Christopher Plummer downplays his Oscar chances, but savours the glamour
Veteran Canadian actor on ballot for role that replaced Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World
If the Academy Awards are the measure of an actor's value, Canadian Christopher Plummer is at the top of his game.
Three nominations since 2010, including this year for playing J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World.
If that's not impressive enough, he began shooting his role for that film just two days after he finished reading the script.
It was a rush job, because director Ridley Scott decided to replace all the scenes with Kevin Spacey in them after allegations of sexual misconduct were made public.
When the nominations were announced, the headline in the Hollywood newspaper Variety wasn't that Plummer was nominated for the third time in eight years, but instead: "Plummer becomes oldest actor to be nominated for an Oscar."
"Not crazy about always being called the oldest," Plummer chuckled when we spoke near his winter home in Florida.
In fact, he said his age — or rather, his decades of experience in theatre — made the challenge of the last-minute reshoot easier than one might think. Plummer added that when you've done as much live theater as he has, "you have such great confidence to take risks and do what you want."
It also helped to have great faith in his director.
"I am very fond of Ridley. Wonderful sense of humour. Sardonic. That helped relax me," Plummer said.
Plummer exuded a comfortable confidence during the conversation, a man used to being in the spotlight. He first appeared on Broadway in 1953. He has starred on stage in London and, of course, in Canada, including the renowned Stratford Festival.
His list of awards — Emmys, a Genie, a British Film Award, Screen Actors Guild — speaks to an extraordinary international career that has spanned theater, television and movies. And then, at the age of 82, an Academy Award for his role in Beginners.
What is Plummer's perspective on sexual harassment in his industry?
"This has been going on since time began, since the Phoenicians. This has been a power play since the world began," he said.
As for #metoo, Plummer paused for a moment. "What am I going to say, other than it's great these women can come forward and feel they're supported."
Plummer said he isn't planning to make a #metoo statement on Oscar night. He's also pretty sure he won't be on stage accepting an award (his money is on Woody Harrelson or Sam Rockwell for their roles in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), though he'll have a brief acceptance speech ready just in case.
And while he'll savour the glamour of the award ceremony, he also said he's not planning to attend those famous after-parties.
It wasn't always that way.
"I loved to party when I was young," Plummer said. "I would have been the last to leave. They'd have to carry me out."
Things are different now, Plummer added with a wry smile. This Oscar night, "I'll try to get to bed as early as possible. I may go to sleep in my seat ..."
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- WATCH: What's an Oscar really worth?
Watch Ian Hanomansing's interview with Canadian actor Christopher Plummer from CBC's The National:
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