Christopher Chaplin
Quick Facts
Biography
Christopher James Chaplin (born 6 July 1962 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland) is a Swiss-born English composer and actor. He is the youngest son of film comedian Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill.
Born in Switzerland, Chaplin studied piano under Irene Denereaz in Vevey before going to London to become an actor.
He made his feature film debut as Ivan in the 1984 comedy film Where Is Parsifal?, that was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, and played Jacques Sette in Charles Jarrott's TV miniseries Till We Meet Again based on the eponymous Judith Krantz novel. In Peter Patzak's Gavre Princip - Himmel unter Steinen (Death of a Schoolboy), a historical documentary about the life of 17-year-old Gavrilo Princip, Chaplin took on the role of Trifco, and he played Franz Kafka in Jaromil Jireš' 1991 Czech New Wave film Labyrinth. The film received the Critic's Choice at the 1992 American Film Institute International Film Festival.
Chaplin played Rodrigo de Escobedo, the Spanish royal notary, secretary of Columbus fleet, and commander of La Navidad, in John Glen's historical film Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, released for the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage. In Liliane de Kermadec's return to feature film, the French period road movie La Piste du télégraphe (lit. The Telegraph Road) (1994), Chaplin played John alongside Elena Safonova's Lisa Alling. He played French poet Charles Cros in Agnieszka Holland's historically account of the relationship between Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud, Total Eclipse (1995).
Chaplin has since 2005 focused on a career as a composer, and has collaborated with German experimental, ambient and electronic musician Hans-Joachim Roedelius among others.
Discography
- Seven Echoes – Kava & Christopher Chaplin (2010, Fabrique Records)
- King of Hearts – Hans-Joachim Roedelius & Christopher Chaplin (2012, Sub Rosa)
- Je suis le Ténébreux – Christopher Chaplin (2016, Fabrique Records)
Remixes
- "Slippery Forces" – Boz Boorer (2012, Fabrique Records)
- "Virtue" – Loretta Who (2016, Fabrique Records)
- "Kava & Christopher Chaplin - Seven Echoes". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- "Record Store Day 2014: All 608 exclusive releases revealed!". Retrieved 19 May 2016.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Where Is Parsifal? | Ivan | |
1989 | Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again | Jacques Sette | |
1990 | Gavre Princip - Himmel unter Steinen | Trifco | |
1991 | Labyrinth | Franz Kafka | |
1992 | Christopher Columbus: The Discovery | Rodrigo de Escobedo | |
1994 | La Piste du télégraphe | John | |
1995 | Total Eclipse | Charles Cros |