Biography for
Geraldine Chaplin More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

31 July 1944, Santa Monica, California, USA

Birth Name

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography

Geraldine Chaplin attended the Royal Ballet Academy in London. She was discovered by David Lean when she was dancing in Paris, which is what led to her role in Doctor Zhivago (1965). She has two children, Shane and Oona.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gloria Bond

Spouse

Patricio Castilla

(18 August 2006 - present) 1 child

Trivia

Portrayed her own grandmother in Chaplin (1992)

Daughter of Charles Chaplin and Oona Chaplin.

Has had long time relationship with Spanish director Carlos Saura

Granddaughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1965) and the singer Charles Chaplin Sr. (1864-1901). Oona Chaplin (1926-1991), Eugene O'Neill's daughter, was married to Charlie Chaplin from 1943 until his death in 1977.

Half-sister of Sydney Chaplin and Charles Chaplin Jr.

Sister of Christopher Chaplin, Eugene Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, and Victoria Chaplin.

Festival tribute at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, France. [1991]

Aunt of Kiera Chaplin, Carmen Chaplin, Dolores Chaplin and 'James Thierree'.

Great-granddaughter of James O'Neill.

Sister-in-law of Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée.

Sings the duet "Les aimants" written by Chet and composed by Jérôme Rebotier on Chet's album "L'amour à la Française".

Speaks fluent Spanish

While filming her nude scened in Welcome to L.A. (1976), one of the first experiments with digital photography involved positioning Chaplin's head on the body of a former Penthouse Pet. This became necessary to avoid embarrassing her father (Charles Chaplin) prior to his death. Although she was anxious to perform in the nude, director Alan Rudolph feared the loss of financing if Lion's Gate Films and producer Robert Altman fell into disfavor with the World Famous Film Icon. Ultimately, Geraldine Chaplin performed the scene in a nude body stocking and it took almost an entire month, using antiquated production equipment, to digitally transfer the nude body to the head of Chaplin. In turn, this put the production way over budget and as a result, John Wayne was replaced by Denver Pyle as the father of Keith Carradine.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1982

1978/Winner Best Actress Award, Paris Film Festival, Miami Film Festival for Robert Altmans Remember My Name (1978).

Speaks fluent French.

Son, Shane Saura Chaplin O'Neill (born 1974) with, Carlos Saura. Daughter, with longtime companion and now husband Patricio Castilla, Oona Chaplin (born 1986).

She is fluent in Spanish.

Personal Quotes

[on Doctor Zhivago (1965)] Although I went all over the world promoting it, I'd never got to see more than the credits before being whisked away. Finally, at Cannes, I was to sit through the whole thing. When I appeared for the first time, I fainted from the shock - and woke up in the ladies room.

I thought it'd be easy to get into the movies as Charles Chaplin's daughter. And I suppose it was. Except I wasn't much good as an actress - really terrible at the beginning.

[on Charles Chaplin] Daddy has never seen anything I've done, but he is the best critic I have. He has taught me how to tear down a character. "Slug your guts out" is his philosophy of acting. Never mind the talent, just work hard.

Where Are They Now

(November 2007) She visited Argentina to be president of jury in San Luis Cine International Festival.

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