Who was Charlie Chaplin?
Charlie Chaplin was an English comic actor and filmmaker who became one of the most famous stars of the silent film era. His character the Tramp, with a bowler hat, cane and mustache, is one of the most iconic figures in film history.
Chaplin was born in London in 1889 and grew up in poverty. His mother suffered from mental illness, and he spent time in a workhouse.
He began performing on stage as a child and moved to the United States in 1910 with a comedy troupe.
Hollywood star
Chaplin became a film star in Hollywood, writing, directing and starring in his films. Famous works include The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights and Modern Times.
In The Great Dictator, released in 1940, he satirized Adolf Hitler.
Chaplin co-founded United Artists in 1919 with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith.
In 1952, he was effectively barred from returning to the United States because of political accusations. He settled in Switzerland and was knighted in 1975. He died in 1977.
He received an honorary Academy Award in 1972, when he returned to the United States briefly and received one of the longest standing ovations in Oscars history. His former home in Switzerland is now a museum called Chaplin's World.