Elaine Taylor, the actor's wife, revealed that his death came after a fall that caused a head injury.
At the age of 91, with his wife by his side, legendary actor Christopher Plummer passed away peacefully at his home in Connecticut.
According to The New York Times, Plummer's wife of 53 years, Elaine Taylor revealed that the actor's death came after a fall that caused a head injury.
"Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self deprecating humour and the music of words," said Lou Pitt, the actor's friend and manager of 46 years, as reported by The Guardian. "He was a national treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will forever be with us."
With an acting career that stretches across seven decades, the Canadian-born star is praised for his roles in The Man Who Would Be King and All the Money in the World. But his performance as the Austrian naval officer, Georg von Trapp, in one of the most well-known musicals of movie history—The Sound of Music—still holds a special place for fans more than 50 years after the film's release.
After stepping onto the big screen in 1958 with his debut movie, Stage Struck, he has earned an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Emmys over the years. The charming actor became the oldest person to ever win an Academy Award in a competitive category and took home the prized golden statuette at the age of 82 for the 2012 movie, Beginners.
"You're only two years older than me, darling," Plummer said as he accepted the award during the ceremony. "Where have you been all my life?"
Following the actor's death, actress Julie Andrews who starred opposite Plummer in The Sound of Music mourned the loss of her co-star and said, as quoted by People, "The world has lost a consummate actor today and I have lost a cherished friend. I treasure the memories of our work together and all the humor and fun we shared through the years."
"My heart and condolences go out to his lovely wife Elaine, and his daughter Amanda," Andrews added.
Survived by his daughter and his third wife, Plummer shared a long-lasting marriage with Taylor after divorcing his first two wives, actress Tammy Grimes, and British journalist, Patricia Lewis.
His first and only daughter, Amanda Plummer was born to the actor during his first marriage. The father and daughter weren't close while Amanda was growing up, but she felt connected to him as she watched his films. "The way I saw him was on stage and screen. It’s not a sob story, that’s just the way it was," Amanda told Rolling Stone, as quoted by Heavy.
As she grew up, the two got closer and Amanda said, "I love my father so f***in’ much. I don’t know what to do with all the love I have for him. We get together now, and we have a great time."
While alive, Plummer gave all the credit to his wife for keeping his profligate behavior under control, according to The New York Times. When he gave his acceptance speech while receiving his Oscar award, he thanked his "long-suffering wife Elaine who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life."
References:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/movies/christopher-plummer-dead.html
https://people.com/movies/julie-andrews-mourns-her-sound-of-music-costar-christopher-plummer/
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/feb/05/christopher-plummer-sound-of-music-star-and-oldest-actor-to-win-an-oscar-dies-aged-91
https://heavy.com/entertainment/christopher-plummer-kids-family-children/
