Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter Oona hits back at nepo-baby claims as she reveals she considered changing her name as she feels ‘undeserving’

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Oona Chaplin has responded to criticism about benefiting from family connections in the entertainment industry, sharing that she even thought about using a different name when she started her career.

I’ve always been fascinated by this actress – it’s incredible to learn she’s Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter! Sadly, she never had the chance to meet him. He passed away in 1977, and she wasn’t born until nine years later. It makes her connection to him even more special, knowing it’s through his legacy rather than personal memories.

Oona, whose parents are actress Geraldine Chaplin and cinematographer Patricio Castilla, acknowledges that her family’s reputation has opened doors for her in the industry, but sometimes she feels she hasn’t fully earned her opportunities.

She admitted to The Times that it’s taken time to feel she truly deserves her success, acknowledging that her connection to a famous person has likely created opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise. She described it as a difficult feeling – wondering if she’s earned her current position.

After graduating from Rada, she considered changing her name, but ultimately decided to keep it.

I used to feel so much guilt, like I could never measure up. But I’ve really changed how I think about things. I decided to focus on being grateful and just working as hard as I can, understanding that nothing I achieve will ever quite live up to the incredible legacy my grandfather left behind. It’s about appreciating the chance to try, instead of dwelling on not being him.

If my main legacy is simply reminding people of my grandfather, Charlie Chaplin – if it leads them to discover his work – that would be enough for me. He was a true genius, and I’d be happy to help keep his memory alive.

This follows Oona’s appearance at the UK premiere of Avatar: Fire And Ash in London earlier this month, where she was among the most prominent attendees.

The actress, playing the Na’vi leader Varang in the movie, was photographed on the red carpet at the BFI IMAX Waterloo.

Oona stunned in a black sheer lace gown flashing a pair of hotpants and matching bra beneath. 

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third film in James Cameron’s Avatar series, continuing the story that began with the original 2009 blockbuster and its 2022 follow-up, Avatar: The Way of Water.

And the premiere drew in a huge crowd of television personalities, sports stars and models.

The new Avatar movie follows Jake and Neytiri’s family as they mourn the loss of their son, Neteyam. As tensions rise on Pandora, they face a dangerous new Na’vi tribe called the Ash People, led by a fierce leader named Varang. The story explores deeper questions about what’s right and wrong as the conflict intensifies.

Although ‘Fire and Ash’ wraps up the initial story arc in the Avatar series, it’s not the end of the films – James Cameron has already planned out ‘Avatar 4’ and ‘Avatar 5’.

Avatar: Fire and Ash hit UK cinemas on December 19.

The first Avatar achieved box office success in a unique way. Most record-breaking films earn huge amounts of money right away with massive opening weekends, but Avatar’s success unfolded differently.

Avatar earned an incredible $2.92 billion, largely because people kept going back to see it multiple times. It remains the highest-grossing film ever made.

Filmmaker James, 71, said of the 2025 sequel: ‘The fire will be represented by the ‘Ash People.’

‘I want to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides.

The first Avatar movies showed humans mostly as villains and the Na’vi as heroes. In the third film, we’re flipping that – we’ll be portraying more flawed Na’vi characters and more sympathetic human ones.

He stated that they plan to both introduce new settings and continue developing the existing characters’ storylines. He also confidently predicted that the final installments will be the most compelling yet.

‘The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.’

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2025-12-21 16:34