The Stratford Festival says it is "deeply saddened" to hear of the passing of Festival pioneer, Christopher Plummer.
Plummer was a member of the Stratford acting company for 11 seasons between 1956 and 2012.
The Canadian actor passed away at the age of 91 in his home in Connecticut on Friday with his wife of 53 years, Elaine Plummer by his side.
In a statement on Friday, the Festival regarded Plummer as an icon who helped build the theatre’s international profile.
"His talent, wit and verve set the highest standards for performance especially that of Shakespeare," said Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino. "His support for Stratford was unparalleled as he returned time and again to fondly rejoin his company of players," Cimolino added.
According to the theatre, Plummer was not part of its initial seasons but was called back to Canada in 1956 to play the title role in the production of Henry V. The following year, Plummer performed as Hamlet along with William Shatner, who at the time was his understudy.
The actor went on to appear as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, and Bardolph in Henry IV, Part I. He also starred in the plays Macbeth and Cyrano de Bergerac.
In 1996, Plummer earned his first Tony for his role as John Barrymore in Barrymore. The production was later taken to Broadway.
More recently, he returned to Stratford for three final seasons to play the title role in Caesar and Cleopatra and Prospero in The Temptest. He also developed his show A Word or Two, with former artistic director, Des McAnuff.
“Chris could be impish and wise and most importantly, he had profound generosity, particularly toward other players," McAnuff said. "He not only loved acting, he loved actors, and relished the gifts of the most brilliant ones. Anyone who was lucky enough to be his friend is currently embracing the darkest shade of blue."