The dazzlingly phenomenal Canadian actor Christopher Plummer, whose film career spanned seven decades, was rumored to be gay. The news surfaced after the actor played an openly gay role in a movie that changed his life. Soon his fans started to wonder if Christopher Plummer was gay or straight. Well, his performance made him the very first oldest actor to compete for Oscar. It was a reward for his inspiring career. But fans still wonder about his sexuality. So let’s dig deeper into this.
Early life
Born in 1929 in Toronto to John Orme Plummer and Isabella Mary Abbott, Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer was the great-grandson of Canadian Prime Minister Sir John Abbott. Unfortunately, Plummer’s parents separated after his birth. So he was raised by his mother in Senneville, Quebec, in the home of the Abbott family. He spoke fluent French and English.
Plummer attended the High School of Montreal and developed an interest in acting. Plummer later learned the basics of acting from the Montreal Repertory Theatre. He never went to college and regretted it all his life. But his acting skills helped him land a great role only at the age of 18.
The Career of Christopher Plummer
Plummer got his first starring role in Henry V as Hal at the 1956 Stratford festival in Ontario. His first performance led him to land many stage roles on both Broadway and Stratford. In fact, he got his first Tony nomination in 1959 for his role in Archibald MacLeish’s JB, directed by Elia Kazan. Plummer later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK, securing roles as Benedick and the titular character of Richard III in 1961. His role in The Sound Of Music, however, was a complete breakthrough in 1965.
However, in an interview, Plummer was furious when he learned that his singing voice would be dubbed. The only reason he played that role was to be able to perform a musical on film on stage. But in the end he is at peace with it. Shortly after that film, Plummer rose to fame and appeared in high-profile films. Although he remained in the industry throughout the 80s and 90s, the quality of his film roles began to decline. But in 1997, Plummer won another Tony award for his titular role in Barrymore.
Plummer’s film career peaked in his 80s, but he returned with his dynamic acting skills in The Last Station. In 2010, he received his first Oscar nomination, but lost to Christoph Waltz for best supporting statuette. This nomination aroused incredible interest in his career, and a few years later he won the Oscar for beginners in the same category. Plummer broke the stereotype when he became the first-ever actor to receive an Oscar in his senior years. Once again, Plummer broke his record when he got another Oscar nomination All the money in the world.
There was an interesting story behind Plummer’s role in All Money In The World. The film’s director, Ridley Scott, completed shooting with Kevin Spacey. However, a series of sexual harassment allegations against him forced the change. So Scott gathered everyone to reshoot the movie with Plummer. Scott admitted that Plummer was his first choice, but because of his age, he decided to go for Spacey. Plummer quickly proved himself by earning his third Oscar nomination, at the age of 88.
Is Christopher Plummer gay?
As mentioned above, Plummer won an Oscar for beginners. But do you know he played a gay man in this movie? However, it was just a movie and he wasn’t gay in his real life. But his amazing performance left his fans wondering if he was gay in real life. Well, it proved how great an actor he was. So, who was Christopher Plummer’s wife?
Talking about his personal life, Plummer got married three times. He married Tammy Grimes in 1956. Their marriage lasted only four years. But they had a beautiful daughter together, actress Amanda Michael. He later married journalist Patricia Lewis in May 1962. But they separated in 1967. Three years later, he married another actress, Elaine Taylor.
Christopher Plummer dead
Sadly, Plummer passed away peacefully at the Connecticut home at the age of 91. His wife, Elaine, was by his side as he took his last breath. Shortly after his death announcement, his co-star Julie Andrews (The Sound Of Music) paid tribute. She said, “The world has lost a consummate actor today,” and she lost her boyfriend. “I cherish the memories” of working together. Tributes came from across the industry. Plummer served as a Knight of the Order of Canada in 1968. In 2001, he earned an award from the Governor General for lifetime artistic achievement.
Are you among those who believed that Christopher Plummer was gay after seeing his performance in Beginners? Comment your thought below. Stay tuned. TechRadar247 will keep you posted.
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