Christopher Plummer Talks Frankly About Replacing Kevin Spacey

"The Sound of Music" was my mother's favorite film. We looked forward to seeing it every year around Thanksgiving. So despite Mr. Plummer's ennui regarding the entire enterprise, he made a huge difference in the lives of lots of people as Captain von Trapp. Over twenty years ago when I was a student in Montreal, my friends and I were walking down the street for at least half a mile perhaps about ten yards behind Mr. Plummer and his daughter Amanda Plummer. We did not realize this until he looked back for some reason and we realized it was him. His daughter had recently been in "Pulp Fiction" so she was something of a celebrity too. Anyway, he gave us one these looks like he hoped we weren't stalking him. We weren't and we turned the next corner just be polite. It was a momentarily thrill, however, to be eye-to-eye with him.

the interviewer was pretty bad. I'm sure Mr. Plummer is a very interesting man with lots to say, but this interviewer decided instead to go the vapid route.

The Sound of Music cannot be judged as good or bad...it transcends those judgements as it is a beautiful emblem of childhood for so many of us---pure joy. The songs are the songs of childhood and continue to be.

I remember seeing him in the Sound of Music. My mother took me; I was 13 years old. I didn't particularly like it, as I was too young to fully appreciate it. However, I became a huge film aficionado. A year later I went to Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece (they all are; he was the greatest), 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1971 I saw "A Clockwork Orange" after reading the book first. I had seen Anthony Burgess on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. The main thing I recalled about it was Burgess said he was "obsessed with words". Of course,the film blew my socks off, and I went to see it 3 days in a row with as many people as I could drag along with me (a favorite habit of mine). A few years later, I saw Malcolm McDowell and Christopher Plummer in a fairly good film, "Aces High". Then decades later Plummer was cast with Colin Farrell in the lead role as Captain Smith in a brilliantly cast and made film (especially the extended version), "The New World". In addition to Christian Bale and David Thewlis was a previously unknown 16 year old girl who also blew me away, Q'orianka Kilcher. Like Malcolm McDowell in "A Clockwork Orange", she was the only person who could play Pocahontas. She could have been Mother Nature. He is wonderful actor, and can play them all.

How ironic that Christopher Plummer is finally receiving the acclaim he has always deserved because he is replacing Kevin Spacey. When I read that Scott Ridley had wanted him in the first place but was not able to cast him because the studio wanted "a bigger name" I almost choked on whatever it was I was eating at the time. Never in my wildest dreams would I consider Kevin Spacey a bigger name than Christopher Plummer. My God, man! Plummer is, and has been for some decades, probably the finest stage actor in the English speaking world! I treasure the few times I was able to see him full stride in classic roles such as his Lear at The Vivian Beaumont in 2004. Ben Brantley once remarked Plummer had "an uncanny gift for projecting subtlety to the back of the balcony." A perfect description of his unique gifts. For those who would like to see him on stage at the top of his game, a relatively recent (2011) performance of his his Prospero in the excellent Stratford Shakespeare Festival's production of The Tempest is available on dvd.

A beautiful interview of an exceptional actor. His honesty and sense of irony make me greatly admire him. He seems to have absorbed many Shakespearean lessons of a search for moderation and compassion in life, a knowledge of a public persona vs a real person. I also saw his Iago when Othello played on Broadway. Wish we could get it online. Wouldn't that be terrific. Here's wishing for continued good roles for you Mr. Plummer.

I look forward to seeing the film and congratulate Mr. Plummer on his involvement, but I do think, in the interests of aesthetics, that it is of paramount importance that some day Kevin Spacey's performance is also made available so that scholars and students of acting and directing can compare the two.

I cannot even imagine Kevin Spacey in the role of Getty in the film. Christopher Plummer was excellent! There's no one like him.

When the news broke about Christopher Plummer replacing Kevin Spacey I was watching "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and there he was - General Chang, Chief of Staff to Chancelor Gorkon of the Klingon Empire!!! And the character frequently quoted Shakespeare in the film. Perfect casting!!!!

I saw Christopher Plummer's Iago in New York. While decades ago, I still remembering that performance. Each speech was passionate, riveting and, when done, as he exited, the audience erupted in applause as if he'd performed a great opera aria. I've never seen anything like that before or since. It was thrilling. A great actor.

Last of a dying breed of classically trained actors whose love of their craft shows in the creative choices they make, the roles they choose and the performances they deliver. "Chris" has played so many, many memorable roles. I regret that I missed "All The Money" while it played in my suburban theaters, but I look forward to seeing at home soon. His recent work in "Remember" and that of the late great Martin Landau is not to be missed. Thank you Mr. Plummer for enthralling me for all these years.

I recommend his thrilling performance in "Beginners," for which he won an Academy Award. He also deserved to win for his performance as Tolstoy in "The Last Station." There isn't a better actor alive. And he's still gorgeous at 88!