Christopher Plummer most likely stays best-known for his portrayal of Captain Von Trapp within the 1965 blockbuster The Sound of Music. Whereas his character infamously seems fairly grumpy on display, behind the scenes the actor himself was additionally usually in a tough temper, and despised making the movie.

Even within the Sixties, singing nuns and Nazis have been considerably kitsch, however the plain allure of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical melted the hardest hearts, besides maybe that of its main man. It is saying one thing if the perpetually cheerful Andrews had issue coping with his on-set behaviour.

Regardless of the movie’s fast and ongoing extraordinary field workplace success, Plummer was already making these notorious ‘Sound of Mucus’ feedback by the next 12 months. And through filming, the actor resorted to drastic measures to get by way of scenes, together with hitting the bottle earlier than maybe his most iconic and beloved certainly one of all.

Plummer had an extended and illustrious stage and Hollywood profession and at last gained an Oscar for Inexperienced persons in 2012. He made his Broadway debut in The Starless Sky in 1953 – a play that closed on its opening night time. He was praised for delicate and nuanced performances through the years, culminating in his ultimate Oscar nomination in 2018 for All The Cash In The World.

Many “critical” and non-singer actors discovered themselves performing in musicals throughout Hollywood’s Golden Age, together with Marlon Brando in Guys And Dolls and Rex Harrison in My Honest Woman, however Plummer later admitted he behaved ungraciously whereas making The Sound of Music.

He mentioned: “I used to be a pampered, conceited, younger bast**d spoiled by too many nice theatre roles… Though we labored laborious sufficient to make (Captain Von Trapp) attention-grabbing, it was a bit like flogging a useless horse. And the subject material just isn’t mine. I imply, it might probably’t enchantment to each individual on this planet. It is not my cup of tea.”

In his 2008 memoir, In Spite of Myself, the actor additionally candidly admitted: “I used to be ingesting like mad on the time…”

The actor additionally later revealed on the thirty fifth Anniversary DVD of The Sound of Music that his nervousness led him to indulge much more closely. He confessed that he was fully drunk throughout the filming of the climactic music competition scene the place the household performs Edelweiss earlier than escaping into the mountains.

Plummer mentioned: “I used to be shaking, I used to be terrified with a full orchestra the primary time. Julie needed to maintain me, I might have fainted.”

Happily, like all achieved actors, he managed to show the second into pure cinematic magic, with Captain Von Trapp fascinating the competition viewers, and tens of millions of moviegoers, along with his show of vulnerability and uncooked emotion.

Plummer had publicly laid the demons of The Sound of Music and that music to relaxation with an emotional Broadway shock for Andrews on June 8, 1977, throughout her Victor Victoria closing night time. Thrilling his former co-star and an ecstatic viewers, he sang ‘Edelweiss’ to her.

Many years later, Andrews didn’t mince phrases about Plummer’s on-set behaviour in certainly one of their ultimate interviews collectively throughout The Sound of Music fiftieth Anniversary in 2015. Requested whether or not he had been a “curmudgeon” on set, she mentioned: “Afraid so. However a scrumptious one. However I am used to that as a result of (he husband) Blake (Edwards) was one additionally.”

Plummer, in flip, praised Andrews for her management, stating, “We adopted her like Saint Joan into battle. You’ll have agreed with me had you been there.”

Acknowledging her significance, he informed her, “It was your movie and also you drove it… I did not wish to have something to do with it.”

Andrews, reflecting on Plummer’s preliminary reluctance, replied, “Not then, however you might be glad now, I believe.”

All Sound of Music followers will probably be relieved to know that he smiled and affirmed, “Sure, I’m. I positive am.”

The Sound of Music is on BBC2 at 3.50pm on Sunday