Oscar-winning actor Christopher Plummer died Friday at the age of 91, after an impressive seven decade-spanning career, with a list of iconic film performances that will forever be associated with him. Here’s a selection of some of his best and most memorable roles and where to stream them.
Of course, everyone remembers Plummer as Captain von Trapp from “The Sound of Music,” opposite Julie Andrews as Maria, the nun-turned-nanny who connects to her young charges via song. The beloved musical is always worth a rewatch; catch it on Disney+ or rent it for $3.99 from iTunes, Amazon, YouTube.
Plummer played legendary “60 Minutes” newsman Mike Wallace in Michael Mann’s 1999 film “The Insider,” about Big Tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) and his negotiations with news producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino). Rent this thriller for $3.99 on Amazon, YouTube or Vudu.
Rian Johnson’s 2019 whodunnit “Knives Out” revolves around the questionable death of crime writer and Thrombey family patriarch Harlan, played by Plummer. This twisty tale is on Amazon Prime, or rent it for $3.99 on YouTube or Vudu.
Much of the discussion around Ridley Scott’s 2017 film “All the Money in the World” centered on the last-minute recasting and re-shoots that excised the scandal-plagued Kevin Spacey to replace his performance as J. Paul Getty with the legendary Plummer. Despite the extraordinary shooting circumstances, Plummer turns in a great performance as the miserly Getty, who is preoccupied with building his villa while his grandson is kidnapped in Italy. The performance earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Rent it for $2.99 Amazon, or $3.99 on iTunes and YouTube.
Plummer earned his only Oscar statue, for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in Mike Mills’ indie film, the 2010 movie “Beginners.” A tribute to Mills’ father, the film follows the process of septuagenarian Hal (Plummer) coming out of the closet to his son, Oliver (Ewan McGregor), while also revealing he has cancer. It’s a beautiful film, and a great Valentine’s Day movie selection. Watch it on HBO Max or rent it for $3.99 Amazon, YouTube, or Vudu.
Plummer was also Oscar-nominated for his performance as Leo Tolstoy in the 2009 film “The Last Station” ($2.99 on Amazon, Vudu, $3.99 on YouTube), and be sure to catch him opposite Crowe in Ron Howard’s 2001 film “A Beautiful Mind” ($3.99 on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu). He’s also fantastic in the Elliott Gould-starring 1978 thriller “The Silent Partner,” available on Criterion Channel or Kanopy. And don’t miss his turn as lSherlock Holmes in the 1979 film “Murder by Decree,” free with ads on the Roku Channel or a $3.99 rental on iTunes, Amazon or YouTube.
