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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Simon Hattenstone

‘His success was rammed down my throat’: Charlie Chaplin’s son Michael on fame, failure and finding peace

Michael and Charlie Chaplin at home in Switzerland, circa 1957.
Michael and Charlie Chaplin at home in Switzerland, circa 1957. Photograph: Pictorial Parade/Getty Images

Michael J Chaplin tells a story about an ancient sect that only counted a man’s age from the day his father died. It has resonated with him ever since he heard about it. On this score, he is 46 years old – his father, Charlie Chaplin, died on Christmas Day in 1977.

On a more conventional score, Michael is 77 and about to publish his first novel. A Fallen God is a retelling of the medieval romance Tristan and Isolde set in the 13th century. Apart from his family (he’s been married twice and has seven children), he says it’s the first thing he has done in his life that he’s truly proud of.

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