“A Word or Two …”
The 2019 Esther Elson Memorial Lecture
This presentation replaces Chris Wallace, “A View from Washington.” Wallace will return as an O’Keeffe Speaker in the 2021-22 season. Your tickets and reservations for Chris Wallace automatically will be transferred to this presentation.
Christopher Plummer, a valued member of The Society of the Four Arts, died on February 5. His immense acting talents live on in his filmed productions and the memories of those who saw him perform, including The Four Arts audience which was blessed to watch him dazzle on our stage in February 2019. Enjoy this homage to one of the greatest actors of the past century.
Born in Ontario, Canada, Christopher Plummer took an early interest in the stage, acting in various productions that included ballet and opera. After headlining for three of the world’s most noted theater companies, Plummer starred in a host of movies, most memorably playing Baron Georg Von Trapp in the smash hit musical “The Sound of Music” (1965).
Though he remained prolific both on stage and on screen, the classically trained actor struggled to find film roles that paralleled his immense talent. Plummer found solace on the stage, where he won Tonys for Best Leading Actor in the musical “Cyrano” (1974) and the drama “Barrymore” (1997). He also gave a titular performance in “King Lear” (2004).
Classically handsome and equally capable of channeling good nature or villainy as required by the script, Plummer also easily straddled starring and character roles, acting in such acclaimed films as “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975), “The Insider” (1999), “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), “The New World” (2005), and “Syriana” (2005). He has worked with directors as diverse as John Huston, Spike Lee, Michael Mann, and Ron Howard.
He garnered an Academy Award nomination as the literary revolutionary Leo Tolstoy in “The Last Station” (2009). Within the next year, he won his first Oscar in a supporting role for “Beginners” (2010). In 2017 the octogenarian was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance as J. Paul Getty in Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World.”