The daughter of Charles Chaplin and Oona O'Neill, Geraldine Chaplin began her career as a dancer with the English Royal Ballet. She has appeared in several films directed by longtime companion Carlos Saura, notably "Peppermint Frappe" (1967), and left a lasting impression as "Opal, from the BBC" in Robert Altman's "Nashville" (1975). She subsequently became a regular fixture in the films of both Altman ("Buffalo Bill and the Indians" 1976, "A Wedding" 1978) and his protege Alan Rudolph ("Welcome to L.A." 1977, "Remember My Name" 1978, "The Moderns" 1988).
Chaplin was directed by her father in her debut, "Limelight" (1951), and in "A Countess from Hong Kong" (1967), and gave a convincing performance as his gaunt, mentally troubled mother--her own grandmother--in Richard Attenborough's 1992 biopic, "Chaplin". She offered a comic turn as another troubled soul--this time, Anne Bancroft's slightly dotty sister--in Jodie Foster's "Home for the Holidays" (1995).
Family
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Brother: Christopher Chaplin. born in 1962
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Brother: Eugene Chaplin. born in 1953
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Brother: Michael John Chaplin. born on March 6, 1946
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Daughter: Oona Castilla. born c. 1986; father, Patricio Castilla
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Father: Charles Chaplin. born on April 16, 1889; died on December 25, 1977
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Grandfather: Charles Chaplin. born in 1863; died from alcoholism in 1901; paternal grandfather
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Grandfather: Eugene O'Neill. maternal grandparent; born on October 16, 1888; died on November 27, 1953; won 1936 Nobel Prize in literature
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Grandmother: Agnes Boulton. maternal grandmother
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Grandmother: Hannah Chaplin. born in 1865; had breakdown after husband left; institutionalized for most of her remaining years; died in 1928; portrayed by Geraldine in the biopic "Chaplin" (1992)
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Half-brother: Charles Chaplin Jr. born in 1925; died in 1968; mother, Lita Grey
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Half-brother: Syndey Chaplin. born on March 30, 1926
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Mother: Oona O'Neill. married to Charlie Chaplin from 1943 until his death in 1977; died of pancreatic cancer on September 27, 1991
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Niece: Dolores Chaplin.
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Sister: Annette-Emilie Chaplin. born in 1959
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Sister: Jane Chaplin. born in 1957
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Sister: Josephine Anna Chaplin. born on March 28, 1949
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Sister: Victoria Agnes Chaplin. born on May 19, 1951
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Son: Shane Saura. born in 1974; father, Carlos Saura
Significant Others
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Companion: Carlos Saura. had long-term relationship in the 1970s; father of Chaplin's son Shane
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Companion: Patricio Castilla. together since c. 1979; born in Chile; worked together on "Prisoneros Desaparecidos" and "La Viuda de Montiel" (both 1979); brother of screenwriter Sergio Castilla
Milestones
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1951 Screen acting debut in "Limelight" (directed by her father, Charles Chaplin)
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1965 First film as an adult, "Dr. Zhivago"
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1966 Broadway debut, "The Little Foxes"
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1975 First collaboration with Robert Altman, "Nashville"
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1992 Portrayed her own grandmother in Richard Attenborough's biopic "Chaplin"
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1993 Cast as Mrs. Welland in "The Age of Innocence"
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1994 Co-starred in the drama feature "Words Upon The Window Pane"
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1995 Potrayed Aunt Glady in "Home For The Holidays"
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1996 Featured in the romantic drama "Jane Eyre"
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1997 Cast in the adventure feature "The Odyssey"
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1998 Potrayed Adeline Hulot in "Cousin Bette"
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1999 Cast in the adventure drama "To Walk With Lions"
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2000 Portrayed Yocheved in the biblical drama "In The Beginning"
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2002 Co-starred in the romantic comedy "Talk To Her"
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2004 Cast as the Ghost of Christmas Future in NBC's television musical "A Christmas Carol"
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2006 Played a Fortune Teller in the big-screen version of the popular video game "BloodRayne"