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Sir Michael Caine has announced his retirement from acting, bringing down the curtain on a glittering career that took him from the fish markets of London to Hollywood stardom through an unforgettable chase in Turin.
The enigmatic star of stage and screen, whose seven-decade career has spanned 160 films and a handful of iconic roles, said he is excited after rave reviews for his latest film, the Oliver Parker-directed The Great Escaper. , will be adopted with great success.
Released earlier this month, the British film is based on true events and stars Sir Michael as Bernie Jordan, a World War II veteran who sneaks out of his nursing home and boards a ferry to attend the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings take part in Normandy.
Although his performance was widely praised, Sir Michael, who grew up in south-east London after the Second World War as the son of a fish market porter, has spoken of his decision not to take on any further roles and to end his film career on a high.
“I keep saying I’m retiring. Well, I am now,” he said in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Saturday (October 14).
He added: “I thought, I’ve got a picture that I’m starring in and it’s gotten incredible reviews.
“The only roles I’m likely to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85,” he joked to host Martha Kearney. “So I thought I might as well go with all that. I’ve gotten wonderful reviews. What will I do to defeat this?”
Referring to himself and director Oliver Parker, the Italian Job star continued: “We had a great time on the film and I thought, why not go now?”
He added: “At 90 there are no longer leading men, but young, beautiful boys and girls.”
“I got wonderful reviews,” said the veteran actor. “What should I do to defeat this?”
(Getty)
Since his first film role in 1950, Sir Michael has appeared in at least 160 films and won several awards, including the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1986 (Hannah and Her Sisters) and in 1999 (The Cider House Rules).
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Elsewhere in the conversation, the actor discussed that he had considered himself retired before accepting the role in The Great Escaper, but was persuaded to star again because of the quality of the script.
“The character of Bernie is an old Cockney soldier and, funnily enough, I am too,” Sir Michael explained. “He fought in World War II, I fought in the Korean War, so it’s a completely different mindset, but it’s actually the same.
“I was already retired when the script was sent to me – I had rejected it three times. But every time I read it, I kept falling in love with it, and so I did.”
In The Independent’s review of The Great Escaper, critic Clarisse Loughrey called Sir Michael’s more subdued moments a highlight of the entire film.
“Caine, as Bernie, allows his natural, commanding presence to dominate most of the performance. But there are times when Parker’s camera silently fixates on his facial features as Caine scans the ocean of Normandy, lost in the place that has changed him and marked him in so many ways. We certainly feel his sadness, but Caine allows a brief flash of terror in his eyes – it’s as if he never left these beaches.”
You can read the full review here.