Geraldine Chaplin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geraldine Chaplin
Chaplin in 2023
Born	Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (1944-07-31) July 31, 1944 (age 81) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Citizenship	United States United Kingdom Spain
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1952–present
Spouse(s)	Patricio Castilla ​ (m. 2006)​
Partner(s)	Carlos Saura (1967–1979)
Children	2, including Oona Chaplin
Parent(s)	Charlie Chaplin Oona O'Neill
Family	Chaplin family

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress known for her long and successful career. She has acted in movies made in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Geraldine is the daughter of the world-famous actor and director Charlie Chaplin. She was the first of eight children he had with his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill. Her grandfather on her mother's side was the famous playwright Eugene O'Neill.

She first started her career in dance and modeling. Later, she decided to become an actress. Her first major English-speaking role was as Tonya in the movie Doctor Zhivago (1965). This role made her famous and earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. She later played her own grandmother, Hannah Chaplin, in the movie Chaplin (1992). This role earned her another Golden Globe nomination.

Chaplin has also starred in many popular Spanish and French films. She worked closely with the director Carlos Saura for 12 years. For her work in Spanish movies, she received a gold medal from the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences in 2006. More recently, she played the Duchess of Windsor in the Netflix series The Crown.

Early Life and Family

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin was born in Santa Monica, California. Her father, Charlie Chaplin, was 55 years old when she was born, and her mother, Oona O'Neill, was 19.

When Geraldine was eight, her family went on a trip to Europe. While they were away, the U.S. government told her father he would not be allowed to return to the country. Because of this, her family moved to Switzerland. Geraldine went to a boarding school there, where she learned to speak French and Spanish fluently. During this time, she had a small part in her father's movie Limelight (1952).

Career Beginnings

Dancing and Modeling

At 17, Chaplin decided not to go to college and instead studied ballet in England. She even studied at the famous Royal Ballet School in London. She danced professionally in Paris for a year. However, she felt she hadn't started training early enough to become a top ballerina, so she decided to try something new.

After giving up ballet, Chaplin worked as a fashion model in Paris.

Becoming an Actress

With Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Chaplin decided to follow in her father's footsteps and become an actress. Her big break came when director David Lean chose her to play Tonya in Doctor Zhivago (1965). The role was a huge success and earned her a Golden Globe nomination for "Most Promising Female Newcomer."

In 1967, she acted on Broadway for the first time in a play called The Little Foxes. Critics praised her performance. That same year, she began working with Spanish director Carlos Saura, starting a long and successful partnership.

Film Success in the 1970s

With Salah Zulfikar in Nefertiti y Aquenatos (1973)

Throughout the 1970s, Chaplin starred in many different kinds of films. She acted alongside Charlton Heston in The Hawaiians (1970). She also played the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti in the movie Nefertiti y Aquenatos (1973).

She worked with the famous director Robert Altman on several movies. For her role as a reporter in his film Nashville (1975), she received her second Golden Globe nomination.

She continued to work with Carlos Saura in Spain. Their films together, like Cría Cuervos (1976) and Elisa, vida mía (1977), were very successful and won awards at film festivals.

A Career in Europe and Beyond

Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, Chaplin starred in many French films, such as Les Uns et les Autres (1981) and Life Is a Bed of Roses (1983).

In 1992, she took on a very special role. She played her own grandmother, Hannah Chaplin, in the movie Chaplin, which was about her father's life. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for her third Golden Globe Award.

A year later, she worked with director Martin Scorsese in The Age of Innocence (1993). She also appeared in the 1996 version of Jane Eyre.

Spanish Films and Recent Work

Geraldine Chaplin at the Odesa International Film Festival in 2012

Chaplin has had great success in Spanish cinema. In 2002, she won a Goya Award (Spain's version of the Oscars) for Best Supporting Actress for the film In the City Without Limits. She was nominated for another Goya Award for the popular horror film The Orphanage (2007).

She has continued to act in major films. She appeared in The Wolfman (2010) and worked with director J. A. Bayona on three of his films: The Impossible (2012), A Monster Calls (2016), and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).

Personal Life

Chaplin at a screening of The Orphanage in Madrid in 2007

Geraldine Chaplin has two children. Her son, Shane, was born in 1974. His father is the director Carlos Saura. Her daughter, Oona Chaplin, is also an actress in British and Spanish films. In 2006, Chaplin married Oona's father, Chilean filmmaker Patricio Castilla.

In 1978, the Chaplin family faced a difficult situation when someone stole the body of Charlie Chaplin and tried to get money from them. Geraldine bravely helped to handle the situation.

Chaplin has a home in Miami, but also spends time in Madrid, Spain, and in Switzerland, near where her parents lived for many years.

Selected Filmography

Chaplin has appeared in over 100 films and television shows. Here are some of her most well-known roles.

Chaplin on a break from filming in Naples, Italy.

Film

Television

Chaplin in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Geraldine Chaplin para niños