forgettable to some or too “low-brow” for the average industry professional, but to general audiences, “Dragnet” offers a lot to an arsenal of cop comedies. You don’t get to set up the classic line by Aykroyd, “Ah, sure, but just like every other foaming, rabid psycho in this city with a foolproof plan, you’ve forgotten you’re facing the single finest fighting force ever assembled” without Plummer first telling us that “Mr. Caesar will be sitting in that great big jacuzzi in the sky…”
From the Variety review in 1987:
Christopher Plummer is the kinkiest of the lot as televangelist Reverend Whirley. He considers LA the ‘current capital of depravity’, heads up MAMA (Moral Advanced Movement of America) but secretly leads a cultist outfit called PAGANs (People Against Goodness And Normalcy).
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The Sound of Music (1965)
ROLE: Captain Von Trapp
Directed by: Robert Wise
Plummer’s role as Captain Von Trapp was instrumental in not just with the film gaining a classical status, but also winning five Academy Awards, including best picture. His musical moments and charisma with co-star Julie Andrews is well worth remembering.
From the Variety review by Whitney Williams on March 2, 1965:
Plummer also is particularly forceful as Von Trapp, former Austrian Navy officer who rather than be drafted into service under Hitler prefers to leave his homeland. He scores with several song numbers, outstanding here “Edelweiss,” and is bound to be cast importantly in future films.
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Beginners (2010)
ROLE: Hal
Directed by: Mike Mills
Plummer made history as the oldest acting winner in Academy history when he won for his role as Hal, the wonderful father who comes out following his wife’s death. Steamrolling the awards season with passion, it remained one of the finest wins of that decade and showed that a fine actor never slows down. They just continue to get better.
From Variety‘s review by Peter Debruge on Sept. 12, 2010:
After years on the sidelines, the old man, played by Christopher Plummer with liberating relish, suddenly emerges as a character in Oliver’s life, which had otherwise been dominated by his affectionate but vaguely unstable mother (winningly played by Mary Page Keller).
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Up (2009)
ROLE: Charles Muntz
Directed by: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson (co-director)
Plummer never gets enough credit for voicing one of the best Pixar villains of all-time. His Charles Muntz is incredibly vicious, allowing Plummer to infuse his welcoming vocals before terrifying the viewer up until the moment of his shocking demise. It’s one of his best, and another example for the Academy to add a category for best voice work to its category list.
From Variety‘s review by Todd McCarthy on May 12, 2009:
Unsurprisingly, no one puts a foot wrong here. Vocal performances, most importantly from Asner, Plummer and nonpro Nagai, exude a warm enthusiasm, and tech specifications could not be better.
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The Insider (1999)
ROLE: Mike Wallace
Directed by: Michael Mann
You don’t get much better than Michael Mann’s thriller that navigates the journalistic world with the powerhouse performances of Russell Crowe, Al Pacino and none other than Christopher Plummer. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture. Unfortunately, Plummer was not among the best supporting actor nominees, although he won prizes from the Los Angeles and National Society of Film Critics Awards. The words of Mann and co-writer Eric Roth were never put to better use.
From Variety‘s review by Todd McCarthy on Oct. 4, 1999:
On the other hand, the benefits of less-is-more are readily seen in the case of Plummer’s Wallace. In his handful of judiciously chosen and sharply written scenes, Plummer delivers enormous satisfaction in an authoritative portrait of the celebrated newsman who is gruff, shrewd, arrogant when he needs to be and always extremely smart — except for one crucial moment.