At 82, Plummer becomes the oldest person ever to win a competitive Oscar for acting
In "Beginners, " Plummer plays an aging museum director who comes out of the closet after the death of his longtime wife, but then is diagnosed with a fatal disease. The role is based on writer-director Mike Mills' father, with Ewan McGregor playing a part based on Mills.
Plummer has been a frontrunner since the beginning of the Oscar race, winning a number of critics' awards and also taking home prizes at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards, SAG Awards and BAFTA Awards.
The Canadian actor's career stretches back more than 50 years and includes such iconic films as "The Sound of Music, " "The Man Who Would Be King" and "The Insider." His first Oscar nomination was just two years ago, when he was nominated for his role as Tolstoy in "The Last Station."
The win puts Plummer three-quarters of the way to an EGOT, the Emmy/Grammy/Oscar/Tony grand slam. He has already won two Emmys and two Tonys.
