Charlie Chaplin's Granddaughter And New Avatar Star Explains Why She Once Considered Changing Her Last Name

The granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, who now stars in a new Avatar film, has shared why she once thought about letting go of her famous last name.

Oona Chaplin, who appears in James Cameron’s latest Avatar installment, Fire and Ash, admitted she seriously considered changing her surname in an effort to step out from the shadow of her legendary grandfather.

Charlie Chaplin, born in London, England, rose to global fame during the silent film era and remained a towering figure in cinema until his death in 1977. His influence on the film industry remains enormous, and he is still widely regarded as one of its most important pioneers.

Oona has now spoken more openly about what it has been like growing up with such a powerful legacy attached to her name, even though her grandfather passed away before she was born.

Speaking to The Times, the 39-year-old explained: "It's been a journey to feel deserving, because I know that doors have opened for me that potentially wouldn't have opened if I wasn't associated with this brilliant man."

"It's definitely tricky to feel undeserving of the place you're in," the actress continued, before revealing that she almost dropped her last name altogether after graduating from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Charlie Chaplin died before she was born Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Over time, however, her outlook changed. She told the outlet that her feelings shifted from a sense of guilt to one of gratitude, especially after putting in years of work and accepting that her career would never be measured against her grandfather’s achievements.

"If all my purpose in this realm is for people to say, 'Oh, Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter,' and they google him and watch a movie of his, then I'm happy because he's such a genius."

She also noted that her name carries meaning beyond Charlie Chaplin alone, as it connects her to other influential figures in her family.

Her first name comes from Charlie Chaplin’s fourth wife, Oona O’Neill, who herself was the daughter of acclaimed playwright Eugene O’Neill.

Oona Chaplin Simon Ackerman/Getty Images

The actress was born in Madrid, Spain, to English-American actor Geraldine Chaplin and filmmaker Patricio Castilla.

After spending years traveling and living in different parts of the world, Oona once believed she might settle in Cuba permanently.

As she recalled: "I pretty much kind of was practicing quitting acting and I built myself a treehouse in the jungle in Cuba, and I was like, 'I'm going to live here now, so I'm done'."

That plan changed when she was offered the role of the villain Varang in the Avatar franchise, an opportunity she ultimately felt she could not turn down.

"It made me fall in love with acting again," she said. "It helped me also develop this immense gratitude for my profession and for the gift of telling stories that I'd kind of forgotten about."

Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently showing in theaters.