Christopher Plummer received his very first Oscar Sunday night and at 82 became the oldest actor ever to win. Stepping onstage to a standing ovation, Mr. Plummer, all old Hollywood class, was charming and funny as he held the award and asked “You’re only two years older than me darling, where have you been all of my life?”
The 84th Academy Awards saw Plummer win the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Hal in “Beginners”. In the movie, he plays father to Ewing McGregor, and comes out as openly gay in his 70s after his wife of 44 years dies. After embracing his new life, he later faces a diagnosis of terminal cancer.
Best known as Captain Von Trapp in the 1965 Academy Award for Best Picture “Sound of Music”, Plummer performed many iconic roles on film, television and stage over his last 60 years in show business. However, it’s his later work that garnered him the attention of the Academy. He received his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2010 for his work in “The Last Station,” but lost to Christopher Waltz for “Inglorious Basterds.”
Not the only octogenarian up for the same award that night, Max Von Sydow, also 82, was nominated for his role in the movie “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”, where he plays a mute survivor of World War II. Prior to Mr. Plummer’s win, the oldest Academy Award winner for acting was Jessica Tandy at 80-years-old for her performance in “Driving Miss Daisy”.
In the press room when asked if the award was a beginning for him, Mr. Plummer replied, “Well, it is sort of a renewal, it’s not a beginning exactly, but it has recharged me and I hope I can do it for another 10 years at least. I’m going to drop dead wherever I am, on stage or on the set. We don’t retire in our profession, thank God.” (examiner.com)
