Born on 16 April 1889 in London, United Kingdom, Charlie Chaplin had a disturbed childhood. His life was filled with rough patches, yet he became one of the most iconic comedians and actors of all time.
When he was merely 2 years old, his father left him and his mother with no real income to feed and to carry on their daily expenses. His mother did an odd side job of making dresses and nurses to bring food to the table.
What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning.
Seeing no other means to feed the family and no financial support from his father, Charlie had no other choice but to join the workhouse. This was an organization in the UK that used to give food and board to poverty-stricken people in exchange for work.
The miseries didn’t end for him here. When Charlie came home for a short period at the age of 9, his mother’s mental health worsened, and she was sent to the mental asylum. He was again once forced to join the workhouse due to acute poverty. Following two years, Chaplin’s father, a raging alcoholic, died due to cirrhosis of the liver.
Charlie’s mother didn’t see any light in her life, nor did Chaplin see him well again. After being sent to the mental asylum, her health worsened year after year, and she had to be permanently committed to the place until she died in 1928.
Nothing is permanent in this wicked world – not even our troubles.
Along with his half-brother Sydney, Charlie often lived days without food as both of their lives were spent in familial turmoil. They would fight against all the odds during their struggling days, which saw the sun setting day by day.
Charlie was a man of strong determination. During his survival days, instead of shattering into pieces, he decided to take part in stage plays to enhance his comic skills and step-dancing talents. Sometime after, Charlie found his way to Hollywood, California, only to be rejected and snubbed away.
But that was not the end for him. He managed to become the most excellent silent film actor to have ever lived on the planet Earth.
“At the 1st Academy Awards (Oscars), Chaplin was given a special trophy ‘For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus’.”
A day without laughter is a day wasted.
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