It's kinda funny - when I first saw "Limelight", I didn't know who the guy was playing Neville, the composer, but I thought, "I *should* know him" since there was something familiar about him that I just couldn't put my finger on even though I didn't recall ever having seen him before. Later, when I saw the credits, I was blown away! One, I thought his acting was fine; two, he WAS handsome; three, he was-OMG-Sydney Chaplin!
Other than his height (I'm pretty sure he was taller than Charlie), and upon second glances, his resemblance to Charlie was in some ways amazing. There was that thick, dark, wavy hair; there was the Chaplin nose and especially the Chaplin smile. Seeing older pics of Sydney (like the one here on his IMDb profile), I didn't think he looked anything like his famous dad, but in "Limelight" the resemblance stood out clearly (especially after I learned who he was! lol).
It's too bad Sydney's movie career didn't seem to be all that it could've been, but I take nothing away from his courage in pursuing a film career given his uber-famous father. I did read in his IMDb bio that he was Tony-nominated for playing Nicky Arnstein in "Funny Girl" opposite Barbra Streisand - but that they didn't get along and he quit amidst the feud. Huh; knowing what a "diva" Babs turned out to be makes me wonder exactly WHO it was that didn't get along with WHO. lol
Yes - in any case, his passing is a great loss indeed.
"Now, bring me that horizon." --Captain Jack Sparrow
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