The daughter of Charles Chaplin and Oona O'Neill, Geraldine Chaplin began her career as a dancer with the English Royal Ballet. She has appeared in several films directed by longtime companion Carlos Saura, notably "Peppermint Frappe" (1967), and left a lasting impression as "Opal, from the BBC" in Robert Altman's "Nashville" (1975). She subsequently became a regular fixture in the films of both Altman ("Buffalo Bill and the Indians" 1976, "A Wedding" 1978) and his protege Alan Rudolph ("Welcome to L.A." 1977, "Remember My Name" 1978, "The Moderns" 1988).

Chaplin was directed by her father in her debut, "Limelight" (1951), and in "A Countess from Hong Kong" (1967), and gave a convincing performance as his gaunt, mentally troubled mother--her own grandmother--in Richard Attenborough's 1992 biopic, "Chaplin". She offered a comic turn as another troubled soul--this time, Anne Bancroft's slightly dotty sister--in Jodie Foster's "Home for the Holidays" (1995).