Oona Chaplin

Chaplin in 2013, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Oona Castilla Chaplin

Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain

Date of Birth: 4 June, 1986

Ethnicity:
*father – Chilean [Mapuche, Spanish, evidently Romanian]
*mother – English, Irish, 1/16th Scottish

Oona Chaplin is an actress.

A granddaughter of actor Charlie Chaplin, Oona was born in Madrid, Spain, and was raised in Spain, Switzerland, and Cuba. She has Spanish and Swiss citizenship. Her father, cinematographer Patricio Castilla, is Chilean; he has Mapuche Indigenous and Spanish ancestry. Oona appears to say here that her father also has Romanian ancestry. Oona’s mother, actress Geraldine Chaplin (Geraldine Leigh Chaplin), was born in Santa Monica, California, of English, Irish, and 1/16th Scottish, ancestry.

Among her first cousins are actresses Dolores Chaplin, Carmen Chaplin, and Kiera Chaplin, circus performer and actor James Thiérrée, and actor and rapper Orson Chaplin. She is a niece of actor Sydney Chaplin. Her uncle (father’s brother) is director Sergio M. Castilla.

Oona’s paternal grandmother was named Hilda Valderrama. Hilda was a lawyer, and co-founded the Human Rights commission during the military dictatorship of Chile. Oona has said, “My grandmother was of Mapuche heritage, but didn’t practice the Mapuche culture because, like many indigenous people at the time, she and her family had to make the decision to hide and distance themselves from their traditions to survive the cultural genocide that was very real.” Oona has worn an Arauco, a traditional crown of the Mapuche tribe. A picture of her wearing it can be seen here.

Oona’s maternal grandfather was actor Charlie Chaplin (born Charles Spencer Chaplin, the son of Charles Chaplin and Hannah Harriet Pedlingham Hill, who were entertainers). Charlie was born in England. His documented ancestry was English and some Irish. Oona’s great-grandfather Charles was the son of Spencer Chaplin and Ellen Elizabeth Smith. Hannah was the daughter of Charles Frederick Hill and Mary Ann Terry.

Oona’s maternal grandmother was Oona O’Neill, an actress (the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill [Eugene Gladstone O’Neill] and writer Agnes Boulton). Oona’s grandmother Oona O’Neill was born in Warwick Parish, Bermuda. Eugene was born in New York City, New York, the son of actor James O’Neill, who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, and of Ella O’Neill (born Mary Ellen Quinlan), who was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Irish parents, Thomas Joseph Quinlan and Bridget Lundigan. Oona’s great-grandmother Agnes was born in Chelsea, London, England, the daughter of Edward William Boulton, an artist, who was American, of English and Scottish descent, and of Cecil/Cecille Maud/Maude Williams.

Charlie Chaplin is often stated to have had some degree of Romani (Gypsy) ancestry. It does not appear that this ancestral claim has ever been verified/documented. Charlie was sometimes believed to have been Jewish (especially during his lifetime), but his parents were not of Jewish heritage.

Sources: Articles about Oona Chaplin – http://www.heraldscotland.com

Genealogies of Oona Chaplin (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Oona’s mother – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogies of Oona’s maternal grandparents, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) and Oona O’Neill – https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogy of Oona’s maternal grandfather, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) – http://www.wargs.com

Draft card of Oona’s maternal grandfather, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) – https://www.archives.gov