As a filmmaker, Chaplin is considered a pioneer and one of the most influential figures of the early twentieth century.
Podoba "Potepuha" je postala del kulturne zgodovine; Simon Louvish je dejal, da je lik prepoznaven tudi ljudem, ki niso nikoli videli Chaplinovih filmov, in v tistih delih sveta, kjer ne predvajajo njegovih filmov.