Charlie Chaplin was as great as one could get in the world of Hollywood. Having created the definition of what it means to be a star, he paved the way for all actors who are successful today. He was great at his craft, and the influence that he continues to hold, almost five decades after his passing, showcases the impact that he had.
With how much there is known about his professional life, one cannot help but wonder about his personal life as well. Thankfully, Chaplin left more than enough children to ask this question. However, the answer that one of his eleven children gave would surprise many.
The Great Expectations of the Working Father
Charlie Chaplin’s most defining trait as an actor of comedy was his expression range. Coming from the era of silent films, he couldn’t help but rely on the expressions on his face to convey a story to his viewers. However, many would be surprised to know that this wasn’t the case when it came to his personal life.
During an interview with Empire, one of his sons, Michael Chaplin, talked about what it was like for him to grow up with a superstar as a father, and it did not seem as glamorous as one might think. Since Chaplin had so many children, he seemed to have a different bond with his sons than he did with his daughters.
Michael Chaplin revealed that his father would be hesitant about sharing his feelings with his sons, something that he was not with his daughters.
He confessed that his father wasn’t very expressive in his real life, even stating that this caused a rift between him and his sons.
He had trouble expressing his emotions to his sons and I think it embarrassed him… He found it easier to relate to his daughters.
It would seem that expressing how he felt in front of his sons was almost embarrassing for him, going as far as to say that he could relate to his daughters more.
Charlie Chaplin Found It Difficult to Maintain a Balance
Michael Chaplin then went on to talk about what kind of father Charlie Chaplin was on a day-to-day basis. He revealed that the actor would often be absent from their lives. Missing the smaller moments, he revealed that they would not see Chaplin for extended periods because he was busy with his work.
He further mentioned that small parts of being a parent, like driving one’s children to school or doing homework with them, were completely missed by Chaplin.
Although this seems to be tragic on its own, the way that Michael Chaplin phrased these words seemed that he was less angry at his father and more sorrowfully understanding his perspective.
A lot of the time we wouldn’t see him because he was away working. He wasn’t the kind of father who drove us to school or did our homework with us. He was a great artist and maybe it was a bit much to ask for him to be a great father as well.
Perhaps being so used to silence in his professional life caused it to bleed into his personal one as well.
