The morning after he was recognized with Hollywood's most prestigious accolade, Canadian veteran of stage and screen Christopher Plummer has been singled out for praise by the prime minister himself.
Plummer was awarded best supporting actor honours at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, for his portrayal of an elderly widower coming to grips with his homosexuality in "Beginners."
In a statement released Monday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper conveyed Canadians' pride in their native son.
"On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to congratulate Christopher Plummer," Harper said, noting that Oscar represents the film industry's highest accolade.
"I applaud Christopher Plummer and all of Canada's nominees for their exceptional accomplishments and impressive work in the film industry and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours," Harper said.
Governor General David Johnston weighed in too, relaying his best wishes on Twitter.
"Congratulations to #ChristopherPlummer, Companion of the Order of Canada, who brought honour to our country at last night's #Oscars," Johnston tweeted, echoing similar messages posted to the Twitter accounts of the Department of Canadian Heritage, and interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.
At 82 years old, the win makes Plummer oldest-ever acting Oscar recipient.
"You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life?" he joked, making light of the fact both he and Oscar have been around since the late 1920s.
He then told the star-studded audience gathered at the Hollywood and Highland Center that he'd been awaiting the moment a long time.
"I have a confession to make. When I first emerged from my mother's womb, I was already rehearsing my Academy thank-you speech. But it was so long ago, mercifully for you I've forgotten it. But I haven't forgotten who to thank," he said.
Eagle-eyed Canadians tuned into the Oscar broadcast might have noticed Plummer giving them a silent nod, as he accepted his award sporting an Order of Canada pin on his lapel.
The Toronto-born actor has been a Companion of the Order of Canada since 1968.
Probably best known for his role of Captain Georg Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music," Plummer has some 200 other TV and movie credits spanning his 60-year career.
His turn as an elderly who reveals he is gay has been his most lauded, however, landing the actor a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA and a Spirit Award in recent months.
In his remarks, the prime minister also noted that Plummer was not the only Canadian in the Oscar mix this year.
"Canadians have always had a strong presence in the international film industry, and the number of Canadian nominees this year is a true testament to the quality of the talent coming from our country," Harper said.
Other Canadians who left the Oscars empty-handed include Quebec director Philippe Falardeau, Toronto-born composer Howard Shore, and Welland, Ont.-raised David Giammarco.
