Chaplin ya yi imanin cewa tasirinsa na farko shi ne mahaifiyarsa, wanda ya nishadantar da shi tun yana yaro ta hanyar zama a taga da kuma kwaikwayon masu wucewa: "ta hanyar kallon ta ne na koyi ba kawai yadda zan bayyana motsin rai da hannuna da fuskata ba, har ma da yadda zan lura da nazarin mutane". Chaplin na farkon shekaru a cikin gidan kiɗa ya ba shi damar ganin 'yan wasan kwaikwayo a wurin aiki; ya kuma halarci bikin Kirsimeti na Kirsimeti a Drury Lane, inda ya yi nazarin zane-zane ta hanyar masu wasan kwaikwayo kamar Dan Leno. Chaplin na shekaru tare da kamfanin Fred Karno yana da tasiri mai tasiri a gare shi a matsayin dan wasan kwaikwayo da kuma fim. Simon Louvish ya rubuta cewa kamfanin shi ne "horo", kuma a nan ne Chaplin ya koyi ya bambanta saurin wasan kwaikwayonsa.
Max Linder