- She carries a great legacy
She always carries her father's legacy with her, whether she wants to or not. More than that, she wears it on her face. Geraldine Chaplin bears a striking resemblance to Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). This similarity has only grown stronger over the years. On July 31st, Geraldine Chaplin will turn 80 years old.
A Heavy Burden?
She has the same smile, the same sad eyes. It's not an act, it's innate. A heavy burden? Looking like the greatest actor of all time when you're an actress yourself and share the same name?
Geraldine laughs when asked this question and responds calmly, "Other people inherit wealth or a title. I inherited a last name. Because of my name, the right doors opened." She has used and exploited her name "as often as possible," which in this case has been more of a blessing than a burden.
Regardless, she has appeared in more films than her legendary father, who directed 80 films in his lifetime. She has been in around 100, with her latest in 2023 alongside John Malkovich (70): "Seneca - Or: On the Birth of Earthquakes."
Her name has been counted among the most significant in her industry for decades. She has captivated audiences and critics alike in films like "Doctor Zhivago," "Cruel Rabbits," "You'll Remember Me," "Mother Teresa: In the Name of the Poor," "Beresina or the Last Days of Switzerland," "The Wolfman," "The Orphanage," and "Talk to Her." Yet, despite all her accomplishments, her father's monumental name always looms in the background.
The Oldest of Eight Children
Her father married Oona O'Neill (1925-1991), daughter of US dramatist and Nobel laureate Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953), in 1943. He was 54, she was 18. Geraldine was born in 1944, followed by seven more children. They all witnessed their father's fame having a political flip side in their early years.
Charlie Chaplin was originally a London actor who first came to the US in 1910. He never gave up his British citizenship, despite celebrating his greatest successes in America. His most famous role was that of the Tramp, which made him the most famous star during the silent film era of the 1920s.
Chaplin was a brilliant actor and director, but the social critiques in his films were not well-received in some political circles in the US. When his first talkie, "The Great Dictator," was released in 1940, the US film censor saw it not just as a satirical parody of German fascism, but also as a criticism of militarism and US state power. They initially refused to approve the film, which became a huge success.
The US Banned Their Biggest Star
After the war, liberal pacifist Chaplin was particularly targeted by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972), who accused him of "communist" and "un-American activities" and tried to revoke his visa.
Hoover succeeded in 1952, banning America's biggest star: Charlie Chaplin traveled to England for the world premiere of his tragedy "Limelight" with his family, when he was told at sea that the US Justice Department had opposed his return to the US. The Chaplins moved to Switzerland, where Geraldine was eight years old. She was enrolled in a boarding school where she learned to speak fluent French and Spanish.
"A Good, But Also a Very Strict Father"
In an interview with "The World", his daughter described him: "He was a good but also a very strict father. You must not forget, he was born in 1889, he was still very Victorian. The good thing was, he was often there. He worked a lot from home. But that also meant we had to move on tiptoes and be very quiet. If we wanted to play, we had to go outside."
He placed great value on discipline. "If we didn't do well in school, we were severely punished. He couldn't ban TV, it didn't exist yet. But we had house arrest. And whatever we wanted, we couldn't have it. However, I have no comparison; I only had this one father. And I was happy, because he was the most famous, the most beloved man in the world."
This brilliant film star was shocked when he first heard of Geraldine's wish to become an actress too. "He always wanted his children to learn something respectable. They should become doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, just not actors."
"Doctor Zhivago" changed everything
As a girl, Geraldine initially wanted to become a ballerina. She trained at the London Royal Ballet School, but as she later said, she lacked the talent for a prima ballerina. So she became an actress.
She made her first film with the then world star Jean Paul Belmondo (1933-2021). The second film became a world classic, in "Doctor Zhivago" she played a leading role, the wife Tonya of the Russian doctor. From then on, her father was also her fan, as she told.
As a child, she had already acted with Charlie Chaplin, in 1952 in "Limelight". "It was only half a day," she said in the "World" interview. "My brother, my sister, and I, we were glad to have a day off from school. We got to play street urchins, it was great fun."
In 1967, she was in front of the camera in Charlie Chaplin's last film "The Countess from Hong Kong", her father was the director. "He was the total perfectionist, very demanding and obsessive. If something didn't work, he could get wild. The way he directed was incredible. He played the role, played Sophia Loren, and was more Sophia Loren than she ever could be."
Honorary Oscar for Charlie Chaplin
Geraldine never received an Oscar for her acting performances. But she accompanied her father to the USA in 1972 when Charlie Chaplin received an honorary Oscar for his "invaluable services to the film industry". "They only gave him a visa for ten days, we couldn't believe it... He cheerfully told us: 'The Americans are still afraid of me'," she remembers. That evening, the audience applauded the great Chaplin for 12 minutes - still a record today.
Charlie Chaplin died in 1977 at the age of 88 in Switzerland. He did not witness Geraldine's wedding in 2006 to the Chilean cinematographer Patricio Castilla, nor the birth of their daughter in 1986, who was named Oona, like Chaplin's fourth wife. She also became an actress.
Geraldine Chaplin, who enjoyed a brilliant career in Europe and worked with renowned filmmakers like Alain Resnais, Jacques Rivette, Franco Zeffirelli, and Carlos Saura, from whom she also has her son Shane, often complained that few directors in the USA were interested in her, except for Robert Altman and his protégé Alan Rudolph: "I haven't had any offers here, none at all. Not even an interesting script to read. The only ones who ever ask are Altman and Rudolph." Has the daughter inherited her father's curse?
Geraldine Chaplin shares a strong resemblance to her famous father, often leading people to comment on the similarity in her smile and eyes. Despite this, she views her last name as a blessing rather than a burden, as it has opened doors for her in the film industry.
Geraldine Chaplin has appeared in multiple notable films, including "Beresina or the Last Days of Switzerland," but despite her accomplished career, her father's monumental name always remains in the background.
