Christopher Plummer Called ‘The Sound of Music’ His ‘Toughest’ Role for This Surprising Reason

Though Christopher Plummer had a truly expansive and impressive career, one of his most memorable movies will always be The Sound of Music. Starring alongside Julie Andrews, Plummer was cast as Captain von Trapp, a widower who is the father of seven children. Though Plummer’s character starts the film as a bit cold and callous, through music he is able to transform into a more loving father and, eventually, husband.

Of course, The Sound of Music is still well-loved by many people around the world. And, because the film is currently housed on a popular streaming service, new audiences are discovering it every day. But though the film was beloved by many, Plummer was never shy about the fact that he didn’t like the film, In fact. since the film debuted in 1965, the actor repeately stated that he didn’t enjoy filming it.

Christopher Plummer famously despised ‘The Sound of Music’

But why wasn’t Plummer a fan of The Sound of Music? A big part of his disdain for the film had to do with his character. The actor didn’t feel as though Captain von Trapp had enough depth to him and he found it to be a creative challenge to bring him to life. Furthermore, Plummer just found the film to be too saccharine and cheesy for his personal tastes.

“I was a bit bored with the character,” Plummer shared with The Boston Globe back in 2010 when he was asked about his experience filming The Sound of Music. “Although we worked hard enough to make him interesting, it was a bit like flogging a dead horse. And the subject matter is not mine. I mean it can’t appeal to every person in the world. It’s not my cup of tea.”

Why the actor found his role in the musical more challenging than any of his other movies

In fact, Plummer was so uninterested in the subject matter of The Sound of Music, that in 2011 he called the film his toughest acting role to date. “I think the part in The Sound of Music was the toughest,” Plummer shared in a roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter. “Because it was so awful and sentimental and gooey. You had to work terribly hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it.”

The role was so challenging for Plummer that he got drunk just to get through one of the most iconic scenes. In the DVD commentary for The Sound of Music, the actor confessed that he was completely drunk during the music festival scene where the family Von Trapp sings to their Austrian friends and family for the very last time.

With age, Plummer appreciated ‘The Sound of Music’ more

Though Plummer found filming The Sound of Music particularly challenging, with time he was able to show appreciation for the film. In fact, in the aforementioned roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor shared that the film was actually decent. “It was a very good picture for what it was,” Plummer stated candidly. “But somebody had to be Peck’s bad boy and I chose myself.”