Chaplin believed his first influence to be his mother, who entertained him as a child by sitting at the window and mimicking passers-by: "it was through watching her that I learned not only how to express emotions with my hands and face, but also how to observe and study people."
Chaplin meyakini pengaruh pertamanya adalah ibunya, yang menghiburnya saat kecil dengan duduk di jendela dan menampilkan mimik: "melihatnya tak hanya membuatku mengetahui bagaimana mengekspresikan emosi dengan tangan dan wajahku, namun juga bagaimana mengamati dan mempelajari orang."