On March 14, the man formerly known as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite turned 90 — and not many people know that…or do they?
Famed for his rather open-minded approach to film roles – after all, he has acted in more than 160 feature films over seven decades – Sir Michael Caine celebrated this milestone with his beloved Shakira, the actor’s wife, who has been married for 40 years.
Fans, friends and many of his ilk recognize the affable British star as a cultural icon, an acting legend whose many famous film quotes have made film history – and rightly so.
Who can forget their angry last line in The Italian Job? His cheeky breaking the fourth wall as cockney playboy Alfie? Or his stoic battle cry in Zulu?
Here. Web looks back on the best of Sir Michael – from humble beginnings in working class Rotherhithe to Hollywood and beyond.
Then as now: On March 14, the man formerly known as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite turned 90 years old – and not many people know that … or do they? (picture left, 1962, and right, 2005)
Career start, first marriage and Alfie
Born in 1933, the actor grew up in an honest, hard-working environment with his mother Ellen, a cleaning lady, and his father Maurice, a fish porter.
After a period of turmoil during World War II – the family being evacuated from their south London home during the Blitz – he finally enlisted himself in the British Army.
The decision led to a life-changing period in the Korean War, during which he reconsidered his attitude towards conflict.
He married his first wife, actress Patricia Haines, in 1955 and the couple eventually welcomed daughter Dominique – named after the main character in Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead.
But by 1962, the marriage was over, and eligible bachelor Caine — by then an aspiring actor — was linked to a string of prominent young women throughout the decade.
Professionally, life was much rosier.
After numerous supporting roles and small roles in off-theatrical productions, he eventually landed prominent roles in the 1964 war epic Zulu, the spy thriller The Ipcress Files and the legendary 1965 hit Alfie.
From now on it only went up.
Old Times: Sir Michael Caine with co-stars Vivien Merchant, Jane Asher, Julia Foster and Shelley Winters on the set of Alfie in 1965
Legend: The actor smokes a cigarette during his heyday in the 1960s – he pursued acting after leaving the British Army in 1955
The beginning: Sir Michael’s early roles included the 1956 film A Hill In Korea (L) and the 1961 television play The Younger Generation (R).
Fists of rage: A young Sir Michael punches in this 1965 promotional photo
Legendary: The blue-collar actor played the clumsy Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in the 1964 film “Zulu”.
Smash hit: But he’s best known for his career-defining role as the titular playboy in the 1965 film Alfie (pictured with co-star Shelley Winters)
READ MORE ABOUT SIR MICHAEL:
2. The Italian job, the early ’70s, Shakira Baksh and fatherhood
Bigger hits followed in 1969 with the hit The Italian Job – famous for the iconic closing line “You should just blow off the damn doors!”. – and Get Carter, a 1971 hit for the now world-renowned actor.
But Sir Michael’s biggest hit came after he saw a Maxwell House coffee commercial starring a vivacious Guyanese actress whom he soon fell in love with.
That would be Shakira Baksh, the soon-to-be Miss World finalist whom he would eventually marry in 1973.
“I got her number from the ad agency,” he told PEOPLE in 2018. “She couldn’t get rid of me on the phone so she decided to come out with me and get rid of me.
“We fell in love at first sight. We have been in love at first sight for 47 years.”
The couple welcomed their daughter, Natasha Haleema, in 1973 — the year of their marriage.
Of his role as a father, he told the publication, “I am one of the most family-oriented men you will ever meet.”
Success: Sir Michael in a scene from his now legendary 1969 film The Italian Job
On the case: He played a vengeful hitman in the 1971 classic Get Carter
Versatile: flying a jet in 1969’s Battle Of Britain (L) and a bespectacled Caine in 1965 spy thriller The Ipcress File (R)
In love: Sir Michael with then-girlfriend Shakira Baksh in 1971, two years before they tied the knot
Happy couple: Sir Michael and Shakira have been married for 40 years (left in 1969 and right in 2003)
Family: The couple welcomed their daughter, Natasha Haleema, in 1973 — the year of their marriage
3. Escape To Victory and the early 80’s
The 1970s were a mixed time for Sir Michael, whose acting roles expanded beyond the Hollywood mainstream as he struggled to maintain a steady income.
But he would land another hit after starring in the 1975 blockbuster The Man Who Would Be King alongside fellow great Sir Sean Connery.
“Sean and I were closest friends before I lost him to golf and tax exile,” he revealed in 2010.
“I’ve known him since I was 24 years old [unemployment] queue, he was ahead of me.’
On a more personal level, the actor opened up about his marriage during an interview and accompanying cover shoot with PEOPLE in 1976.
Years later, Sir Michael told the same outlet that Shakira’s Muslim faith helped change his life for the better after partying in the 1960s.
“I wasn’t an alcoholic, but I drank heavily and I know it would have killed me,” he explained. “Shakira is Muslim and does not drink alcohol. She not only changed my life, she saved it.
“We are never apart. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, but she is also the gentlest and kindest person. I have this extraordinarily beautiful Indian lady who cooks amazing Italian food. It can’t get any better.”
Starring: Sir Michael with Sylvester Stallone in the 1981 film Escape to Victory
Icons: The actor worked with Sir Sean Connery on the 1975 hit The Man Who Would Be King.
Side by side: “Sean and I were closest friends before I lost him to golf and tax exile,” he revealed in 2010
Collaborators: With Elizabeth Taylor in the 1972 film Zee and Co, one of his more dubious releases
4. The Muppets, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Raising Rita
The 1980s proved to be a golden age for Sir Michael, with the actor picking up awards for a number of leading roles over the decade.
In fact, in Willy Russell’s Educating Rita, starring Julie Walters in 1983, he taught an acting master class of sorts as Dr. Frank Bryant, professor at the Open University for Alcoholics.
The film deservedly earned Caine an Oscar nomination, as well as BAFTA and Golden Globe wins for his moving performance opposite Walters as the titular Rita.
More followed in 1988, when the actor worked alongside American comedian Steve Martin as two ruthless con men in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
But it wasn’t all good. The actor’s penchant for taking on bread-and-butter roles lacked any real bite after agreeing to star in the pathetic flop Jaws: The Return.
Here Sir Michael played the pilot Hoagie Newcombe – a role one could argue exaggerated – in that awful fourth Jaws installment, but he would soon redeem himself.
In 1992 he received rather encouraging reviews for his starring role as Ebenezer Scrooge in Brian Henson’s The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Unbelievable: In 1983 he led a kind of acting master class in Willy Russell’s “Educating Rita” with Julie Walters as Professor Dr. Frank Bryant at the Open University
Huge success: More followed in 1988 when the actor worked alongside American comedian Steve Martin as two ruthless con artists in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Sunk without a trace: The actor’s penchant for taking on bread-and-butter roles lacked any real bite after agreeing to star in the pathetic flop Jaws: The Return
Popular: In 1992, he received rather encouraging reviews for his starring role as Ebenezer Scrooge in Brian Henson’s The Muppet Christmas Carol
Icons: (LR) Sir Michael Caine and his wife Shakira with actors Rebecca De Mornay and Tom Cruise at a screening of Educating Rita in 1983
5. Knighthoods, Dark Knights, Oscar Recognition and more
The actor has won two of his six Academy Award nominations – the first for Woody Allen’s 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters and the second for his role in the 1999 drama The Cider House Rules.
The following year he received the Royal Seal of Approval after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama, an honor he accepted under his real name – Maurice Mickelwhite.
He told the BBC: “I was named after my father and I was knighted in his name because I love my father.
“I’ve always kept my real name – I’m a very private and family-oriented person.”
Acknowledgment: The actor has won two of his six Oscar nominations – the first for Woody Allen’s 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters
… and the second for his role in the 1999 drama The Cider House Rules
Joining in: More recently, the actor played Butler Alfred in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy with Christian Bale
Arise, Sir Michael: The actor with his devoted wife Shakira after his inauguration at Buckingham Palace in 2000
Sir Michael, who was accompanied by Ms Shakira when he accepted the award at Buckingham Palace, had previously been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992.
More recently, the actor has enjoyed something of a career renaissance, with younger fans instantly recognizing him as the faithful butler Alfred in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy.
Despite turning 90, Sir Michael insists he has no plans to retire – a path previously taken by contemporaries Sir Sean Connery and Jack Nicholson.
“I became an actor for love, so I’ll keep going while people are still offering me things I want to do,” he said in 2018.
“I don’t have the money worries I used to have. I took care of everything my mother said I should do. And I have my grandchildren. I am insanely happy.”
Gritty: Sir Michael in the 2009 crime drama Harry Brown, one of his later releases
Acknowledgments: The actor is congratulated by Tom Cruise on the 72nd Annual Academy Awards in 2000 after winning an Oscar for his role in The Cider House Rules
Everyone changes: Sir Michael with long hair and a beard in the post-apocalyptic drama Children Of Men