Geraldine Chaplin

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress. She is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin, the first of eight children with his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill. After beginnings in dance and modeling, she turned her attention to acting, and made her English-language acting debut (and came to prominence in what would be a Golden Globe-nominated role) in her portrayal of Tonya in David Lean's ''Doctor Zhivago'' (1965). She made her Broadway acting debut in Lillian Hellman's ''The Little Foxes'' in 1967, and played the role of ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti in Raúl Araiza's '' Nefertiti and Akhenaton'' (1973) alongside famous Egyptian actor Salah Zulfikar. Chaplin received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's '' Nashville'' (1975). She received a BAFTA nomination for her role in ''Welcome to L.A.'' (1976). She played her grandmother Hannah Chaplin in the biopic ''Chaplin'' (1992) for which she received her third Golden Globe nomination.

Chaplin has appeared in a wide variety of critically recognized Spanish and French films. She starred in ''Les Uns et les Autres'' (1981), ''Life Is a Bed of Roses'' (1983) and the Jacques Rivette experimental films '' Noroît'' (1976) and ''Love on the Ground'' (1984). She was the partner of director Carlos Saura for 12 years until 1979, starring in his films ''Ana and the Wolves'' (1973), ''Cría Cuervos'' (1976), ''Elisa, vida mía'' (1977), and ''Mamá cumple cien años'' (1979). She was awarded a Goya Award for her role in '' En la ciudad sin límites'' (2002), and was nominated again for '' The Orphanage'' (2007). Her contribution to Spanish cinema culminated in her being awarded the gold medal by the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences in 2006. In 2018, she starred in ''Red Land (Rosso Istria)'', Italian movie by Maximiliano Hernando Bruno based on Norma Cossetto and the foibe massacres. In 2019, she played the Duchess of Windsor in season 3 of the Netflix period drama series ''The Crown''.

Early life and education

Geraldine Leigh Chaplin was born on July 31, 1944, in Santa Monica, California, the fourth child of actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, and the first child of his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill, whom he married in 1943. Charlie Chaplin was 55 when Geraldine Chaplin was born and Oona was 19 years old. Geraldine was the first of their eight children. Her paternal grandparents were English Charles Chaplin Sr. and Hannah Chaplin (born Hannah Harriet Pedlingham Hill), and her maternal grandparents were Nobel- and Pulitzer-Prize-winning American playwright Eugene O'Neill and English-born writer Agnes Boulton.

When Geraldine was eight years old, her father took the family on vacation to Britain and Europe. Two days after the family set sail, the U.S. Attorney General James P. McGranery signed an order refusing Chaplin permission to re-enter the country. Chaplin's father moved the family to Switzerland. She attended boarding school there, where she became fluent in French and Spanish. Also in this time period, Geraldine appeared in her father's film ''Limelight'' (1952).

Career

Dance and modeling

At 17 years of age, she decided to forgo college to pursue dance instead, and studied ballet for two years in England, including a period in 1961 at the Royal Ballet School. She then danced professionally for a year in Paris. Although a good dancer, she felt she had not trained from an early enough age to excel at it and so gave up ballet. She said, "I didn't leave ballet, ballet left me". It was a great disappointment to her.

Geraldine then found work as a fashion model in Paris. She was then discovered by David Lean. It would be many years before she could bring herself to see a ballet performance.

Early acting, 1965–69

When her dream of becoming a ballet dancer ended, Chaplin followed her father into what was to become a prolific acting career. She came to prominence in the role of Tonya in David Lean's ''Doctor Zhivago'' (1965). David Lean chose her to play the main character's wife,"Geraldine Chaplin to Make American debut in 'Tonia'". ''The New York Times''. November 21, 1964. pp. 26 for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination in the category, "Most Promising Female Newcomer." This online PDF contains an expertly assembled compilation of news reports and reviews about the movie. In an interview to publicize the film, she explained, "Because of my name, the right doors opened."

In 1967, she made her Broadway debut in Lillian Hellman's ''The Little Foxes''. Zolotow, Sam. "'Changes coming in "The Little Foxes"". ''The New York Times''. November 2, 1967 Her performance was praised by Clive Barnes in a ''New York Times'' review, where he noted that Chaplin "acts with spirit and force… with a magnificently raw-voiced sincerity" giving a performance of "surprising power."

In the same year, she also began what would become a significant collaboration, starring in Spanish film director Carlos Saura's psychological thriller ''Peppermint Frappé'' (1967).

''The Hawaiians'' through ''Cría Cuervos'', 1970–79

Chaplin starred alongside Charlton Heston in the American historical film ''The Hawaiians'' (1970).

Chaplin then appeared in ''The Three Musketeers'' (1973), and ''Nefertiti y Aquenatos'' (1973) of Raúl Araiza in which she played the role of ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti alongside Egyptian movie star Salah Zulfikar, as well as the sequel, '' The Four Musketeers'' (1974). Chaplin was cast as the obnoxious BBC
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