Christopher Plummer, who has recently completed his Tony-nominated performance as King Lear in Sir Jonathan Miller's much lauded production at Lincoln Center, has enjoyed 50 years as one of the English speaking theatre's most distinguished actors and as a veteran of international renown in over 100 motion pictures.
It was in his hometown of Montreal that Plummer began his professional career on stage and radio in both French and English. After Eva Le Gallienne gave him his New York debut (1954) he went on to star in many celebrated, prize-winning productions on Broadway and London's West End including Elia Kazan's production of Archibald MacLeish's Pulitzer winning play "J.B.," and the title role in Anthony Burgess' musical "Cyrano" for which Plummer won his first Tony. Apart from "King Lear," his most recent Broadway success was as "Barrymore" for which he won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award--The Edwin Booth Award, the Boston Critic's Award, Chicago's Jefferson Award, and Los Angeles' Ovation Award as best actor 1997-1998. He was also a leading member of Britain's National Theatre under Sir Laurence Olivier, the Royal Shakespeare Company under Sir Peter Hall, and in its formative years, Canada's Stratford Festival under Sir Tyrone Guthrie and Michael Langham. He has played most of the great roles in the classic repertoire.
Plummer's eclectic career on screen began when Sidney Lumet gave him his movie debut in "Stage Struck." Since then he has appeared in a host of notable films which include the Academy Award winning "The Sound of Music," "The Man Who Would Be King," "The Battle of Britain," "Waterloo," "The Silent Partner," "Dragnet," "Daisy Clover," "Star Trek IV," "Malcolm X," "Dolores Claibourne," "Wolf," "Twelve Monkeys," "Murder by Decree," "Somewhere in Time," and a host of others. Plummer's latest successes are Michael Mann's Oscar Nominated "The Insider" playing television journalist Mike Wallace, for which he won the Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas and the National Critic's Awards, and Ron Howard's Academy Award winning "A Beautiful Mind" as well as Etom Egoyan's "Ararat." His latest films are "Blizzard," Devil's Throat," Douglas McGrath's "Nicholas Nickleby" and soon to be released "Alexander" from Oliver Stone and "National Treasure."
His television appearances, which number into the hundreds, include the Emmy winning BBC "Hamlet at Elsinore," the five time Emmy winning "The Thornbirds," the Emmy winning "Nuremberg," the Emmy winning "Little Moon of Alban" and the Emmy winning "Moneychangers" and most recently "On Golden Pond" co-starring with Julie Andrews. Plummer has also written for the stage, television and the concert-hall.
Aside from many honors in the UK, USA, Austria and Canada, Plummer has won two Tony Awards (six nominations), two Emmy Awards (six nominations), Great Britain's Evening Standard Award, and Canada's Genie Award. In 1968 sanctioned by Elizabeth II, he was invested as Companion of the Order of Canada, an honorary Knighthood. He was made an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts at New York's Julliard School and received the Governor General's lifetime achievement award in 2001. In 2002 he was the first performer to be presented with the Jason Robard's Award for Excellence in memory of his great friend. Plummer was inducted into the American Theatre's Hall of Fame in 1986 and into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1997.
