Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer , better known as Christopher Plummer , is the Canadian veteran actor who played General in . He also reprised the role of Chang for the video game " " . In a career spanning over fifty years , he has earned two s ( out of seven nominations ) , two ( out of six nominations ) , an nomination , an Academy Award , and numerous other accolades . Michael Dorn , who acted alongside Plummer in " Star Trek VI " , once described him as " an incredible actor " . ( ) Perhaps Plummer ' s most famous film role is that of Captain Georg von Trapp in the classic 1965 musical " The Sound of Music " , directed by Robert Wise ( who went on to direct the first " Star Trek " film , ) . Plummer received his Academy Award in 2012 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his work on the drama " Beginners " . Early life and stage work . Born in Toronto , Ontario , Canada , Plummer initially studied to become a concert pianist , but turned to acting during his high school years . Beginning his professional acting career on the stage as well as in radio in his hometown of Montreal , Plummer made his New York stage acting debut in 1954 . Since then , he has acted in countless stage productions , particularly on Broadway and London ' s West End . He made his Broadway debut in " The Starcross Story " in 1954 . The following year , he performed in a Paris production of " Medea " co - starring opposite Dame Judith Anderson ( whom Plummer called a " " a little Tasmanian devil . . . who with one look could turn an audience to stone " " ) . He returned to Broadway in late 1955 to work with Theodore Bikel in " The Lark " . Plummer was first nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway production of " J . B . " Although actor Pat Hingle played the title role when this play opened in 1958 , the role was later given to James Daly . Plummer ' s subsequent Broadway credits included the lead roles in " Arturo Ui " ( 1963 , with Elisha Cook , Jr . ) and " The Royal Hunt of the Sun " ( 1965 ) . He won his first Tony Award in 1974 for his performance in a musical adaptation of the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac simply called " Cyrano " , in which Plummer starred in the title role ( a role he had previously played on television ) . Following his work on " Cyrano " , Plummer acted with Rene Auberjonois in " The Good Doctor " at the Eugene O ' Neill Theatre . Plummer received another Tony nomination for his portrayal of Iago in a 1982 production of " Othello " , in which he worked alongside Kelsey Grammer , who played Cassio . Plummer was again nominated for a Tony for " No Man ' s Land " in 1994 . This was followed by a Tony Award - winning performance in Broadway ' s " Barrymore " in 1997 and a Tony Award - nominated portrayal of " King Lear " at New York City ' s Lincoln Center in 2004 . More recently , he performed in a 2007 Broadway revival of " Inherit the Wind " , for which he received his seventh Tony Award nomination . Film work . Plummer has been just as active on film as in theater . He made his film debut in the 1958 Sidney Lumet drama " Stage Struck " , co - starring guest actors Roger C . Carmel and John Fiedler . That same year , he starred in " Wind Across the Everglades " , and in 1964 , he starred in " The Fall of the Roman Empire " . After his star - making turn in " The Sound of Music " , he appeared in such classic films as " The Night of the Generals " ( 1967 ) , " Battle of Britain " ( 1969 ) , " Waterloo " ( 1970 ) , " The Man Who Would Be King " ( 1975 ) , " The Return of the Pink Panther " ( 1975 ) , and " The Silent Partner " ( 1978 ) . He is also known for his portrayal of Detective Sherlock Holmes in 1979 ' s " Murder by Decree " . Plummer went on to co - star in such contemporary hits as " Somewhere in Time " ( 1980 , with Bill Erwin and Susan French ) , " Dragnet " ( 1987 , with Juliana Donald , Bruce Gray , Jimmie F . Skaggs , and Meg Wyllie ) , " Malcolm X " ( 1992 , co - starring Albert Hall , Tim Kelleher , James MacDonald , and Craig Wasson ) , " Wolf " ( 1994 ) , " Dolores Claiborne " ( 1995 , with Bob Gunton ) , and " Twelve Monkeys " ( 1995 , with Frank Gorshin ) . He also lent his voice to a number of animated films , most notably the Don Bluth productions " An American Tail " ( 1986 , also featuring the voices of Phillip Glasser and Nehemiah Persoff ) and " Rock - A - Doodle " ( 1991 , with Stan Ivar and Phil Morris ) . His many other diverse film credits range from co - starring with fellow " Trek " movie villain Malcolm McDowell in 1976 ' s " Aces High " to working with s Jeri Ryan in " Dracula 2000 " . He had supporting roles opposite Russell Crowe in two acclaimed dramas : first portraying 60 Minutes creator and media titan Don Hewitt in 1999 ' s " The Insider " ( with James Harper , Bruce McGill and Vyto Ruginis ) and 2001 ' s " A Beautiful Mind " ( with Josh Pais ) . He has been known to do family films , as well , such as LeVar Burton ' s " Blizzard " ( 2003 ) . Further proving his versatility , the busy Plummer had roles in recent films ranging from the epic " Alexander " ( 2004 ) and the action blockbuster " National Treasure " ( 2004 , with Ron Canada and Don McManus ) in 2004 , to the romantic comedy " Must Love Dogs " ( with Brad William Henke ) and the historical drama " The New World " in 2005 , to the thriller " Inside Man " ( 2006 ) and the romantic fantasy " The Lake House " in 2006 and 2007 , respectively . In addition , Plummer co - starred with s Alexander Siddig in the 2005 political drama " Syriana " , in which " Trek " guest stars David Clennon and Robert Foxworth also appeared . More recently , Plummer starred in the acclaimed 2007 comic drama " Man in the Chair " , working with George Murdock . Plummer starred in ' s " The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus " , playing the title role . Production on this film was temporarily halted following the sudden death of Plummer ' s co - star , . Shooting on the film resumed in Vancouver , Canada , with , , and taking over Ledger ' s role , with Ledger ' s footage to be preserved in the film . The film wrapped on 22 April 2008 . Plummer earned his first nomination , as well as and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations , for his portrayal of in the drama " The Last Station " . Plummer also had voice - over roles in the 2009 computer animated films ( composed by Michael Giacchino ) and . In 2011 , Plummer appeared in the role of Monsignor Orelas in the vampire thriller " Priest " , based on the Korean comic book of the same name . His co - stars in this film included Mädchen Amick , Alan Dale , Brad Dourif , Reiner Schone , and Karl Urban . Plummer has also signed on to co - star in the American film adaptation of Stieg Larsson ' s " The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo " , directed by . Television work . Plummer worked with Frank Overton on an episode of " The Alcoa Hour " and with fellow Klingon player John Colicos in the 1962 " Hallmark Hall of Fame " production of " Cyrano de Bergerac " , with Plummer starring in the title role which he would reprise for the stage in the 1970s . ( Plummer later co - starred with Colicos in the 1988 movie " Shadow Dancing " . ) Another " Hallmark " production Plummer appeared in , " Little Moon of Alban " , featured one - time TOS guest Stephen Brooks and earned Plummer his first Emmy Award nomination . Additionally , Plummer has appeared in a number of TV mini - series , notably 1976 ' s " The Moneychangers " , which co - starred Joan Collins and Jon Lormer , and 1983 ' s " The Thorn Birds " , with Philip Anglim , Antoinette Bower , John de Lancie , Richard Kiley , Jean Simmons , and Meg Wyllie . Plummer received Emmy nominations for his performances in both of these series , winning his nomination for the former . Plummer ' s other mini - series include 1977 ' s " Jesus of Nazareth " , 1986 ' s " Crossings " , the latter also featuring Zach Galligan , Kelsey Grammer , and Herta Ware , 2000 ' s " Nuremburg " ( on which Gerald W . Abrams served as executive producer ) and 2008 ' s " The Summit " , with Bruce Greenwood . Plummer was also nominated by the Emmy Awards for his portrayal in the title role of " Hamlet " in a 1964 TV movie and for his performance as Cardinal Bernard Law in the 2005 TV movie " Our Fathers " . Plummer additionally won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice - Over Performance for narrating the animated series " Madeline " . In 2010 he narrated the television documentary series " Moguls & Movie Stars " . For the episode " The Birth of Hollywood " , Plummer received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Voice - Over Performance in 2011 . Other " Trek " connections . In the 1950s , Plummer ' s understudy for a production of Henry V at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival was William Shatner . During the festival , Plummer fell ill and Shatner was forced to take the stage , giving Shatner his first big break . They also co - starred together in a 1957 " Omnibus " production of " Oedipus , the King " ( with Plummer in the title role ) and the 1979 made - for - television movie " Riel " . Another " Star Trek VI " actor he co - starred with prior to that production was David Warner in the 1977 film " The Disappearance " . Plummer has worked with TNG guest actor Robin Gammell on at least three occasions : in the 1973 film " The Pyx " , the 1984 film " Highpoint " ( with Saul Rubinek ) , and the 1997 TV movie " The Arrow " .