Michael Caine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Michael Caine CBE
Caine in 2012
Born	Maurice Joseph Micklewhite (1933-03-14) 14 March 1933 (age 92) Rotherhithe, London, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1950–2023
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Patricia Haines ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1958)​ Shakira Baksh ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	2
Relatives	Stanley Caine (brother)
Awards	Full list
Military Service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1952–1954
Rank	Private
Unit	C Company, 1st Royal Fusiliers
Battles/wars	Korean War
Awards	Korea Medal UN Korea Medal
Signature

Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor who recently retired. He is famous for his unique Cockney accent. Michael Caine has acted in more than 160 movies over eight decades. Many people see him as a British cultural icon.

He has won many important awards, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He is one of only five male actors to be nominated for an Academy Award in five different decades. In 2000, he received a special BAFTA award called a BAFTA Fellowship. He was also made a knight by Queen Elizabeth II.

Caine often played characters with a Cockney accent. He became famous in the 1960s with British films like Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), and The Italian Job (1969). During this time, he became known for his cool style, often wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses and sharp suits. He continued his success with movies such as Get Carter (1971) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975).

Michael Caine won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. The first was for his role in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). The second was for his part in The Cider House Rules (1999). He was also nominated for Best Actor for films like Alfie (1966) and Educating Rita (1983).

He is also well-known for playing Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Caine also had funny roles in movies like Miss Congeniality (2000). He played Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, in Christopher Nolan's Batman movies (2005–2012). Caine worked with Nolan on five other films too, including Inception (2010) and Interstellar (2014). He announced his retirement from acting in October 2023. His last film was The Great Escaper.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Blue plaque marking Caine's birthplace in Rotherhithe, London

Blue plaque at the school where Caine first acted

Michael Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite on 14 March 1933. He was born in Rotherhithe, London. His mother, Ellen Frances Marie, was a cook. His father, also named Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, worked at a fish market.

During World War II, young Michael was sent away from London for safety. He went to North Runcton, Norfolk. It was there, at the village school, that he first acted in a play. He even had a pet horse named Lottie.

After the war, his family moved into a prefabricated house in London. These houses were meant to be temporary. But his family lived there for 18 years. Caine later said it felt like luxury after their old, cramped flat.

When he was 10, Caine acted in a school play of Cinderella. His trousers' zipper was open, and the audience laughed. This moment made him want to become an actor. He later went to Hackney Downs School and Wilson's School. He left school at 16 after getting his School Certificates. He then worked briefly as a clerk for a film company.

Military Service

In 1952, Caine was called to do his national service in the British Army. He served from 1952 to 1954. He was part of the Royal Fusiliers. He served in West Germany and then in the Korean War.

His time in the Korean War deeply affected him. He saw how the Chinese army used many soldiers in attacks. This made him feel that the communist government did not care about its people. He experienced a moment where he thought he would die. This memory stayed with him and helped shape his character.

Caine has said he would like to see national service return in Britain. He believes it could help reduce youth violence. He thinks it would give young people a sense of belonging.

Acting Career: Early Years and Breakthrough

1950–1963: Starting His Acting Journey

Caine's very first film appearance was a small, uncredited role in Morning Departure (1950). A few years later, he saw an advertisement for an assistant stage manager. This job also included small acting parts. He joined the Westminster Repertory Company in Horsham, Sussex.

In July 1953, he acted as a drunkard in Wuthering Heights. He used the stage name "Michael White" at first. He then moved to the Lowestoft Repertory Company. There, he met his first wife, Patricia Haines. He described his first nine years in acting as "really, really brutal."

When he moved to London in 1954, his agent told him another actor was already named Michael White. He needed a new name quickly. He was in a telephone booth in Leicester Square. He saw a poster for the film The Caine Mutiny. He decided to change his name to "Michael Caine." He later joked that if a tree had been a bit to the left, he might have been called "Michael Mutiny."

Caine became friends with other actors like Terence Stamp and Peter O'Toole. He was O'Toole's understudy in a play called The Long and the Short and the Tall in 1959. When O'Toole left, Caine took over the role. His first credited film role was in A Hill in Korea (1956). He also appeared in many small TV roles.

A big opportunity came in 1963. He was cast in the play Next Time I'll Sing To You. This play was a Cockney comedy.

1964–1975: Becoming a Star

Caine in the trailer for Zulu (1964)

While performing in Next Time I'll Sing To You, Caine was visited by Stanley Baker. Baker was a star in Caine's first film, A Hill in Korea. Baker told him about a part in his new film, Zulu. The director, Cy Endfield, initially thought Caine looked too upper-class for the Cockney role. But Caine convinced him he could play a snobbish officer. Even though his screen test wasn't great, Endfield gave him the part. This role made him a film star.

Filming for Zulu took place in South Africa in 1963. After Zulu, Caine played two of his most famous roles. He was the spy Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File (1965). He also played the charming young Cockney in Alfie (1966). Caine said Alfie was his favorite film because it made him a star in America. He played Harry Palmer in four more films.

Caine during filming in 1967 as Harry Palmer

In 1966, Caine made his first Hollywood film, Gambit, with Shirley MacLaine. He met John Wayne there, who gave him great advice: "Speak slow and speak low." Caine always remembered this tip.

Caine starred in the 1969 comedy The Italian Job. He played Charlie Croker, a Cockney gang leader planning a big gold heist in Italy. This is one of his most celebrated roles. His line, "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" is very famous. The ending of The Italian Job is also widely discussed.

After The Italian Job and Battle of Britain (1969), Caine played the lead in Get Carter (1971). This was a British gangster film. He continued his success with Sleuth (1972) with Laurence Olivier. He also starred in The Man Who Would Be King (1975) with Sean Connery. Critics loved this film.

1976–1997: A Well-Known Actor

Caine in 1979

In 1976, Caine appeared in The Eagle Has Landed. He played a German colonel on a mission to kidnap Winston Churchill. He was also in the all-star cast of A Bridge Too Far (1977). In the late 1970s, Caine sometimes chose roles just for the money. He made about two films a year. Some of these included The Swarm (1978) and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979).

In the early 1980s, Caine appeared in films like The Island (1980). He also reunited with Laurence Olivier in The Jigsaw Man (1982). During the 1980s, Caine received more awards. He starred with Julie Walters in Educating Rita (1983). For this, he won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award.

In 1986, he played Elliot in Woody Allen's comedy Hannah and Her Sisters. He won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. Caine also played a smooth English conman in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) with Steve Martin.

Other successful films for Caine included the thriller Dressed to Kill (1980). He also appeared in the war film Escape to Victory (1981) with Sylvester Stallone and Pelé. In 1987, Caine narrated Hero, the official film of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He also played Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline in the TV drama Jack the Ripper (1988).

Despite his success, Caine also appeared in some less popular films. These included Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Caine famously said about 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."

In the 1990s, good roles were harder to find. A highlight was playing Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Caine said he played Scrooge as a serious role, even with puppets around him. He also played a villain in the Steven Seagal film On Deadly Ground (1994).

1998–2014: A Strong Comeback

Caine in London at the European premiere of The Dark Knight, July 2008

His role in Little Voice (1998) marked a return to form. He won a Golden Globe Award for it. Better roles followed, including The Cider House Rules (1999). For this, he won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 2000s, Caine appeared in the comedy Miss Congeniality (2000) with Sandra Bullock. The film was a huge success. Caine also starred in Quills (2000). In 2002, his film The Quiet American earned him great praise. He received his sixth Academy Award nomination for this role.

Many of Caine's classic films have been remade. These include The Italian Job and Sleuth. In the 2007 remake of Sleuth, Caine played the role that Laurence Olivier had in the original. Jude Law played Caine's original role. Caine is one of the few actors to star in two versions of the same film.

Caine also starred in comedies like Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), playing Austin's father. In 2003, he co-starred with Robert Duvall in Secondhand Lions. In 2005, he was cast as Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in Batman Begins. This was the first film in The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Caine (second from right) with the cast of Inception at a premiere in 2010

In 2006, he appeared in Children of Men and Nolan's thriller The Prestige. He returned as Alfred in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Caine called The Dark Knight Trilogy "one of the greatest things I have done in my life."

In 2009, Caine starred in the British drama Harry Brown. He later clarified that he had no plans to retire, saying, "You don't retire in this business; the business retires you."

Caine appeared in Christopher Nolan's science fiction film Inception (2010). He voiced Finn McMissile in Pixar's Cars 2 (2011). He also starred in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012). In 2013, Caine was in the heist thriller Now You See Me, which was a financial success. He also appeared in Nolan's 2014 science-fiction film Interstellar. In 2015, Caine co-starred in the action spy comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service.

2015–2023: Final Roles and Retirement

Caine at the 2012 Vienna International Film Festival

In May 2015, Caine starred in the Italian comedy-drama film Youth. He played a retired composer named Fred Ballinger. The film and his performance received great praise. In October 2015, Caine read a fairytale for a children's app called GivingTales. This was to help UNICEF.

Caine in 2015

In 2017, Caine had a small voice role in Christopher Nolan's action-thriller Dunkirk. This was a nod to his role as an RAF pilot in Battle of Britain (1969). In 2018, Caine starred in King of Thieves, based on a real-life burglary.

In May 2019, Caine was cast in Christopher Nolan's Tenet (2020). He also appeared in the children's fantasy film Come Away (2020). In the 2021 film Twist, Caine played Fagin.

In 2022, Caine filmed The Great Escaper. This film is based on the true story of a British World War II veteran. The veteran 'broke out' of his nursing home to attend D-Day events in France. The film was released in October 2023.

Caine officially confirmed his retirement from acting on 13 October 2023. He explained that he was unlikely to get many more leading roles. He felt The Great Escaper was a great film to end his career with. He said, "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."

Personal Life

Caine and his wife Shakira in Venice, Italy, in 2014

As of 2023, Michael Caine lives in Chelsea Harbour and Wimbledon, London. He also owns an apartment in Miami Beach, Florida. He still keeps a small flat near where he grew up in London. Caine has written three books about his life: What's It All About? (1992), The Elephant to Hollywood (2010), and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: And Other Lessons in Life (2018).

Caine was married to actress Patricia Haines from 1954 to 1958. They had a daughter named Dominique. He has been married to actress and model Shakira Baksh since 8 January 1973. They met after Caine saw her in a coffee commercial. He called her every day until she agreed to meet him. They have a daughter named Natasha Haleema. Shakira is a Muslim, and Michael is a Christian. He has said their different faiths have never caused problems.

Caine is proud of his working-class background. He often talks about the amazing opportunities his film career gave him. He got to play football with Pelé and dance with Bob Fosse. He was also close friends with John Lennon and two James Bond actors, Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

After his mother passed away, Caine and his younger brother, Stanley, found out they had an older half-brother named David. David had severe epilepsy and lived in a hospital his whole life. Their mother visited him regularly, but even her husband didn't know about the child. David died in 1992.

In July 2016, Caine legally changed his name to Michael Caine. This was to make airport security checks easier. Security guards often recognized him but didn't know his real name, Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. This caused delays.

Music and Other Interests

Caine enjoys chill-out music. He even released a compilation CD called Cained in 2007. He once sang an impromptu song with Elton John on a TV show. Caine also provided voice samples for the band Madness for their 1984 song "Michael Caine". He has sung in his films too, like The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Caine quit his heavy smoking habit in the early 1970s. He is a fan of cricket. He has also written several trivia books, including Not Many People Know That!. The money from these books went to a charity called the National Playing Fields Association. This charity helps protect and promote open spaces for sports in Britain.

Political Views

Caine has often shared his political views. He calls himself a "left-wing Tory." His views are shaped by his working-class background and his service in the Korean War. He lived in the United States for a while in the late 1970s. This was because of high income taxes in the UK at the time.

In 2009, Caine spoke out against a new high income tax rate in the UK. He even said he might move back to the United States if taxes increased more. Before the 2010 general election, Caine supported the Conservative Party. He appeared with their leader, David Cameron.

In 2016, Caine voted for Brexit in the European Referendum. He said he would rather be a "poor master than a rich servant." He explained that he found both options scary. He felt that the European Union had become too powerful.

Filmography

Some of Michael Caine's Films

Awards and Honours

Caine's handprints in Leicester Square, London

Michael Caine has been nominated for an Oscar six times. He won his first Academy Award in 1986 for Hannah and Her Sisters. He won his second in 1999 for The Cider House Rules. Both were for Best Supporting Actor. His role in Educating Rita (1983) earned him a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award.

Caine is one of only two actors to be nominated for an Academy Award in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s. The other actor is Jack Nicholson. Seven of Caine's films are on the BFI's list of 100 greatest British films of the 20th century.

In 1992, Caine was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight at Buckingham Palace. He was knighted as Sir Maurice Micklewhite CBE for his contributions to cinema. He said he was knighted in his father's name because he loved his father. In 2000, he also received a special BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award.

In 2008, Caine received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness. In 2011, he was honored by France's culture minister. In May 2012, Caine was given the Honorary Freedom of the London Borough of Southwark. This was to recognize him as a distinguished person from the area. In 2017, Caine received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.