This colorized photograph of Charlie Chaplin is an arresting sight, especially for anyone who can only picture him in his Little Tramp getup. Away from his silly hat, mustache, and cane-twirling shenanigans, he looks every bit the debonair gentleman with his suit and tidy but slightly wavy hair.

According to The National Portrait Gallery, the original photograph was taken in 1921, the year that Chaplin returned to his birthplace, the United Kingdom. He had firmly established himself as one of the first movie stars at this point, and the people flocked to see their homegrown Hollywood hero. Despite this, he never forgot his humble roots: 1921 was also the year he released the movie “The Kid.” The National Portrait Gallery goes on to suggest that the tale of his finding an unwanted child left in an alley was influenced by his sad childhood, growing up poor in London.

This photograph, and the context behind it, offers a fascinating snapshot of Chaplin’s life. A beloved megastar he may have been, but he was also a controversial figure who suffered his share of sorrow. War History Online, for instance, reports that though his movies were a great comfort to wounded soldiers during World War One, some among the media and public were very spiteful to him because he didn’t enlist to fight.