Birth Name: Carmen Betandier Chaplin
Place of Birth: Lambeth, London, England
Date of Birth: July 27, c. 1970s
Ethnicity: Afro-Trinidadian (maternal grandfather), Irish, English
Carmen Chaplin is an actress and director.
Carmen was born in London, England, and grew up in France and Spain. Her father, actor Michael Chaplin (born in Michael John Chaplin), was born in Santa Monica, California, of English and Irish ancestry. Her mother, painter Patricia Chaplin (born Patricia V. Betaudier), was born in London, England, of Afro-Trinidadian and Irish ancestry. Her sister is actress Dolores Chaplin. Among her first cousins are actresses Kiera Chaplin and Oona Chaplin, and circus performer and actor James Thiérrée.
Carmen’s paternal grandfather was actor Charlie Chaplin (born Charles Spencer Chaplin, the son of Charles Chaplin and Hannah Harriet Pedlingham Hill, both of whom were entertainers). Charlie was born in England. His documented ancestry was English and some Irish. Carmen’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.
Carmen’s paternal grandmother was Oona O’Neill, an actress (the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill [Eugene Gladstone O’Neill] and writer Agnes Boulton). Oona 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. Agnes was English, born in London, the daughter of Edward William Boulton, an artist, and of Cecil Maud/Maude Williams.
Carmen’s maternal grandparents were Patrick C. Betaudier, a painter, and Kathleen Doherty, a model. Patrick was born in Trinidad, in the West Indies. Kathleen was Irish.
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 documented/verified. Charlie was sometimes believed to have been Jewish (especially during his lifetime), but his parents were not of Jewish heritage.
Sources: Information about Carmen’s mother – http://patricia-chaplin.com
Genealogies of Carmen Chaplin – https://www.geni.com
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Carmen’s maternal grandfather, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) – http://www.wargs.com
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