Charlie Chaplin's children and family tree: Where are they today?
Charlie Chaplin was an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and composer. He transcended to fame during the silent film era and became one of the most important figures. His career, which spanned over 75 years, was eponymous of his celebrity status. What happened to Charlie Chaplin's children?
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Even though comedians like Bob Hope, George Burns and Jack Benny adopted their children, Charlie Chaplin's children were biologically his. Go through these details as they give a rundown of who and where they are.
Charlie Chaplin's family tree
How many children did Charlie Chaplin have? Charlie Chaplin had 11 children between 1919 and 1962. Go through these details as they unpack what happened to them after their father's demise and where they are.
1. Norman Spencer Chaplin
Norman Chaplin was born on 7th July 1919 to Charlie Chaplin and Mildred Harris, his first wife. Unfortunately, Norman died after three days. Mildred and Chaplin divorced in 1921.
2. Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr
Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr was born on 5th May 1925 and was in the limelight as one of Charlie Chaplin's clowns. His father cast Lita Grey, his mother, in 1924 as a teen actress in his movie, The Kid. According to reports, Lita Grey was only 15 years when she got involved with Charlie.
Spencer served in the US Army in Europe during World War II. He was also an American actor who appeared in 1950s films like Fangs of the Wild and The Beat Generation.
Charles Spencer married Susan Magness, whom he later divorced after having one child, Susan Maree. He later married Marta Brown, although they also divorced. How old was Charlie Chaplin Jr when he died? Charles died on 20th March 1968; he was 42 years old.
Susan Maree Chaplin married Scott Newton, and they have four children, including:
- Laurissa Maree Chaplin Newton
- Allison Mary Chaplin Newton
- Tyler David Chaplin Newton
- Casey Jackson Chaplin Newton
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3. Sydney Earle Chaplin
Sydney Chaplin was an American actor and Charlie Chaplin and Lita Grey's son. He was born on 30th March 1926, and some of his notable acting credits include:
- Limelight
- Act of Love
- Columbus Discovers Kraehwinkel
- Abdullah the Great
- Land of the Pharaohs
In theatre, Sydney bagged the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his 1957 performance in Bells Are Ringing. He retired from acting at 40 and married Noëlle Adam, a French dancer and actress, in 1960. They had a son, Stéphane, although they divorced in 1985.
Sydney later married Margaret Beebe, who died in March 2009. Stéphane has one child, Tamara.
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4. Geraldine Leigh Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin is an American actress born on 31st July 1944 to Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill, Charlie's fourth wife. Before getting into acting, she was a dancer and a model. Leigh is best recognised for the following productions:
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- The Little Foxes (1967)
- Nefertiti and Akhenaton (1973)
- Nashville (1975)
- Welcome to L.A. (1976)
- Chaplin (1992)
Leigh had a son, Shane Saura Chaplin, with Carlos Saura, a French filmmaker. She later married Pato Castilla, a Chilean cinematographer, with who she had a daughter, Oona, in 1986. Geraldine is actively pursuing her acting career.
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5. Michael John Chaplin
Michael John Chaplin was born on 7th March 1944 to Oona O'Neill. Michael is an actor, and his credits include:
- Limelight (1952)
- Allegro (1954)
- A King in New York (1957)
- Promise Her Anything (1965)
- The Sandwich Man (1966)
- The Innovators (2014)
John married Patrice Chaplin, with whom he had two sons, Christian and Tim. He later married Patricia Betaudier, a painter, who bore him five children, Carmen, Dolores, Tracy, Kathleen and George.
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6. Josephine Hannah Chaplin
Josephine Hannah Chaplin was born on 28th March 1949 as one of Charlie Chaplin's children. Like her siblings, Josephine also pursued a career in acting, and some of her credits include:
- Limelight (1952)
- Canterbury Tales (1972)
- À nous quatre, Cardinal! (1974)
- Nuits Rouges (1974)
- The Bay Boy (1984)
- Downtown Heat (1994)
Hannah had her first child, Charly Sistovaris, in 1971 to Nicholas Sistovaris. She later gave birth to Julien Ronet in 1980, Maurice Ronet and Arthur Gardin to Jean-Claude Gardin.
Source: Getty Images
7. Victoria Chaplin
Victoria Chaplin was born on 19th May 1951 in the USA but grew up in Switzerland. She made her acting debut as a teenager, appearing in her father's film, A Countess from Hong Kong, in 1967.
Charlie Chaplin's daughter eloped with Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée, and together they appeared as two clowns in The Clowns in 1970. They later founded Le Cirque Bonjour and Le Cirque Imaginaire. Since 1990, they have performed under the name Le Cirque Invisible.
Victoria and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée have three children, Mark Chaplin and Aurélia Thierrée and James Thierrée.
Source: Getty Images
8. Eugene Anthony Chaplin
Born on 23rd August 1953, Eugene Anthony Chaplin is a Swiss documentary filmmaker and recording engineer. He is Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill's fifth child.
Eugene was part of the Benny Hill The World Funniest Clown cast in 1991. He has also directed the documentary film Charlie Chaplin: A Family Tribute and the musical Smile, a narration of Charlie Chaplin's life through music.
Anthony has two children, Bernadette McCready, who has five kids, Laura, Kiera, Kevin, Spencer and Shannon. His second child, Delgermaa Enkhbat, has two kids, Skye and Oona.
Source: Getty Images
9. Jane Cecil Chaplin
Jane Cecil Chaplin was born on 23rd May 1957. Cecil pursued a career in acting and producing, and some of her credits include:
- The Rainbow Thief (1990)
- Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)
- Allons au cinéma (1975)
She married film producer Ilya Salkind. They have two children, Orson and Osceola.
Source: Getty Images
10. Annette Emily Chaplin
Annette Chaplin was born on 3rd December 1959. She is the most private of all Charlie Chaplin's children.
She lives in France and Switzerland with her partner Jacques Auxenel. They established a theatre company, and Annette acts and has produced most of the comedies directed by her husband.
11. Christopher James Chaplin
How old was Charlie Chaplin when he had his last child? Christopher James Chaplin, the youngest in the family, was born on 6th July 1962 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland. His father was 73 years old when he was born.
Christopher learnt to play the piano at a tender age before relocating to London to pursue acting. His acting credits include:
- Where Is Parsifal?
- Labyrinth
- Total Eclipse
- La Piste du télégraphe
Christopher returned to music in 2005 and released his acclaimed first album, Je Suis le Ténébreux, in 2016. He collaborated with artists such as Finley Quaye and Hans-Joachim Roedelius.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
Go through the answers to these questions for updates on Charlie Chaplin's family.
What do Charlie Chaplin's children do?
Most of them pursued careers in acting. Unfortunately, two of them died.
When was Charlie Chaplin's last child born?
The actor and comedian's youngest son, Christopher, was born in July 1962. Charlie Chaplin was 73 years old then.
What happened to Charlie Chaplin's son?
Charlie Chaplin Jr succumbed to a pulmonary embolism. According to the autopsy report, he had an extensive thrombosis on his right leg which obstructed a major blood vessel near the lungs.
What happened to Hannah Chaplin?
Hannah Chaplin, Charles Chaplin's mother, had to cut short her music career after suffering a mental illness. She allegedly contracted syphilis, which was not curable then.
What was the age difference between Charlie Chaplin and his last wife?
Charlie Chaplin and O'Neill had a 36-year age gap. They met in 1942, and O'Neill's father was six months older than Charlie Chaplin.
Charlie Chaplin was notorious for his emotion-evoking performances as Little Tramp. He was married four times and divorced thrice, and this list of Charlie Chaplin's children keeps tabs on his lineage.
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Source: Briefly News
