CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER

1998 INDUCTEE

Christopher Plummer is one of Canada's most prominent and respected actors. Though he is most recognized for his role as Captain von Trapp in the film, "The Sound of Music," it is his theatrical work that is lauded by critics and audiences alike. He is one of the world's finest stage performers to this day.

Plummer was born in Toronto in 1927. His parents divorced and his mother took him to Montreal where he lived among an eclectic group of relatives who inspired his growing creative talents. He was exposed to all sorts of cultural activities: the opera, ballet, theatre and he even studied to be a concert pianist. But it was his love of theatre that took and he began acting in high school. He went on to train for the theatre with the Canadian Reparatory Company in Ottawa.

Christopher Plummer began his professional career in Canadian theatre, radio in the late 1940s, performing in both in both the English and French. He made his Broadway debut in 1954 and has performed numerous roles at the Stratford Festival of Canada and London's West End. His recent portrayal of the tragic king in the Broadway-staged production of Stratford's King Lear inspired the New York Times to call him, "the most accomplished classical actor in North America."

Plummer was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968. He was given an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from New York's Juilliard School and is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award by the Governor-General of Canada. In 1986, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. In 2002, he starred with his "Sound of Music" co-star, Dame Julie Andrews and Charlotte Church in "A Royal Christmas," one of the largest holiday extravaganzas ever produced for the stage. Plummer is still a sought-after performer in his late 70's, and age has not diminished his workload or his energy.