This article is about the actress. For her grandmother, the fourth wife of Charlie Chaplin, see Oona O'Neill.
Oona Chaplin
Birth nameOona Castilla Chaplin
Birth date4 June 1986 (age 40)
Birth placeMadrid, Spain
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom · Spain · Switzerland · Chile[1]
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present
MotherGeraldine Chaplin
FamilyChaplin

Oona Castilla Chaplin (ˈuna kasˈtiʎa ˈtʃaplin; born 4 June 1986) is an actress. Her roles include Talisa Maegyr in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, Kitty Trevelyan in the BBC drama The Crimson Field, Zilpha Geary in the series Taboo, and Varang in the Avatar film series.

Early life

Chaplin was born in Madrid to English-American actress Geraldine Chaplin and Chilean cinematographer Patricio Castilla.[2][3] She has a half-brother named Shane from her mother's previous relationship with film director Carlos Saura.[3] Her paternal grandmother, Hilda Valderrama, was a Mapuche human rights lawyer.[4] A member of the Chaplin family, she is a granddaughter of English filmmaker and actor Charlie Chaplin, and great-granddaughter of American playwright Eugene O'Neill.[5] She was named after her maternal grandmother Oona O'Neill, Charlie Chaplin's fourth and final wife.[6]

Growing up, Chaplin spent time in Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Cuba. She travelled often because of her mother's film career.[7][8] She started dancing ballet, salsa and flamenco at an early age.[8][9]

When Chaplin was 15, she began studying at Gordonstoun School in Scotland on a drama scholarship.[10] She appeared in several school plays; toured the United Kingdom in an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet; and impersonated her grandfather in the role of Bottom in an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[8][11] After leaving Gordonstoun, she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where she graduated in 2007.[8]

Career

After graduating from RADA, Chaplin acted in mainly British and Spanish short and feature films. She has played alongside her mother in the feature films Inconceivable, ¿Para qué sirve un oso?, Imago Mortis and Anchor and Hope. She has had supporting roles in British and American television. She appeared as a Brazilian cage dancer in ITV's Married Single Other (2010); as Marnie Madden, the wife of main character Hector Madden, in the BBC period drama The Hour (2011–2012); as John Watson's girlfriend in "A Scandal in Belgravia", an episode of BBC's Sherlock (2012); and as Talisa Maegyr in HBO's Game of Thrones (2012–2013). She played Kitty Trevelyan, a lead character, in the BBC drama The Crimson Field (2014), and Ira Levinson's wife Ruth Levinson in The Longest Ride (2015).

She starred as Zilpha Geary in the eight-part historical fiction series Taboo (2017) on BBC One and FX.[12] In 2024, she presented the BBC radio documentary Hollywood Exiles, which covered her grandfather's blacklisting by the House Un-American Activities Committee.[13]

In 2025, Chaplin co-starred in Avatar: Fire and Ash, directed by James Cameron, as the villainous Varang.[14][15] On casting the relatively unknown Chaplin, Cameron explained: "There was something [Chaplin] just locked into. There's a sexuality; there's a dominating psychology, and there's a lot of fury. There are a lot of layers to what she's doing there and the forces that are driving her. Oona was able to move fluidly back and forth between those in a way that I wasn't seeing with the others."[16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008InconceivableLaura Chappel
First, Love?Laura – Flower GirlShort film
Quantum of SolacePerla de las Dunas receptionist
2009Imago MortisArianna
Pelican BloodLinda
2010High and DrySandraShort film
Vampyre compendiumShort film
2011¿Para qué sirve un oso?Rosa
The Devil's DoubleBeauty
SalarSandraShort film
2012The Sorrows[17]Sarah
2013Powder RoomJess
What if...Julianne
2014PurgatorioMarta[18]
AloftAlice
2015The Longest RideRuth Levinson
Dancing for my HavanaRosa
2016RealiveNaomi
2017Anchor and HopeEva
2020EpicentroHerselfDocumentary
2022LullabyRachel Brown
2025Avatar: Fire and AshVarang

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007SpooksKateEpisode: "The Virus (Part 2)"
2008Spooks: Code 9Episode 2
2009Married Single OtherFabiana3 episodes
2010El Gordo: Una historia verdaderaSilvia2 episodes
2011–2012The HourMarnie Madden12 episodes
2012SherlockJeanetteEpisode: "A Scandal in Belgravia"
2012–2013Game of ThronesTalisa Maegyr11 episodes
2013DatesMia5 episodes
2014Inside No. 9SabrinaEpisode: "A Quiet Night In"
The Crimson FieldKitty TrevelyanMain role, 6 episodes
Black MirrorGretaFeature-length special: "White Christmas"[19]
2016El padre de CaínMercedes[20]
2017TabooZilpha GearyMain cast, 8 episodes
2018My Dinner with HervéKatieTelevision film
2020The Comey RuleLisa PageMiniseries
2022Made for LoveAliceEpisode: "Alice? Are You Listening?"
TreasonMaddy De CostaMain cast, 5 episodes[21]

References

  1. ^ Tyzack, Holly (16 July 2011). "Funny girl: The not-so silent star Oona Chaplin". The Independent. Archived 24 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ "Oona Chaplin from Game Of Thrones with Sarah Jane Crawford". BBC Radio 1Xtra YouTube. Archived 2021-12-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  3. ^ Slater, Lydia (12 February 2010). "Oona Chaplin: The Chaplin Kid". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  4. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (27 July 2018). "How Charlie Chaplin's Granddaughter Oona Chaplin Is Reconnecting With Her Mapuche Roots". Remezcla. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Chaplin's granddaughter acts up". BBC News. 23 July 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2007.
  6. ^ McMahon, Barbara (2015-06-04). "Oona Chaplin: 'I'll never know if success is down to talent or my name'". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-12-18. [She] was named after her maternal grandmother and Chaplin's fourth wife, the daughter of the playwright Eugene O'Neill.
  7. ^ Gilbert, Gerard (16 July 2011). "Funny Girl: The not-so-silent star Oona Chaplin". The Independent. Archived 24 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Oona Chaplin". Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  9. ^ Tyzack, Anna (11 August 2011). "My Perfect Weekend: Oona Chaplin". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  10. ^ Ross, David (28 April 2009). "Students step back in time to celebrate 75 years: Pupils and staff make it a special 1930s anniversary for Gordonstoun school". The Herald. p. 3.
  11. ^ Thynne, Jane (30 July 2003). "Parents: Just like mum: Choosing the same career as a parent is very common – but not necessarily a good idea". The Guardian. p. 14.
  12. ^ Swift, Andy (23 November 2015). "Tom Hardy's FX/BBC One Drama Taboo Adds 13, Begins Production". tvline.com. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  13. ^ "Hollywood Exiles". BBC. 2024-01-15.
  14. ^ Dave McNary (June 20, 2017). "'Games of Thrones' Star Oona Chaplin Joins James Cameron's 'Avatar' Sequels". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  15. ^ Rebecca Ford (June 20, 2017). "'Avatar' Sequels Add 'Game of Thrones' Actress Oona Chaplin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  16. ^ James Cameron Picked Oona Chaplin Over Three Big Stars for 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Villain
  17. ^ "DigiSPAA Announces 2012 Finalists". 17 October 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  18. ^ Holland, Jonathan (10 April 2014). "Purgatory (Purgatorio): Malaga Review". The Hollywood Reporter
  19. ^ "'Mad Men' Star Jon Hamm Joins 'Black Mirror'". Variety.com. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  20. ^ "'El padre de Caín' – estreno 6 de diciembre en Telecinco". Audiovisual451. 2 December 2016.
  21. ^ "Meet the cast of Treason on Netflix". RadioTimes. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.