Michael Caine
Biography
Michael Caine is a retired English actor whose Cockney accent and more than 130 films across eight decades made him a British cultural icon. Born in Rotherhithe, London, he broke through in the 1960s with Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Italian Job (1969) and Battle of Britain (1969), becoming known for playing Cockney characters. He won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor as Elliot in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Dr. Wilbur Larch in The Cider House Rules (1999), with further Oscar nominations for Alfie (1966), Sleuth (1972), Educating Rita (1983) and The Quiet American (2002). He portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy from 2005 to 2012 and appeared in the director's The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014) and Tenet (2020). He received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2000 and confirmed his retirement in 2023, his final film being The Great Escaper.
93years old
Turns 94 on March 14in 151 days
- Born Rotherhithe
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
- Maurice Joseph Micklewhite (birth name)Also credited as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr., Sir Michael Caine, CBE and Sir Michael Caine
Movie Career
- Films
- 122
- Career span
- 66 years1957 to 2023
Genres
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About the name
Caine took his stage name in 1954 when his agent told him another Michael Scott was already working in London; from a Leicester Square phone booth he spotted The Caine Mutiny playing at the Odeon and chose Michael Caine.
Big break
Stanley Baker, who was producing and starring in Zulu, told Caine about a Cockney private's role in the film. Director Cy Endfield had already cast James Booth, saying Booth looked more Cockney, but offered Caine a screen test for a snobbish upper class officer once Caine said he could do a posh accent.
A first
Caine played Horatio opposite Christopher Plummer in a 1964 BBC Hamlet at Elsinore, and it was the only classical role he ever played, having never received dramatic training.
Getting ready for a role
Caine played Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol by deciding to perform it as if he were at the Royal Shakespeare Company, never winking and never doing anything Muppety.
First role
Caine's first film work was an uncredited walk-on in Morning Departure in 1950. A few years after that, in Horsham, Sussex, he replied to a Stage ad seeking an assistant stage manager who would also take bit parts.
Michael Caine movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Christopher Nolan directed seven of these films, John Mackenzie three and John Huston two. Morgan Freeman appears in seven of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Morgan Freeman's page
Bob Hoskins's page
Joss Ackland's page
Christian Bale's page
Joan Collins's page
George Innes's page
All films by Christopher Nolan
John MackenzieDirector, 3 films, 1983 to 2003
All films by John Mackenzie
All films by John Huston
Box office
What Michael Caine's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$8.5 billion
61 of the 122 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 122 films: 61 worldwide figure; 19 us gross only; 6 never in cinemas; 36 figure not found.
- 61Worldwide figure
- 19US gross only
- 6Never in cinemas
- 36Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 63% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$1.1B12.7% of the total
- 2$1.0B11.8% of the total
- 3$839M9.8% of the total
- 4$747M8.8% of the total
- 5$560M6.6% of the total
- 6$414M4.9% of the total
- 7$374M4.4% of the total
- 8$365M4.3% of the total
$3.1 billionfrom the other 53 films with a worldwide figure, 37% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1983 to 2015, eight of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 2000 | Best Supporting Actor | The Cider House Rules | Won |
| 1987 | Best Supporting Actor | Hannah and Her Sisters | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1999 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Little Voice | Won |
| 1989 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Jack the Ripper | Won |
| 1983 | Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Educating Rita | Won |
| BAFTA | |||
| 2000 | Fellowship | Won | |
| 1983 | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Educating Rita | Won |
| SAG Awards | |||
| Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Won | ||
| Other honors | |||
| 2015 | European Film Academy Honorary Award | Honorary | |
| 2015 | European Film Award for Best Actor | Youth | Won |
| 2011 | Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres | Won | |
| 2000 | Donostia Award | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.