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Julie Andrews is remembering her beloved pal, “Sound of Music” co-star Christopher Plummer.
The actress recently sat down with Vanity Fair, where she credited the late actor for helping “get rid of the really sugary parts of the film.”
“It was really thanks to Chris Plummer who gave the film its glue,” said the 86-year-old. “He was the firm, stern father of children and the antagonist that I had to work with. Chris was such a wonderful actor.”
Plummer famously played Andrews’ love interest, Capt. von Trapp, in the 1965 musical. She said their bond lasted long after filming came to an end.
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in “The Sound Of Music,” directed by Robert Wise, 1965.
(Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
“We became great friends, really until he passed away fairly recently,” she said. “We saw each other a lot, we knew each other, he stayed a friend, and it was very pleasant.”
Last month, Andrews reflected on her friendship with Plummer shortly after the surviving cast of the film reunited at her AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony.
Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner and Kym Karath, who played the von Trapp children, surprised Andrews on stage.
“We do keep in touch, but not on a really regular basis,” she told “Today” host Hoda Kotb. “I mean, Christmases, maybe birthdays and certainly get-togethers, but we just bonded so hard that I think we’re family anyway.”
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Julie Andrews’ “Sound of Music” co-stars, from left, Debbie Turner, Angela Cartwright, Nicholas Hammond, Kym Karath and Duane Chase attend the AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Julie Andrews on June 9, 2022, in Hollywood.
(Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for AFI)
Andrews noted that she “adored” Plummer, adding that “we were friends for years.”
The reunion was bittersweet for Andrews. Plummer passed away last February at age 91. Charmian Carr, who played Liesl, died in 2016 at age 73 from complications with a rare form of dementia. Her onscreen sister Heather Menzies-Urich, who played Louisa, died in 2017 at age 68 after she was diagnosed with cancer.
At the time of Plummer’s death, Andrews sent a statement to Fox News Digital that read: “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.”
In 2018, Angela Cartwright, who played Brigitta, spoke to Fox News Digital about what it was like working with Andrews in “The Sound of Music.”
Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer attend the screening of “The Sound of Music” during the TCM Classic Film Festival on March 26, 2015, in Los Angeles.
(Mark Davis/WireImage)
“I loved her,” the 69-year-old said at the time. “We all did. You can kind of tell in the movie. We totally enjoyed her. She embraced us right from the very beginning. She sang to us in between takes, and we would dance. She just did ‘Mary Poppins’ so she would sing all these songs from that film. I mean, you can really tell that we adored her. She’s such a talent. She has such an amazing voice, and it really was a great experience.”
She also noted that the cast shares a close bond today.
“It’s fascinating because sometimes you make a movie, and you don’t really see each other anymore or stay in touch,” Cartwright explained. “But we’ve all stayed in touch. We’ve certainly gotten together for celebrations and reunions. Whenever we lose a cast member, it always feels like we lost a family member. We all know what’s going on in each other’s lives and we’ve continued to do that during the 50-plus years [since filming].”
