Page 3 Profile: Oona Chaplin, actress

Oona Chaplin, actress (Getty)

New to the game?

Relatively speaking. She’s best known for playing Talisa Stark (née Maegyr) in the hit TV series Game of Thrones. But while the 27-year-old may be the new kid on the block, her name precedes her.

Doesn’t ring any bells with me…

The daughter of the Chilean cinematographer Patricio Castilla and the British-American actress Geraldine Chaplin, Oona’s family has a long history of performing: her maternal grandfather is none other than the Hollywood legend, Charlie Chaplin.

Not your average granddad.

Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin became a global icon during his illustrious career, which spanned nearly eight decades until his death in 1977. Oona has said the famous surname she inherited from him is “a blessing”, but admitted she had to be talked out of changing it when she launched her own career.

She wanted to drop it?

Yes. She told the Radio Times: “My mother rightly said that a beautiful actress wouldn’t disfigure herself just to prove she was hired for her acting talents, not her looks. If you work hard, no one can really say anything. And if they do, it’s just white noise.”

So she embraces the name now?

“I see it as a blessing,” she said. “Having a few generations in the business has given me a healthy perspective on it: not to take it too seriously, not to believe the hype.”

Is she a fan of her grandfather’s films?

Very much. Growing up she watched them a lot because “they’re great for kids”. She added: “I saw Limelight recently and wept like a baby; it captures perfectly what it’s like to be in this business.