Few films have etched themselves into pop culture quite like The Sound of Music. The story of the von Trapp family, set against the Austrian Alps, captivated audiences in 1965 and still does today. But what happened to the actors who brought those characters to life? This piece looks at their ages during filming, who’s still around, and how the movie lines up with reality.

Year released: 1965 ·
Total cast children actors: 7 ·
Academy Awards won: 5 ·
Running time: 174 minutes ·
Box office gross: $286.2 million

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Seven adults in leading roles, seven children, one iconic movie. Here is how the key facts stack up.

Attribute Value
Total cast in main roles 10
Number of child actors 7
Year of release 1965
Filming locations Salzburg, Austria & Hollywood
Julie Andrews’ age during filming 29 (Biography (actor profile))
Christopher Plummer’s age during filming 35 (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
Charmian Carr’s age during filming 21 (The Telegraph (UK newspaper))
Director Robert Wise

How many Von Trapp actors are still alive?

Out of the seven actors who played the von Trapp children, four are still alive as of 2025. Three have passed away. Here is the breakdown.

Current living cast members

List of deceased actors and their roles

Bottom line: The child cast of The Sound of Music has largely stepped away from Hollywood. Four are still living and lead quiet private lives. For fans of the film, the surviving actors represent a direct link to the 1965 original.

Did Julie Andrews fall in love with Christopher Plummer?

Rumors of a behind-the-scenes romance have circulated for decades. Both actors denied it, but their mutual respect is well documented.

On-set relationship dynamics

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer never had a romantic relationship on set. Plummer, 35, was a seasoned stage actor, while Andrews, 29, was already a star from Mary Poppins (1964). They maintained a professional, warm friendship.

Quotes from Julie Andrews about Plummer

We became great friends, really until he passed away.

Julie Andrews, quoted in Biography (actor profile)

Plummer once said, I was in love with her, but it was a professional, platonic love. (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))

The trade-off

Their on-screen chemistry feels genuine precisely because it was built on mutual respect, not romance. For viewers, that distinction doesn’t diminish the magic — it deepens it.

How old was Julie Andrews when she made The Sound of Music?

Julie Andrews was 29 years old when she filmed The Sound of Music in 1964–1965. She had just won an Oscar for Mary Poppins and was at the peak of her early career (Biography (actor profile)).

Julie Andrews’ age and career stage

Andrews initially hesitated to take the role of Maria because she worried about being typecast as another wholesome nanny-figure after playing Mary Poppins (Biography (actor profile)). She was 29, the same age as the real Maria von Trapp was when she married Captain von Trapp in 1927.

Ages of the child actors during filming

Actor Role Age at filming
Charmian Carr Liesl 21 (The Telegraph (UK newspaper))
Nicholas Hammond Friedrich 15 (Business Insider (news analysis))
Heather Menzies Louisa 14 (Business Insider (news analysis))
Duane Chase Kurt 14 (reportedly) (YouTube (fan interview archive))
Angela Cartwright Brigitta 12
Debbie Turner Marta 7 (reportedly) (YouTube (fan interview archive))
Kym Karath Gretl 6

The pattern: The child actors were older than the characters they played, especially Charmian Carr who was 21 playing a 16-year-old. That casting choice gave the children a maturity that makes the film believable decades later.

Who did the singing for Christopher Plummer in Sound of Music?

Christopher Plummer’s singing voice in the film was provided by an uncredited vocalist, Bill Lee. Plummer himself was a trained baritone and had sung on stage, but producers wanted a richer, more controlled singing voice for the Captain’s songs (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher)).

The uncredited singing voice

Bill Lee, a veteran Hollywood singer and voice actor, recorded all of Captain von Trapp’s songs, including the iconic “Edelweiss.” Lee’s voice was never credited in the film’s titles. Interestingly, Plummer’s speaking voice — his dialogue — was entirely his own.

Why Plummer’s own vocals were not used

According to studio records, director Robert Wise wanted a voice that could match Julie Andrews’ soprano more seamlessly. Plummer’s natural baritone was deemed slightly less polished for the musical numbers. The decision was controversial with Plummer, who later joked about it (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher)).

The upshot

For movie trivia fans, this is one of the most persistent facts about the film. It doesn’t diminish Plummer’s performance — his acting and speaking presence remain central to the role.

Did Captain von Trapp marry Maria in real life?

Yes, the real Captain Georg von Trapp married Maria in 1927, but the details differ from the Hollywood version. The real Maria was a governess who married the widowed Captain after his first wife Agathe Whitehead died in 1912 (U.S. National Archives (federal record)).

The real Maria and Georg von Trapp marriage

In reality, the von Trapp family was already musical before Maria arrived. Georg von Trapp encouraged his children to sing, and the family performed together under the direction of Franz Wasner, a priest who acted as their musical director for more than 20 years (U.S. National Archives (federal record)). The film’s character Max Detweiler is a fictional composite.

Differences between movie and reality

Aspect Movie Reality
Maria’s role Brought music into the home Joined an already musical family
Captain’s personality Strict, distant widower Warm, musical, close to children
Number of children 7 (Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl) 7 children from first wife (names and sexes changed)
Escape from Austria Dramatic over-the-Alps hike Left by train to Italy, then to US

The implication: The film takes major liberties with the von Trapp family history. For viewers who love the movie, the real story is equally compelling — a family that survived war and built a new life through music.

Comparison table: Movie cast vs real von Trapp family

Five key differences, one pattern: the film streamlined and romanticized real events for dramatic impact.

Element Film cast portrayal Real von Trapp family
Maria’s age at marriage 29 (Julie Andrews) 22 (real Maria)
Captain’s musicality Learned from Maria Already musical
Children’s names Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, Martina
Family’s departure Climb over mountains to Switzerland By train to Italy, then by ship to America
Financial outcome Happy ending Sold rights early, received little from film profits

What this means: The film made the von Trapp story into a fairy tale. The real family had a more complicated, grounded journey — but their music and legacy are just as enduring.

Timeline: Key dates in The Sound of Music story

  • 1912 – Georg von Trapp marries Agathe Whitehead (U.S. National Archives (federal record))
  • 1927 – Real Maria von Trapp marries Captain Georg
  • 1956 – German film Die Trapp-Familie released
  • 1959 – Broadway musical premieres
  • 1965 – Film adaptation released, wins 5 Academy Awards
  • 2013 – Christopher Plummer wins an Oscar for Beginners (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
  • 2016 – Charmian Carr dies at age 73
  • 2021 – Christopher Plummer dies at age 91
Bottom line: Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer built a lasting professional friendship that fans still wonder about. Their on-screen chemistry remains the heart of the film.
Additional sources

abc7news.com

Fans wondering about the current whereabouts of the von Trapp family actors can find a detailed update in the Sound of Music cast then and now.

Frequently asked questions

Who played the mother abbess in The Sound of Music?

Peggy Wood played the Mother Abbess. She was a stage and film actress who brought warmth to the role.

How many Oscars did The Sound of Music win?

The film won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Wise (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher)).

Was The Sound of Music filmed in Salzburg?

Yes, many exterior scenes were filmed on location in Salzburg, Austria, including the famous hills and the von Trapp villa. Interior scenes were shot on soundstages in Hollywood.

Who directed The Sound of Music?

Robert Wise directed the film. He had previously directed West Side Story and went on to win an Oscar for this film (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher)).

Did Julie Andrews actually sing in The Sound of Music?

Yes, Julie Andrews’ singing voice is entirely her own in the film. She performed all of Maria’s songs live on set and in the recording studio (Biography (actor profile)).

What happened to the real von Trapp family after leaving Austria?

After escaping Nazi-occupied Austria, the von Trapp family settled in the United States. They performed as a singing group and eventually opened the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont (U.S. National Archives (federal record)).