Julie Andrews Remained 'Great Friends' with Sound of Music 's Christopher Plummer Until His Death

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Julie Andrews is opening up about her longtime friendship with late actor Christopher Plummer.

During a conversation with Vanity Fair published Tuesday, the legendary actress, 86, credited her The Sound of Music costar 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," she said. "He was the firm, stern, father of children and the antagonist that I had to work with. Chris was such a wonderful actor."

She added of her bond with Plummer, who played her love interest Captain von Trapp in the movie, "We became great friends, really until he passed away fairly recently. We saw each other a lot, we knew each other, he stayed a friend and it was very pleasant."

RELATED: Rosmarie Trapp of the Musical Family Who Inspired The Sound of Music Dead at 93

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This isn't the first time Andrews has spoken so fondly of Plummer. Last month, she reflected on her close friendship with the cast of the 1965 classic shortly after they reunited at Andrews' AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony. There, Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner and Kym Karath, who played the von Trapp children, surprised the actress onstage.

"Working with dear Chris Plummer," she told TODAY host Hoda Kotb, "whom I adored. We were friends for years."

RELATED: Christopher Plummer Used to Call Sound of Music 'Sound of Mucus' Before Admitting It Was a 'Good Picture'

Speaking on her other costars, she said, "We do keep in touch, but not on a really regular basis. I mean, Christmases, maybe birthdays and certainly get-togethers, but we just bonded so hard that I think we're family anyway."

During the special onstage surprise at the AFI ceremony, Andrews' cast mates serenaded her with a performance of "Do-Re-Mi".

RELATED VIDEO: Christopher Plummer, Sound of Music Oscar-Winning Actor, Dies at 91

It unfortunately wasn't a complete reunion as Charmian Carr (who played Liesl) died at age 73 from complications with a rare form of dementia in Sept. 2016. Also, her onscreen sister Heather Menzies-Urich (Louisa) died at age 68 after she was diagnosed with cancer in Dec. 2017. Plummer died last February at age 91.

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Andrews won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Maria in The Sound of Music, which also won the Oscar for Best Picture. The beloved musical film tells the true story of the von Trapp family, who escaped Nazis in Austria.