PLUMMER, CHRISTOPHER

born Dec. 13, 1929, Toronto byname of Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer Canadian actor known for his interpretations of classical roles on the stage as well as his starring and supporting roles in motion pictures. Plummer made his first professional appearance in 1950 in Ottawa and spent several years performing with Canadian repertory theatre groups. In 1954 he made his New York City debut and soon attracted wide critical praise. He joined the American Shakespeare Festival Company in Stratford, Conn., in 1955quickly establishing a reputation as a leading Shakespearean actor and performing in repertory in Canada and England as well as the United States. His nonclassical roles included those in such plays as The Dark is Light Enough (1955), The Lark (1955), Arturo Ui (1963), The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1965), and The Good Doctor (1973). In 1981 he returned to Shakespeare to play Iago, opposite the Othello of James Earl Jones. Plummer's first motion picture was Stage Struck (1956), and later notable film performances were in The Sound of Music (1965), The Battle of Britain (1968), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Silent Partner (1978), Murder by Decree (1980), and Eyewitness (1981).