The life of Charlie Chaplin was an interesting one. His life inspired many actors and comedians over the years and April the 16th is his birthday. On that day he would have been 127 years old, had he still lived today. Charlie Chaplin is considered as one of the biggest stars in the 20th century of the silent-film era. Take look at the most memorable chapters of his life and how he became so famous.
1. Parents
Charlie was born in London in 1889. His actual name was Charles Spencer Chaplin. His parents were already actors, which Charlie got his talent from. After their young death, Charlie, who was ten years old at the time, had to fend for himself.
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2. Debut
His first debut was when he was a member of a juvenile group called the Eight Lancashire Lads. He rapidly became a fan favorite due to his outstanding tap dance performance. He was twelve at the time.
3. Comedian
After his stage show as Billy in Sherlock Holmes, he started a career as a comedian. He eventually moved to the United States in 1910, where he was loved instantly by the American audience. Charlie played in a lot of movies, but his first classic was his role in The Tramp (1915), where he played an unexpected hero who saved the farmer's daughter from a gang of robbers.
4. Directional Debut
After acting in seventy films, Charlie directed his first movie picture called the Woman of Paris in 1923. The movie was a romantic drama, which was a courageous move for Charlie since he was known for being a comedian actor only.
5. Awards
Charlie won a lot of awards in his 75 years in the movies. He won his very first Oscar in 1929 for the movie The Circus.
6. Gandhi
Charlie met Gandhi in London in 1931. Charlie later said that Gandhi made the most intelligent remarks about cultural differences he had ever heard in his life.
7. Marriages
Charlie was married four times in his life. He first got married in 1918 to Mildred Harris but got divorced two years later. Four years later he married Lita Grey but separated two years later as well. He married Paulette Goddard in 1936 but got divorced again in 1942. In 1943, Chaplin married Oona O'Neill. The two would go on to have a happy marriage, one that would result in eight children.
8. Death
Charlie died in 1977 by natural causes in Switzerland. He was then 88 years old. Even after his dead, he would be remembered and watch by millions around the world.
Of course, Charlie had more memorable chapters in his life, but then the list would go on and on. If you are a fan of Charlie or iconic movies in general? Take a look at our iconic movie merchandise auction of this week.