Editing Michael Caine (section)

==Acting career==
=== 1950–1963: Acting debut and early roles ===
Caine's film debut was an uncredited [[Bit part|walk-on]] role in ''[[Morning Departure]]'' (1950). A few years later in [[Horsham]], Sussex, he responded to an advertisement in ''[[The Stage]]'' for an assistant stage manager who would also perform bit parts for the Horsham-based Westminster Repertory Company, who were performing at the [[Horsham#Town centre|Carfax]] Electric Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/30/electrictheatre.htm |title=Horsham Carfax Electric Theatre&nbsp;– Hidden Horsham |publisher=Hidden Horsham |access-date=17 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821111100/http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/30/electrictheatre.htm |archive-date=21 August 2009 }}</ref> Adopting the stage name "Michael White", in July 1953 he was cast as the drunkard Hindley in the company's production of ''[[Wuthering Heights]]''.<ref name="Caine 2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/michael-caine-tales-of-a-jobbing-cockney-34385708.html|title=Michael Caine: Tales of a jobbing cockney|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=24 January 2016|access-date=7 February 2019}}</ref><ref>Interview with Mike Ostler by Roxanne Blakelock (15 October 2004) for the [[British Library]] Theatre Archive Project at www.bl.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2012</ref>{{clarify|reason=If Caine was doing his National Service, including combat in the Korean War 1950-53, how could he also pursue an acting career in England?|date=September 2023}} He moved to the [[Lowestoft]] Repertory Company in [[Suffolk]] for a year when he was 21. It was here that he met his first wife, [[Patricia Haines]].<ref>The Actors – Sir Michael Caine Q&A, Indie London at www.indielondon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2012</ref> He has described the first nine years of his career as "really, really brutal"<ref>Rob Carnevale, The Prestige – Michael Caine Interview, Indie London at www.indielondon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2012</ref> as well as "more like purgatory than paradise".<ref name="Michael"/> He appeared in nine plays during his time at the Lowestoft Rep at the Arcadia Theatre with Jackson Stanley's Standard Players.

When his career took him to London in 1954 after his provincial apprenticeship, his agent informed him that there was already a Michael White performing as an actor in London and that he had to come up with a new name immediately.<ref name="Caine 2019"/> Speaking to his agent from a [[telephone booth]] in [[Leicester Square]], London, he looked around for inspiration, noted that ''[[The Caine Mutiny (1954 film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' was being shown at the [[Odeon Cinema]], and decided to change his name to "Michael Caine".<ref name="Caine 2019"/> He joked on television in 1987 that, had a tree partly blocking his view been a few feet to the left, he might have been called "Michael Mutiny". He also later joked in interviews that, had he looked the other way, he would have ended up as "Michael [[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Barry|last=Norman|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,445597,00.html |title=Michael Caine (I) |work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|date=6 November 1998|access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref> In 1958, Caine played the minor role of a court orderly in a BBC Television adaptation of the story, ''[[The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (play)|The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5473d4de8f7148c3af8a412baf672fa9|title=Sunday-Night Theatre presents: The Caine Mutiny Court Martial|date=June 1958 |publisher=[[BBC]]|accessdate=7 August 2022}}</ref>

Caine moved in with another rising cockney actor, [[Terence Stamp]], and began hanging out with him and [[Peter O'Toole]] in the London party scene after he had become O'Toole's [[understudy]] in [[Lindsay Anderson]]'s [[West End theatre|West End]] staging of [[Willis Hall]]'s ''[[The Long and the Short and the Tall (play)|The Long and the Short and the Tall]]'' in 1959.<ref name="Caine 2019"/> Caine took over the role when O'Toole left to make ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' and went on to a four-month tour of the UK and Ireland.<ref name="Caine 2019"/> Caine's first film role was as one of the privates in [[George Baker (British actor)|George Baker]]'s platoon in the 1956 film ''[[A Hill in Korea]]''. The stars of the film were Baker, [[Harry Andrews]], [[Stanley Baker]] and [[Michael Medwin]], with [[Stephen Boyd]] and [[Ronald Lewis (actor)|Ronald Lewis]]; [[Robert Shaw (actor)|Robert Shaw]] also had a small part. Caine also appeared regularly on television in small roles. His first credited role on the BBC was in 1956, where he played Boudousse in the [[Jean Anouilh]] play ''[[The Lark (play)|The Lark]]''. Other parts included three roles in ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'' in 1957, 1958 and 1959, prisoner-of-war series ''[[Escape (UK TV series)|Escape]]'' (1957), and the crime/thriller drama ''[[Mister Charlesworth]]'' (1958).

Caine continued to appear on television, in serials ''The Golden Girl'' and ''No Wreath for the General'', but was then cast in the play ''[[The Compartment]]'', written by [[Johnny Speight]], a [[two-hander]] also starring [[Frank Finlay]]. This was followed by main roles in other plays including the character Tosh in ''Somewhere for the Night'', a ''[[Sunday-Night Play]]'' written by [[Bill Naughton]] televised on Sunday 3 December 1961, another two-hander by Johnny Speight, ''The Playmates'', and two editions of BBC plays strand ''[[First Night]]'', ''Funny Noises with Their Mouths'' and ''The Way with Reggie'' (both 1963). He also acted in radio plays, including [[Bill Naughton]]'s ''Looking for Frankie'' on the [[BBC Home Service]] (1963). A big break came for Caine when he was cast as Meff in [[James Saunders (playwright)|James Saunders]]' [[Cockney]] comedy ''Next Time I'll Sing To You'', when this play was presented at the [[New Arts Theatre]] in London on 23 January 1963.<ref>{{cite web|title=Next Time I'll Sing To You|last=Saunders |first=James|url=http://www.jamessaunders.org/jsnext.htm|year=1962|access-date=14 January 2012}}</ref> Scenes from the play's performance were featured in the April 1963 issue of ''Theatre World'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/14mags/thw60s.htm |title=ROB WILTON THEATRICALIA Theatre World Magazines 1960s |publisher=Phyllis.demon.co.uk |date=4 December 1965 |access-date=26 April 2013 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423105320/http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/14mags/thw60s.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 1964–1975: Stardom and acclaim ===
[[File:Michael-caine-trailer.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Caine in the trailer for ''[[Zulu (1964 film)|Zulu]]'' (1964)]]
When this play moved to the [[Criterion Theatre|Criterion]] in [[Piccadilly]] with [[Michael Codron]] directing, he was visited backstage by [[Stanley Baker]], one of the four stars in Caine's first film, ''A Hill in Korea'', who told him about the part of a Cockney private in his upcoming film ''[[Zulu (1964 film)|Zulu]]'', a film Baker was producing and starring in. Baker told Caine to meet the director, [[Cy Endfield]], who informed him that he already had given the part to [[James Booth]], a fellow Cockney who was Caine's friend, because he "looked more Cockney" than Caine did. Endfield then told the 6'2" Caine that he did not look like a Cockney but like an officer, and offered him a screen test for the role of a snobbish, upper class officer after Caine assured him that he could do a [[posh accent]]. Caine believes Endfield offered him, a Cockney, the role of an aristocrat because, being American, he did not have the endemic British class-prejudice. Though he tested poorly, Endfield gave him the part that would make him a film star.<ref>{{cite book|last=Caine|first=Michael|title=The Elephant to Hollywood|year=2011|publisher=Henry Holt & Co.|location=New York|isbn=978-0-8050-9390-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780805093902/page/50 50–52]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780805093902/page/50}}</ref>

[[File:Michael-Caine-in-Helsinki-1967-c.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Caine during filming in 1967 in his third outing as crook-turned-spy [[Harry Palmer]]]]
Location shooting for ''Zulu'' took place in [[Natal (Province)|Natal]], South Africa, for 14 weeks in 1963.<ref>''The Two-Headed Spy'', Turner Classic Movies Film Article at www.tcm.com. Retrieved 12 January 2012</ref><ref>Zulu War 1879 Discussion and Reference Forum (A Small Victorian War in 1879) in www.1879zuluwar.com/t3518-films-of-michael-caine. Retrieved 14 January 2012</ref><ref>Extract from ''The Elephant to Hollywood'' in Reader's Digest Australia at www.readersdigest.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2012</ref> According to his 2010 autobiography ''The Elephant to Hollywood'', Caine had been signed to a seven-year contract by [[Joseph E. Levine]], whose [[Embassy Pictures|Embassy Films]] was distributing ''Zulu''. After the return of the cast to England and the completion of the film, Levine released him from the contract, telling him, "I know you're not, but you gotta face the fact that you look like a queer on screen." Levine gave his contract to his ''Zulu'' co-star James Booth.<ref>Caine p.62</ref> Subsequently, Caine's agent got him cast in the BBC production ''[[Hamlet at Elsinore]]'' (1964) as [[Horatio (character)|Horatio]], in support of [[Christopher Plummer]]'s [[Prince Hamlet|Hamlet]]. Horatio was the only classical role which Caine, who had never received dramatic training, would ever play. Caine wrote, "...I decided that if my on-screen appearance was going to be an issue, then I would use it to bring out all Horatio's ambiguous sexuality."<ref>Caine p.63</ref>

Caine's roles as effete-seeming aristocrats were to contrast with his next projects, in which he was to become notable for using a [[Regional accents of English|regional accent]], rather than the [[Received Pronunciation]] then considered proper for film actors. At that time his working-class [[Cockney]] speech stood out to American and British audiences alike, as did [[the Beatles]]' [[Liverpudlian]] accents. ''Zulu'' was followed by two of Caine's best-known roles: the rough-edged petty-crook-turned-spy [[Harry Palmer]] in ''[[The Ipcress File (film)|The Ipcress File]]'' (1965) and the titular womanising young Cockney in ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'' (1966). In a 2016 interview Caine cited ''Alfie'' as his favourite film of his career, saying, "it made me a star in America as well, and it was my first nomination for an Academy Award".<ref>{{cite web |title=Sir Michael Caine admits he has never seen the much-derided Jaws 4 |url=https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/sir-michael-caine-admits-he-has-never-seen-the-much-derided-jaws-4-34366505.html |work=[[Irish Independent]] |date=15 January 2016 |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> He went on to play Harry Palmer in a further four films, ''[[Funeral in Berlin (film)|Funeral in Berlin]]'' (1966), ''[[Billion Dollar Brain]]'' (1967), ''[[Bullet to Beijing]]'' (1995) and ''[[Midnight in Saint Petersburg]]'' (1996).<ref>{{cite news |title=The Ipcress File: how a bespectacled 'anti-Bond' changed Michael Caine's life |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/ipcress-file-bespectacled-anti-bond-changed-michael-caines-life/ |work=The Telegraph |access-date=22 June 2022}}</ref> Caine made his first film in Hollywood in 1966, after an invitation from [[Shirley MacLaine]] to play opposite her in ''[[Gambit (1966 film)|Gambit]]''. During the first two weeks, whilst staying at [[the Beverly Hills Hotel]], he met long-term friends [[John Wayne]] and agent [[Irving Paul Lazar|"Swifty" Lazar]]. Wayne was a fan of Caine's performance in ''Alfie'' and suggested to Caine, "Speak slow and speak low". Caine was always grateful for that advice.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Fiona |title=Best of Times Worst of Times Michael Caine |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2006928.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616185212/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2006928.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 June 2011 |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=1 July 2007 |access-date=5 April 2010}}</ref> Caine starred in the film ''[[The Magus (film)|The Magus]]'' (1968) which, although [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTA]]-nominated for Best Cinematography, failed at the box office.
[[File:Get-carter-trailer.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Caine in the trailer for ''[[Get Carter]]'' (1971)]]
Caine starred in the 1969 comedy [[caper film]] ''[[The Italian Job]]'' as Charlie Croker, the leader of a Cockney criminal gang released from prison with the intention of doing a "big job" in Italy to steal gold bullion from an armoured security truck. One of the most celebrated roles of his career, in a 2002 poll his line "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" was voted the second-funniest line in film (after "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy" from [[Monty Python]]'s ''[[Life of Brian]]''),<ref>{{cite news |first=Sarah|last=Womack|title=Life of Brian wins the vote for film's best laughter line |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1385293/Life-of-Brian-wins-the-vote-for-films-best-laughter-line.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1385293/Life-of-Brian-wins-the-vote-for-films-best-laughter-line.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=19 February 2002|access-date=19 August 2019 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and favourite one-liner in a 2003 poll of 1,000 film fans.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1424181/Caine-takes-top-billing-for-the-greatest-one-liner-on-screen.html | title = Caine takes top billing for the greatest one-liner on screen |first= Michael |last=Paterson | date = 10 March 2003 |work = [[The Daily Telegraph]] | access-date = 25 October 2017}}</ref> Culminating in a [[cliffhanger]], ''The Italian Job'' has one of the most discussed end scenes in film; what happened to the coachload of gold teetering over the edge of a cliff has been debated in the decades since the film was released.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Brown |title='I had a better idea': writer's original finish for 'Italian Job' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/i-had-a-better-idea-writers-original-finish-for-italian-job-435666.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/i-had-a-better-idea-writers-original-finish-for-italian-job-435666.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=9 February 2007|access-date=19 August 2019 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Richard|last=Alleyne|title= At last Michael Caine reveals ending to the Italian Job|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3533647/At-last-Michael-Caine-reveals-ending-to-the-Italian-Job.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3533647/At-last-Michael-Caine-reveals-ending-to-the-Italian-Job.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|date=28 November 2008|access-date=19 August 2019 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

After working on ''The Italian Job'' with [[Noël Coward]], and a role as [[RAF]] fighter pilot [[squadron leader]] Canfield in the all-star cast of ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (both 1969), Caine played the lead in ''[[Get Carter]]'' (1971), a British gangster film. Caine also starred in a comedy thriller, ''[[Pulp (1972 film)|Pulp]]'' (1972). Caine continued with successes including ''[[Sleuth (1972 film)|Sleuth]]'' (1972) opposite [[Laurence Olivier]], and [[John Huston]]'s ''[[The Man Who Would Be King (film)|The Man Who Would Be King]]'' (1975) co-starring [[Sean Connery]], which received widespread acclaim.<ref name="king"/> ''[[The Times]]'' applauded the "lovely double act of Caine and Connery, clowning to their doom", while Huston paid tribute to Caine's improvisation as an actor: "Michael is one of the most intelligent men among the artists I've known. I don't particularly care to throw the ball to an actor and let him improvise, but with Michael it's different. I just let him get on with it."<ref name="king">{{cite book|first=William|last=Hall|date=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b4UxBwAAQBAJ&q=the+man+who+would+be+king+-+michael+caine+would+like+to+be+remembered+for&pg=PT201|title=Sir Michael Caine – The Biography|publisher=[[John Blake Publishing]]|location=London, England|isbn=9781784185350}}</ref> In 1974, Caine appeared in ''[[The Black Windmill]]'', co-starring [[Donald Pleasence]].

=== 1976–1997: Established star ===
[[File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Michael Caine in 'Ashanti'.jpg|thumb|upright|Caine in 1979]]
In 1976, Caine appeared in [[Tom Mankiewicz]]'s screen adaptation of the [[Jack Higgins]] novel ''[[The Eagle Has Landed (film)|The Eagle Has Landed]]'' as ''[[Oberst]]'' ([[Colonel]]) Kurt Steiner, the commander of a [[Luftwaffe]] paratroop unit disguised as Polish [[paratrooper]]s, whose mission was to kidnap or kill the then-[[British Prime Minister]] [[Winston Churchill]], alongside co-stars [[Donald Sutherland]], [[Robert Duvall]], [[Jenny Agutter]] and Donald Pleasence. Caine also was part of an all-star cast in ''[[A Bridge Too Far (film)|A Bridge Too Far]]'' (1977).<ref>{{cite news|title=A Bridge Too Far, for allied forces and for viewers|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jul/15/a-bridge-too-far-reel-history|access-date=4 November 2021|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In 1978, Caine starred in ''[[Silver Bears]]'', an adaptation of [[Paul Erdman]]'s 1974 novel of the same name, and co-starred in the Academy Award-winning ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]''. In the late 1970s, Caine's choice of roles was frequently criticised{{mdash}}something to which he has referred with self-deprecating comments about taking parts strictly for the money. He averaged two films a year, but these included such films as ''[[The Swarm (1978 film)|The Swarm]]'' (1978) (although critically panned it was Academy Award-nominated for Best Costume Design), ''[[Ashanti (1979 film)|Ashanti]]'' (1979) and ''[[Beyond the Poseidon Adventure]]'' (1979).

In the early 1980s Caine appeared in ''[[The Island (1980 film)|The Island]]'' (1980), ''[[The Hand (1981 film)|The Hand]]'' (1981), and had a reunion with his ''Sleuth'' co-star Laurence Olivier in ''[[The Jigsaw Man (film)|The Jigsaw Man]]'' (1982). During the 1980s Caine enjoyed further acclaimed roles and awards attention. He co-starred with [[Julie Walters]] in ''[[Educating Rita (film)|Educating Rita]]'' (1983), for which he won a BAFTA and a [[Golden Globe Award]]. In 1986, he portrayed the neurotic Elliot in [[Woody Allen]]'s ensemble comedy ''[[Hannah and Her Sisters]]'', starring [[Barbara Hershey]], [[Dianne Wiest]], and [[Mia Farrow]]. For his performance he won his first [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Bob |last=Thomas |title=Three-time loser Caine becomes Oscar winner |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19870430&id=DucrAAAAIBAJ&pg=3349,7713188 |newspaper=Kentucky New Era |agency=Associated Press |date=30 April 1987 |access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote in 2011, "Caine's performance, so fervent, so agonisingly dedicated, actually gains in force and touching sincerity with the years."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/22/hannah-and-her-sisters-film-review|title= Hannah and Her Sisters – review|website= The Guardian|date= 22 December 2011|accessdate= September 21, 2023|last1= Bradshaw|first1= Peter}}</ref> Caine also played a suave English conman, opposite a clumsy American played by [[Steve Martin]], in the crime comedy ''[[Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (film)|Dirty Rotten Scoundrels]]'' (1988), directed by [[Frank Oz]]. The film earned him a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] nomination, losing to [[Tom Hanks]] in ''[[Big (film)|Big]]'' (1988).<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/dirty-rotten-scoundrels | title= Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | work=Golden Globes | access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>

Caine's other successful films (critically or financially) were the 1980 Golden Globe-nominated [[slasher film]] ''[[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|Dressed to Kill]]'', the 1981 [[war film]] ''[[Escape to Victory]]'' featuring [[Sylvester Stallone]] and footballers from the 1960s and 1970s, including [[Pelé]] and [[Bobby Moore]], the 1982 film ''[[Deathtrap (film)|Deathtrap]]'', and ''[[Mona Lisa (film)|Mona Lisa]]'' (1986). In 1987, Caine narrated ''[[Hero (1987 film)|Hero]]'', the [[List of official FIFA World Cup films|official film]] of the [[1986 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>[http://www.fifafilms.com/fileadmin/fifafilms/user_upload/pdf/FIFAFilms_Factsheet_March_2012_very_low_res.pdf "FIFA World Cup and Official FIFA Events: Programming"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417225504/http://www.fifafilms.com/fileadmin/fifafilms/user_upload/pdf/FIFAFilms_Factsheet_March_2012_very_low_res.pdf |date=17 April 2016 }}. FIFA Films. Retrieved 28 January 2013</ref> That year he starred in the thriller and spy film ''[[The Fourth Protocol (film)|The Fourth Protocol]]'' alongside [[Pierce Brosnan]]. In 1988 he played Chief Insp. [[Frederick Abberline]] in the two-part TV drama ''[[Jack the Ripper (miniseries)|Jack the Ripper]]'', which co-starred [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] and was produced to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the [[Jack the Ripper]] murder spree in Victorian London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=4195|title=TVT 1988/42 – 15–21 October 1988 (TVS and C4) JACK THE RIPPER (ITV) with cover photo of Michael Caine and Jane Seymour.|website=www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com|language=en|access-date=26 August 2021|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329222607/https://www.radiotimesbacknumbers.com/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&product_id=4195|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Despite his success in the 1980s, Caine also appeared in some poorly received films such as ''[[Blame It on Rio]]'' (1984), the [[Dick Clement]] and [[Ian La Frenais]] comedy ''[[Water (1985 film)|Water]]'' (1985), the fourth and final film in the [[Jaws (franchise)|''Jaws'' franchise]], ''[[Jaws: The Revenge]]'' (1987), and ''[[Without a Clue]]'' (1988) (portraying [[Sherlock Holmes]]). Caine's commitment to filming ''Jaws: The Revenge'' in the [[Bahamas]] meant that he was unable to receive his Academy Award for ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' in person and Dianne Wiest accepted it on his behalf. Caine said of ''Jaws: The Revenge'', "I have never seen the film, but by all accounts it was terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/michael_caine_biog/25 |title=Michael Caine Biography |publisher=Tiscali |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060910095949/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/michael_caine_biog/25 |archive-date=10 September 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Collin|first=Robbie|author-link=Robbie Collin|date=14 March 2013|title=Michael Caine: Extraordinarily good and spectacularly awful|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9926680/Michael-Caine-extraordinarily-good-and-spectacularly-awful.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314200211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9926680/Michael-Caine-Extraordinarily-good-and-spectacularly-awful.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 March 2013|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=24 July 2014}}</ref>

{{quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="It was absolutely perfect at that time for what I wanted. I could make it, and my daughter could see it. That's why I did it. And it was lovely."|source=―Caine on playing [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] in ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Michael Caine Loves The Muppet Christmas Carol as Much as You Do |url=https://www.gq.com/story/michael-caine-muppet-christmas-carol-interview |access-date=1 December 2019 |work=GQ}}</ref>}}
In the 1990s, Caine found good parts harder to come by. He played the mysterious bartender Mike in ''[[Mr. Destiny]]'' in 1990 and appeared with [[Roger Moore]] in ''[[Bullseye! (1990 film)|Bullseye!]]'' (1990).He played [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] in ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' (1992).<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-muppet-christmas-carol-1992 |title=The Muppet Christmas Carol Movie Review (1992) |publisher=rogerebert.com |date= 11 December 1992|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=McGlynn, Anthony|url=https://screenrant.com/best-christmas-movies-all-time/2/|title=Best Christmas Movies Of All-Time|publisher=[[Screen Rant]]|date=23 December 2018|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref> Having been chosen by [[Brian Henson]], Caine stated: "I'm going to play this movie like I'm working with the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]]. I will never wink, I will never do anything Muppety. I am going to play Scrooge as if it is an utterly dramatic role and there are no puppets around me."<ref>{{cite interview|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/dec/21/how-we-made-the-muppet-christmas-carol|title=How we made: The Muppet Christmas Carol|subject=Brian Henson, Steve Whitmire|interviewer=Ben Beaumont-Thomas|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=21 December 2015|access-date=25 December 2015}}</ref> He played the beleaguered stage director Lloyd Fellowes in the film adaptation of ''[[Noises Off (film)|Noises Off]]'' (1992). He also played a villain in the [[Steven Seagal]] film ''[[On Deadly Ground]]'' (1994). He was starred two [[straight to video]] Harry Palmer sequels and a few television films.

=== 1998–2014: Career resurgence ===
[[File:The Dark Knight European Premiere - Michael Caine.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Caine in London at the European premiere of ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', July 2008]]
Caine's performance in ''[[Little Voice (film)|Little Voice]]'' (1998) won him a [[Golden Globe Award]]. Better parts followed, including ''[[The Cider House Rules (film)|The Cider House Rules]]'' (1999), for which he won his second [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12134280 "Sir Michael Caine collects top French honour"]. BBC. Retrieved 14 July 2012</ref> In the 2000s, Caine appeared in the comedy ''[[Miss Congeniality (film)|Miss Congeniality]]'' (2000) as the refined pageant coach opposite [[Sandra Bullock]] as the undercover [[FBI]] agent. The film was a massive box office success and Caine earned praise for his comic turn. That same year Caine also appeared in [[Philip Kaufman]]'s controversial yet acclaimed film ''[[Quills (film)|Quills]]'' (2000) as [[Antoine-Athanase Royer-Collard|Dr. Royer-Collard]] opposite [[Geoffrey Rush]], [[Kate Winslet]], and [[Joaquin Phoenix]]. In 2001, Caine starred in the ensemble dramedy ''[[Last Orders (film)|Last Orders]]'' starring [[Helen Mirren]], [[Bob Hoskins]], and [[Tom Courtenay]]. Caine's next film ''[[The Quiet American (2002 film)|The Quiet American]]'' (2002) won him great critical acclaim with [[Roger Ebert]] writing, "[it's] a performance that seems to descend perfectly formed. There is no artifice in it, no unneeded energy, no tricks, no effort".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-quiet-american-2003|title= The Quiet America review|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= September 21, 2023}}</ref> Caine earned his sixth [[Academy Award]] nomination as well as a [[Golden Globe Award]] and [[British Academy Film Award]] for his performance.

Several of Caine's classic films have been remade, including ''[[The Italian Job]]'', ''[[Get Carter]]'', ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'' and ''[[Sleuth (1972 film)|Sleuth]]''. Caine appeared in ''[[Get Carter (2000 film)|Get Carter]]'' the 2000 American action thriller film directed by Stephen Kay; a remake of his 1971 film ''[[Get Carter]]'', in which a younger Michael Caine played the title role. Here in the 2000 remake, Caine's role was originally relegated to a one-scene cameo appearance, which he agreed to do as a favor to his friend Sylvester Stallone. However, after a test screening, additional scenes were scripted and shot to expand his role. The film was released in the U.S. on 6 October 2000. Critical reaction was negative, and the film flopped at the box office, with worldwide earnings of approximately only $19 million against a production budget of nearly $64 million. Stallone said: "Believe it or not, I think Get Carter was really underrated. That was a big disappointment. I learned the hard way that [remakes], even if you do it better than the original, there’s a tremendous nostalgia attached to the original. And quite often they’re not done as well."  In the [[Sleuth (2007 film)|2007 remake]] of ''[[Sleuth (1972 film)|Sleuth]]'', Caine took over the role [[Laurence Olivier]] played in the [[Sleuth (1972 film)|1972 version]] and [[Jude Law]] played Caine's original role. Caine is one of the few actors to have played a starring role in two versions of the same film. In an interview with CNN, Law spoke of his admiration for Caine: "I learned so much just from watching how he monitored his performance, and also how little he has to do. He's a master technician and sometimes he was doing stuff I didn't see, I couldn't register. I'd go back and watch it on the monitor, it was like 'Oh my God, the amount of variety he's put in there is breathtaking".<ref name="CNN"/>

Caine also starred in multiple comedies during this time, including playing Austin's father in ''[[Austin Powers in Goldmember]]'' (2002). In 2003 he co-starred with [[Robert Duvall]], and [[Haley Joel Osment]] in the family comedy ''[[Secondhand Lions]]''. Caine played family elder Henry Lair in the 2004 film ''[[Around the Bend]]''. Also in 2005, he played as Isabel's ([[Nicole Kidman]]) father in ''[[Bewitched (2005 film)|Bewitched]]'' alongside [[Will Ferrell]] and [[Shirley MacLaine]]. In 2005, he was cast as [[Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy)|Bruce Wayne]]'s butler [[Alfred Pennyworth]] in ''[[Batman Begins]]'', the first film in the new [[Batman]] film series known as [[The Dark Knight Trilogy|''The Dark Knight'' Trilogy]]. In 2006, he appeared in [[Alfonso Cuaron]]'s acclaimed dystopian drama ''[[Children of Men]]'' alongside [[Clive Owen]] and [[Julianne Moore]] as well as Nolan's mystery thriller ''[[The Prestige (film)|The Prestige]]'' starring [[Hugh Jackman]] and [[Christian Bale]]. In 2007 he appeared in ''[[Flawless (2007 film)|Flawless]]'', and in 2008 and 2012 he reprised his role as Alfred in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s critically acclaimed ''Batman'' sequels ''[[The Dark Knight]]'' and ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]'' as well as starring in the British drama ''[[Is Anybody There?]]'', which explores the final days of life. It was reported by [[Empire (film magazine)|''Empire'']] magazine that Caine had said that ''[[Harry Brown (film)|Harry Brown]]'' (released on 13 November 2009) would be his last lead role.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pierce|first=Nev|date=27 August 2009|title=''Dirty'' Harry|journal=[[Empire Magazine]]|location=London|issue=October 2009|page=93|issn=0957-4948}}</ref> Caine later clarified that he had no intention of retiring, stating that "You don't retire in this business; the business retires you."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://metro.co.uk/2009/09/13/caine-rules-out-retirement-rumours-405981/ |title=Caine rules out retirement rumours |date=13 September 2009 |work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/for-michael-caine-vengeance-means-big-box-office/article4320004/ |last=Posner |first=Michael |title=For Michael Caine, vengeance means big box office |date=22 May 2010 |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

[[File:InceptionCastPremiereJuly10.jpg|thumb|right|Caine (second from right) with the cast of ''[[Inception]]'' at 10 July premiere in 2010]]
Caine appeared in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s science fiction thriller ''[[Inception]]'' as Prof. Stephen Miles, Cobb's ([[Leonardo DiCaprio]]) mentor and father-in-law. The film was a financial and critical success, earning 8 [[Academy Award]] nominations including Best Picture. He voiced Finn McMissile in [[Pixar]]'s 2011 film ''[[Cars 2]]'' and also voiced a supporting role in the animated film ''[[Gnomeo & Juliet]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Matt |date=2010-11-29 |title=New CARS 2 Characters and Their Voice Actors |url=https://collider.com/cars-2-new-characters-images-voice-actors/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Urquhart |first=Jeremy |date=2024-12-24 |title=10 Worst Michael Caine Movies, Ranked |url=https://collider.com/michael-caine-movies-worst-ranked/ |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> He also starred in the 2012 film ''[[Journey 2: The Mysterious Island]]'', as [[Josh Hutcherson]]'s character's grandfather; the film also featured [[Dwayne Johnson]] and [[Vanessa Hudgens]]. Caine reprised his role as Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman sequel ''[[The Dark Knight Rises]]'', which was released in July 2012. Caine later called [[The Dark Knight Trilogy|''The Dark Knight'' Trilogy]], "one of the greatest things I have done in my life."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Krol|first1=Charlotte|title=Michael Caine says Christopher Nolan's 'Batman' trilogy was "one of the greatest things I have done in my life"|url=https://www.nme.com/news/film/michael-caine-says-christopher-nolans-batman-trilogy-was-one-of-the-greatest-things-i-have-done-in-my-life-2625035|work=NME|date=13 March 2020|access-date=14 March 2020}}</ref> In 2013, Caine appeared in the heist thriller ''[[Now You See Me (film)|Now You See Me]]'' starring alongside [[Jesse Eisenberg]], [[Mark Ruffalo]], [[Isla Fisher]], [[Woody Harrelson]], and [[Morgan Freeman]]. Caine played the role of Arthur Tressler, an insurance magnate and the Four Horsemen's sponsor. The film, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, was a financial success at the box office and spawned a sequel, ''[[Now You See Me 2]]'' (2016). He appeared in Nolan's 2014 science-fiction film ''[[Interstellar (film)|Interstellar]]'' as Professor Brand, a high-ranking NASA scientist, ideator of Plan A, former mentor of Cooper and father of Amelia.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.empireonline.com/news/feed.asp?NID=37375 | title=Michael Caine Heads To Interstellar | author=White, James | magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] | date=5 May 2013 | access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref> The film starred [[Matthew McConaughey]], [[Anne Hathaway]], and [[Jessica Chastain]]. In 2015, Caine co-starred in [[Matthew Vaughn]]'s action spy comedy ''[[Kingsman: The Secret Service]]'' starring [[Colin Firth]], [[Taron Egerton]], and [[Samuel L. Jackson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar/statuses/357474356496044034|title=Mark Millar|work=Twitter}}</ref>

=== 2015–2023: Final roles and retirement ===
[[File:Michael Caine - Viennale 2012 b cropped.jpg|alt=|thumb|left|upright|Caine at the 2012 [[Vienna International Film Festival]]]]
In May 2015, Caine starred in [[Paolo Sorrentino]]'s Italian comedy-drama film ''[[Youth (2015 film)|Youth]]'' alongside [[Harvey Keitel]], [[Rachel Weisz]], [[Paul Dano]], and [[Jane Fonda]]. Caine appeared in the lead role of retired composer Fred Ballinger, where he and the film won great acclaim at its debut at the [[Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Todd|title=Youth: Cannes Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/youth-2015/review/797046|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=20 May 2015|access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref> Caine received a [[London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actor of the Year]] nomination for his performance. In October 2015, Caine read [[Hans Christian Andersen]]'s "Little Claus and Big Claus" for the children's fairytales app GivingTales in aid of [[UNICEF]], together with [[Sir Roger Moore]], [[Stephen Fry]], [[Ewan McGregor]], [[Dame Joan Collins]], [[Joanna Lumley]], [[David Walliams]], [[Charlotte Rampling]] and [[Paul McKenna]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Roger Moore backs children's fairy tales app in aid of Unicef|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/18/roger-moore-childrens-app-unicef-givingtales|work=The Guardian|date=18 June 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Sir Michael Caine, 28th EFA Awards 2015, Berlin (cropped).jpg|upright|thumb|Caine in 2015]]

In 2017, Caine was cast in a spoken [[cameo role]] in Christopher Nolan's action-thriller ''[[Dunkirk (2017 film)|Dunkirk]]'' (2017), based on the [[Dunkirk evacuation]] of [[World War II]], as a Royal Air Force Spitfire pilot, as a nod to his role of RAF fighter pilot Squadron Leader Canfield in ''[[Battle of Britain (film)|Battle of Britain]]'' (1969).<ref name="Whitty-2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/07/chris_nolan_on_dunkirk_and_leaving_the_dark_knight.html|title=Chris Nolan on 'Dunkirk,' and leaving the 'Dark Knight' behind|first=Stephen|last=Whitty|date=16 July 2017|website=[[NJ.com]]|archive-date=16 July 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170716171729/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/07/chris_nolan_on_dunkirk_and_leaving_the_dark_knight.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Faber&Faber-2017">{{cite book|last=Nolan|first=Christopher|title=Dunkirk|publisher=[[Faber and Faber|Faber & Faber; Main edition]]|isbn=978-0571336258|year=2017}}</ref> In 2018, Caine starred as [[Brian Reader (old-school villain)|Brian Reader]] in [[King of Thieves (2018 film)|''King of Thieves'']], which was based on the [[Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary]] of 2015.<ref name="new_Film">{{Cite web| title = Michael Caine and Ray Winstone crook the part as they star as the OAPs behind £25m Hatton Garden heist| author = Fifield, Nicola| newspaper = [[Daily Mirror]] | date = 27 May 2017| access-date = 27 May 2017| url = https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/michael-caine-ray-winstone-crook-10514483}}</ref><ref name="king_of_thieves">{{cite web |title=The King of Thieves – British Films Directory |url=http://film.britishcouncil.org/the-king-of-thieves |website=[[British Council]] |date=24 April 2018 |access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref>

In May 2019, Caine was cast as Sir Michael Crosby, a British Intelligence officer, in [[Christopher Nolan]]'s ''[[Tenet (film)|Tenet]]'' (2020).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/christopher-nolan-tenet-movie-cast-release-date-1202620596/|title=Christopher Nolan's New Movie Gets A Title, Final Cast As Shooting Begins|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=22 May 2019|access-date=22 May 2019}}</ref> The film starred [[John David Washington]], [[Robert Pattinson]], [[Elizabeth Debicki]] and [[Kenneth Branagh]]. The film received an American release during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in September 2020 after being delayed multiple times and became a box office disappointment, despite receiving positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2020/09/14/box-office-tent-nolan-wonder-woman-james-bond-mulan-movies/?sh=4ddaccb57cd4|title= Box Office: 'Tenet' Absolutely Failed To Save Movie Theaters|website= Forbes|access-date= 27 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/tenet-movie-review-christopher-nolan-1047641/|title= 'Tenet' Review: Christopher Nolan's Knockout Arrives Right on Time|magazine= Rolling Stone|date= 28 August 2020|access-date= 27 November 2020}}</ref> Caine also appeared in the children's fantasy film, ''[[Come Away]]'' (2020) starring [[Angelina Jolie]], [[David Oyelowo]], and [[Gugu Mbatha-Raw]]. The film premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] to mixed reviews, with critics praising its performances and lavish production design.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/film-festivals/2020/01/22/sundance-come-away-david-oyelowo/|title= David Oyelowo on reinventing classic fairy-tale characters for Sundance-bound Come Away|magazine= Entertainment Weekly|access-date= 28 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/come-away-review-1272733|title= 'Come Away': Film Review – Sundance 2020|website= The Hollywood Reporter|date= 24 January 2020|access-date= 28 November 2020}}</ref> In the 2021 film [[Twist (2021 film)|''Twist'']], an adaptation of [[Charles Dickens]]' ''[[Oliver Twist]]'' set in the present day, Caine plays [[Fagin]].<ref>{{cite news |title= 'Twist': Michael Caine, Lena Headey, Rita Ora & Raff Law Lead Cast In Sky Movie Update Of Charles Dickens Classic |url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/twist-michael-caine-lena-headey-rita-ora-raff-law-sky-movie-charles-dickens-1202761507/ |access-date=27 November 2020 |work=Deadline}}</ref> In interviews promoting the 2021 film ''[[Best Sellers (film)|Best Sellers]]'', Caine suggested that he would not make another film, citing difficulty in walking and his new interest in novel-writing developed during the [[COVID-19 lockdowns]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/18/michael-caine-on-brexit-boris-johnson-and-big-breaks-ive-done-150-movies-i-think-thats-enough|title=Michael Caine on Brexit, Boris Johnson and big breaks: "I've done 150 movies. I think that's enough"|work=The Guardian|date=18 October 2021|access-date=18 October 2021}}</ref> However, his representatives told ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' that he was not retiring from acting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/michael-caine-not-retiring-best-sellers-1235090863/|title=Michael Caine Is Not Retiring From Acting|date=16 October 2021|work=Variety|access-date=18 October 2021}}</ref> In 2022, Caine filmed ''[[The Great Escaper]]'', a British-French feature film starring Caine and [[Glenda Jackson]], based on the true-life story of a British [[World War II]] veteran who 'broke out' of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary [[D-Day]] commemorations in France, in June 2014.<ref name=ES1>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-great-escaper-2023-michael-caine-glenda-jackson-b1096548.html|title=The Great Escaper: release date and plot for Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson's upcoming film|first=Elizabeth|last=Gregory|work=The Evening Standard|date=26 July 2023|access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref> The film was released on 6 October 2023.<ref name=ES1/>

Caine officially confirmed his retirement from acting on 13 October 2023, mainly because of the decreasing likelihood of him getting any more leading roles.<ref>{{cite news| last = McIntosh| first = Steven | date = 13 October 2023| title = Michael Caine confirms retirement from acting after The Great Escaper| newspaper = BBC| page =| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67099084| access-date = 13 October 2023 | quote =}}</ref> Caine announced his retirement from acting in a BBC ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' radio programme interview with [[Martha Kearney]]. Referring to ''The Great Escaper'' he said, "I keep saying I'm going to retire, well I am now, because I figured, I've had a picture which is — I played the lead and it's got incredible reviews. The only parts I'm liable to get now are old men, 90-year-old men, and I thought well I might as well leave with all this. I've got wonderful reviews. What am I going to do to beat this?"<ref name=BBCToday>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0glfdvw|title=Best of Today Michael Caine: I'm retiring from film|first=|last=|work=Today (BBC radio programme)|date=14 October 2023|access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>