EXCLUSIVE: Angela Cartwright, Nicholas Hammond and Kym Karath are remembering their on-screen father, Christopher Plummer.
The legendary actor, who played the famous Captain von Trapp in the 1965 musical “The Sound of Music”, passed away on Friday at the age of 91, his family confirmed. His wife Elaine Taylor was at his side.
Cartwright and Hammond played von Trapp’s sons, Brigitta and Friedrich, in the beloved film. Karath also appeared as sister Gretl von Trapp.
“Christopher Plummer showed this aspiring 14-year-old actor what acting really was,” Hammond told Fox News. “Uncompromising in his search for the truth in any role, from Hamlet to Lear and Tolstoy. His reinvention of the role of Captain von Trapp gave the film a seriousness and integrity that the stage musical never had.”
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, STAR OF ‘SOUND OF MUSIC’ AND LEGEND OF HOLLYWOOD, DEAD AT 91
“He made every film and every piece he did best with his presence and skill,” shared the 70-year-old. “I idolized him as my cinematographic father, he was my model in the years that followed. It is a big blow for us in the ‘Music in the Heart’ family, we, along with the whole world, will miss you very much. “
The actors playing members of the von Trapp family in a promotional portrait of ‘The Sound Of Music’, directed by Robert Wise, 1965. From left to right: Nicholas Hammond as Friedrich, Kym Karath as Gretl, Angela Cartwright as Brigitta, Julie Andrews as Maria, Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp, Charmian Carr as Liesl, Heather Menzies as Louisa, Debbie Turner as Marta and Duane Chase as Kurt.
(Photo from the Silver Screen collection / Getty Images)
“I was very sad to hear of Christopher Plummer’s passing,” Cartwright also told Fox News. “The cast of ‘The Sound of Music’ has always seemed like a family, so losing Christopher is difficult. He was very talented and brought originality and avant-garde to the roles he played. He was 91 years old … but his legacy will continue to live for always. Goodbye, captain. “
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Chris Plummer,” shared Karath. “He was a lovely man, brilliantly talented and incredibly witty. He was the best parent in cinema and a friend. He will be missed by many.”
Plummer spent more than 50 years in the entertainment industry, both on stage and on screen. His best-known role may have been that of the dashing Captain von Trapp in Robert Wise’s “The Sound of Music” opposite Julie Andrews.
The role catapulted Plummer to stardom, but he never took on male roles, despite his gray hair, good looks and English accent. He preferred parts of characters, considering them more substantial.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER REMEMBERED BY ‘SOUND OF MUSIC’ CO-STAR JULIE ANDREWS: ‘I LOST AN ANIMATED FRIEND’
Plummer had a remarkable cinematic renaissance at the end of his life, which began with his acclaimed performance as Mike Wallace in Michael Mann’s 1999 film “The Insider” and continued in films such as “A Beautiful Mind” in 2001 and “The Last Station” by 2009, in which he played a deteriorated Tolstoy and was nominated for an Oscar.
Angela Cartwright with her ‘Music in the Heart’ co-star Christopher Plummer.
(Photo courtesy of Angela Cartwright)
His other roles ranged from “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” to the villain’s voice in 2009’s “Up” and as a shrewd lawyer in Broadway’s “Inherit the Wind”.
In 2012, Plummer won an Oscar for supporting actor for his role in “Beginners” as Hal Fields, a museum director who becomes openly gay after his wife, 44 years ago, dies. Their final love relationship becomes an inspiration for their son, who struggles with his father’s death and how to find intimacy in a new relationship.
“Many people in the world are unhappy with their fate. And then they retire and become vegetables. I think retirement in any profession is death, so I am determined to keep cracking,” he told the Associated Press in 2011.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Actress Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in a scene from the film ‘The Sound of Music’.
(Photo by Donaldson Collection / Getty Images)
On Friday, Andrews, 85, revealed how she will never forget her co-star and friend.
“The world lost an accomplished actor today and I lost a dear friend,” said Andrews in a statement sent to Fox News. “I keep the memories of our work together and all the humor and fun we’ve shared over the years.”
“My heart and condolences go out to your lovely wife Elaine and daughter Amanda,” she added.
In 2018, Cartwright told Fox News that during his time filming “The Sound of Music”, Plummer has always remained in character, even when the cameras stopped shooting.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER’S MOST MEMORABLE ROLES, FROM ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ TO ‘KNIVES OUT’
“All the kids were a little cautious,” she recalled at the time. “I always liked Chris a lot. He was very sweet to me”
“Some of the kids had no acting experience, so they didn’t know what to expect,” she shared. “But you have to admit, he was so adorable in that movie, even though he was very fast and severe, I think. Now that I look at the film as an adult, I can appreciate his acting style … And remember, that was a serious actor who made Shakespeare. I knew he was very afraid that this film was going to be disastrous. And I think it was that goal of not making this film so sweet that made it so popular. “
Melissa Roberto from Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report