In his acceptance speech, Plummer joked about his age. Looking at his Oscar statuette, he said: "You’re only two years older than me darling, where have you been all of my life?”
He was almost right – the first Academy Awards ceremony was held in May 1929, six months before Plummer was born.
Plummer also thanked his fellow nominees, Beginners co-stars, and his wife, who he said "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life".
During a career spanning over five decades, the Canadian actor has appeared in many film, television and stage productions, including the Return of the Pink Panther, The Thorn Birds, Malcolm X, and A Beautiful Mind. However, until recently he was often remembered for his role as widowed Austrian Navy Captain Georg Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, opposite Julie Andrews (1999), Plummer has won increasing industry recognition. He received a first Oscar nomination – also in the Best Supporting Actor category – for his portrayal of Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009).
In Beginners, he plays Hal Fields, a museum director who comes out as gay after the death of his wife of 44 years, in a role inspired by the real-life story of director Mike Mills' father.
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