Eugene O'Neill, Charlie Chaplin, Oona O'Neill

In 1943, the English actor, director and producer Charlie Chaplin married his protégée, 18-year-old Oona O'Neill – daughter of the American playwright Eugene O'Neill. Chaplin, then 54, had been introduced to her by a film agent seven months earlier.  In his autobiography, Chaplin described meeting O'Neill as "the happiest event of my life", and claimed to have found "perfect love". Chaplin's son, Charles Jr., reported that Oona "worshiped" his father. The couple remained married until Chaplin's death, and had eight children over 18 years.

Eugene O'Neill disowned his daughter Oona for marrying Chaplin -- she was 18 and Chaplin was 54. He never saw Oona again.

Eugene O'Neill, father of Oona

Nobel Prize in Literature (1936)

Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1920, 1922, 1928, 1957)

Oona O'Neill married Charlie Chaplin in 1943 at the age of 18 (he was 54), and moved to Switzerland with him nine years later, renouncing her American citizenship.

Charlie Chaplin and his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill, and six of their eight children in 1961. From left to right: Geraldine, Eugene, Victoria, Chaplin, O'Neill, Annette, Josephine and Michael.

O'Neill and Chaplin at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands, 1965