Summary
- 90-year-old actor Michael Caine has officially retired after an incredible career spanning over 70 years.
- Caine confirmed in an interview that he no longer has opportunities to lead movies as there are few roles available for elderly actors.
- Caine nearly turned down his latest movie because he considered himself retired, realizing he would only be offered roles as an elderly man and not as a leading character.
After an incredible career, Michael Caine is officially done acting. The 90-year-old actor has starred in over 160 movies and has earned numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, three Golden Globes, and a SAG award. His career began in 1950, meaning the actor has been working for over 70 years and featured in iconic movies, including Batman Begins, Interstellar, and The Italian Job.
With over 160 movies behind him, Caine has decided to retire. While in an interview with Caine's collaborations with Christopher Nolan — that he simply has no more opportunities to lead movies. He even nearly turned down his latest movie, The Great Escaper, because he already considered himself retired. Check out Caine's quote below:
"I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well I am now. I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and had incredible reviews... What am I going to do that will beat this? The only parts I'm liable to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85. They're not going to be the lead. You don't have leading men at 90, you're going to have young handsome boys and girls. So I thought, I might as well leave with all this."
Michael Caine's Incredible Career Explained
Few actors have enjoyed careers as illustrious and long as Caine's time in Hollywood. Caine's career has spanned across genres and decades. He starred in Children of Men, The Man Who Would Be King, and Inception, all while playing parts in comedies and romance movies. Caine even managed to secure a constant partnership with Christopher Nolan, which helped him earn roles in Nolan's award-winning projects.
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Caine even managed to earn an incredible distinction from Queen Elizabeth II, as she knighted him in 2000. He was knighted as Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, which is his birth name rather than his official stage name. It was a great honor for an English actor and proof of his brilliant career. He also earned the lesser role of Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
With Caine's career officially at an end, he ensured that he had the opportunity to end his career on a positive note. He starred alongside the late Glenda Jackson in The Great Escaper shortly before her death. It's an excellent way to end his work, and he will leave the industry as a star. Now, with few roles available, Michael Caine is ready to say goodbye to acting completely.
Source: BBC Radio 4 Today (via BBC News)
