Is the great grandson of former Canadian Prime Minister Sir John Abbott.

Father, with Tammy Grimes, of actress Amanda Plummer.

Invited to join to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences [2007].

Trained to become a concert pianist before turning his attention to acting.

Has won two Tony Awards: in 1974, as Best Actor (Musical), playing the title role in "Cyrano," and in 1997, as Best Actor (Play), playing the title role of John Barrymore in "Barrymore." He has also been nominated for the Tony four other times: as Best Actor (Dramatic), in 1959 for "J.B.," and as Best Actor (Play), in 1982 for Shakespeare's "Othello," in 1994 for "No Man's Land," and in 2004 for Shakespeare's "King Lear."

Appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1968.

He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario on June 8, 2004.

Schoolmate of jazz piano master Oscar Peterson.

Awarded The Edwin Booth Lifetime Achievement Award by The Players, 1997.

Is only 13 years older than Charmian Carr who played his daughter in The Sound of Music (1965).

On April 22 he was awarded the first Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre by the Roundabout Theatre. His The Sound of Music (1965) co-star Julie Andrews was among those in attendance. [April 2002]

Grew up in the village of Senneville, Québec, Canada.

One of 115 people invited to join AMPAS in 2007.

He and his daughter Amanda Plummer both received Emmy nominations in 2005. She won, he didn't.

His first paying part was in "Machina Infernale" (The Infernal Machine) by Jean Cocteau, in which he worked with another young Montreal actor, William Shatner. The two were reunited years later when they both appeared in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).

Was actually born on December 13, 1929, although most publications usually state his birthday as December 13, 1927.