When Christopher Plummer passed away on Friday at the age of 91, we lost a true piece of musical movie history. Along with Julie Andrews, he portrayed one of the most iconic movie partnerships to ever appear on screen (his debonair and suave Baron Von Trapp to her enthusiastic and wide eyed Fraulein Maria). The Sound Of Music saw them marry on screen, leading to a lifelong off-screen friendships for the two film icons that brought the Von Trapp family to life in one of the most beloved films every made.
So much so that to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of The Sound of Music, Lady Gaga performed a show-stopping medley of songs from the film at the 2015 Academy Awards. While Andrews joined Gaga on-stage following that now-legendary performance, Plummer did not appear. A recently resurfaced interview from 2015 sheds some light on why he didn’t make an appearance.
In 2015, Plummer told Deadline that he was not able to attend the ceremony, but he also felt that it was a moment for his beloved co-star. He said “I didn’t go to the Oscars because first of all I couldn’t, and the second thing, it was a tribute to her. I would’ve looked stupid being there and not doing anything. And it worked perfectly because Lady Gaga was, I thought she was just wonderful. She sang it so well in the style of the piece and she didn’t add any modern rock sounds. She did it straight and she has a lovely voice.”
Plummer also paid was officially a fan of Gaga, telling People at the time “I thought Lady Gaga sang absolutely wonderfully,” Plummer said. “She knows how to do two styles. She knows the old way and she knows the new way and she was so faithful to the style of the story and the song.” He added, “Julie looked terrific. I was thrilled it was a tribute to her and so it should be.”
Andrews herself spoke about Plummer’s passing in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “The world has lost a consummate actor today and I have lost a cherished friend. I treasure the memories of our work together and all the humor and fun we shared through the years. My heart and condolences go out to his lovely wife Elaine, and his daughter Amanda.”