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Michael Caine

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This article is about the English actor. For the song by Madness, see Michael Caine (song).
Michael Caine
Caine in 2008
Born
Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.
OccupationActor
Years active1956–present
Spouse(s)Patricia Haines (1955–1962 Divorced for desertion)
Shakira Baksh (1973–present)

Sir Michael Caine, CBE (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.; 14 March 1933) is an English film actor. Caine has appeared in more than 100 films, and is one of only two actors to have been nominated for an Academy Award for acting (leading or supporting) in every decade since the 1960s (Jack Nicholson is the other, while Dustin Hoffman has maintained a similar record until the 2000s).[1] He became known for several notable critically acclaimed performances, particularly in the late 1960s, '70s and '80s in films such as Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), Billion Dollar Brain (1967) and others as Harry Palmer, the woman-chasing title character in Alfie (1966), The Italian Job (1969), Get Carter (1971), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Educating Rita (1983), Academy Award-winning performances for supporting actor in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999), as Nigel Powers in the spoof Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and more recently as Alfred Pennyworth, the butler from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Caine was knighted in 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his contribution to cinema. He retains his strong cockney accent.

Early life

Caine was born in Rotherhithe, Southeast London, the son of Ellen Frances Marie (née Burchell), a cook and charlady, and Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Sr., a fish market porter.[2] Caine's father was of part Romani (Gypsy) ancestry[3] and a Catholic, though Caine was raised in his Protestant mother's religion.[4]

He grew up in Camberwell, England, and during World War II was evacuated to North Runcton, in Norfolk.[5] In 1944 he passed his eleven-plus exam, winning a scholarship to Hackney Downs Grocers School.[6] After a year there he moved to Wilson's Grammar School (now Wilson's School) near Camberwell Green which he left at sixteen after gaining a School Certificate in six subjects. He then worked briefly as a filing clerk and messenger for a film company in Victoria Street and the film producer Jay Lewis in Wardour Street.[7] From April 1952 to 1954 he did the compulsory National Service in the British Army as a Fusilier in the Royal Fusiliers, serving at the BAOR HQ in Iserlohn, Germany and in combat in the Korean War.

Career

When Caine first became an actor, he adopted the stage name "Michael Scott". His agent soon informed him, however, that another actor was already using the same name, and that he had to come up with a new name immediately. Speaking to his agent from a telephone box in Leicester Square in London, Caine looked around for inspiration, noted that The Caine Mutiny was being shown at the Odeon Cinema, and decided to change his name to "Michael Caine". He has joked in interviews that had he looked the other way, he would have ended up as "Michael One Hundred and One Dalmatians".[8]

1960s

Caine's acting career began in Horsham, Sussex. He responded to an advertisement for an assistant stage manager for the Horsham-based Westminster Repertory Company. This led to walk-on roles at the Carfax Theatre.[9] After several minor roles, Caine entered the public eye as the upper-class British army officer Gonville Bromhead VC in the 1964 film Zulu. This proved paradoxical, as Caine was to become notable for using a regional accent, rather than the received pronunciation hitherto considered proper for film actors. At the time, Caine's working-class Cockney, just as with The Beatles' Liverpudlian accents, stood out to American and British audiences alike. Zulu was closely followed by two of his best-known roles: the spy Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File (1965), and the woman-chasing title character in Alfie (1966). He went on to play Palmer in a further four films, Funeral in Berlin (1966), Billion-Dollar Brain (1967), Bullet to Beijing (1995) and Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1995). Caine made his first movie in the United States in 1966, after an invitation from Shirley MacLaine to play opposite her in Gambit. During the first two weeks, whilst staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel, he met long term friends John Wayne and agent "Swifty" Lazar.[10]

1970s

After ending the 1960s with The Italian Job, with Noel Coward, and a solid role as an RAF fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Canfield, in the all-star cast of Battle of Britain (1969), Caine entered the 1970s with Get Carter, a British gangster film. Caine was busy throughout the 1970s, with successes including Sleuth (1972), opposite Laurence Olivier and The Man Who Would Be King (1975), co-starring Sean Connery and directed by John Huston). Then in 1978, he starred in the The Silver Bears, an adaptation of Paul Erdman's (1974) novel of the same name.

1980s

By the end of the decade, he had moved to the United States, but his choice of roles was often criticised—he admitted to and has since made many self-deprecating comments about taking parts in numerous movies he knew to be bad strictly for the money. Caine was averaging two films a year, but these included such failures as the Academy Award-nominated The Swarm (1978), Ashanti (1979) (which he claimed they were the worst two films of all the other worst films he ever made), Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979), The Island (1980), The Hand (1981) an a reunion with his Sleuth co-star Laurence Olivier in The Jigsaw Man (1982). Although Caine also took better roles, including a BAFTA-winning turn in Educating Rita (1983), and an Oscar-winning one in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and a Golden Globe-nominated one in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), he continued to appear in notorious duds like the financially-successful-but-critical-failure Jaws: The Revenge (1987) (in which he had mixed feelings about the production and the final cut) and Bullseye! (1990); his appearing in so many films which did not meet with critical acclaim made him the butt of numerous jokes on the subject. Of the former, Caine famously said (primary 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."[11] All these film failures later became cult films among his fans today. His other successful films (either critically and/or financially) were the 1978 Academy Award-winning California Suite, the 1980 Golden Globe-nominated slasher film Dressed to Kill, the 1981 war film Escape to Victory, the 1982 film Deathtrap and the 1986 Academy Award-nominated Mona Lisa.

1990s

The 1990s were a lean time for Caine, as he found good parts harder to come by. His one great output of the decade was when he played Ebenezer Scrooge in the critically-acclaimed Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) (which he considers to be one of his most memorable roles). He played the beleaguered stage director Lloyd Dallas in the film adaptation of Noises Off (1992). He also played a villain in the Steven Seagal flop On Deadly Ground (1994). He was in two straight to video Harry Palmer sequels and a few television movies. However, Caine's reputation as a pop icon was still intact, thanks to his roles in films such as The Italian Job and Get Carter. His performance in 1998's Little Voice was seen as something of a return to form, and won him a Golden Globe Award.

2000s

Michael Caine at The Dark Knight premiere in support of his role in the film as the butler Alfred.

Better parts followed, including The Cider House Rules (1999), for which he won his second Oscar, Last Orders (2001), The Quiet American (2002) and others which helped rehabilitate his reputation. Several of Caine's classic films have been remade to appeal to new, younger audiences, including The Italian Job, Get Carter, Alfie, and Sleuth. In the 2007 remake of Sleuth, Caine took over the role Laurence Olivier played in the 1972 version, and Jude Law played Caine's original role. Caine also starred in Austin Powers: Goldmember (2002) as Austin's father. In 2005, he was cast as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth in the first production of the new Batman film series. In 2006, he appeared in the films Children of Men and The Prestige, in 2007 he appeared in Flawless, while in 2008 he reprised his role as Alfred in Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Batman sequel, The Dark Knight.

He has announced that Harry Brown (to be released on 13 November 2009) will be his last lead role.[12] However, this was later proved wrong by him saying he was misquoted.[13]

Awards and honours

Caine has been Oscar-nominated six times, winning his first Academy Award for the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters, and his second in 1999 for The Cider House Rules, in both cases as a supporting actor. Caine is one of only two actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting (either lead or supporting) in every decade since the 1960s. The other is Jack Nicholson.

He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours,[14] and in the 2000 New Year Honours he was knighted as Sir Maurice Micklewhite, CBE.[15][16] (Such awards must be conferred upon recipients' legal names, and Caine had not yet abandoned his birth name.)

In 2008, he was awarded the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Showbusiness at the Variety Club Awards.[17]

Caine is a popular subject for impressionists and mimics, having a voice and manner of speaking that are distinctive, yet fairly easy to imitate. Most Caine impressions include the catchphrase "Not a lot of people know that." Peter Sellers initiated this when he appeared on BBC1's Parkinson show on 28 October 1972 and said:

Not many people know that. This is my Michael Caine impression. You see, Mike's always quoting from the Guinness Book of Records. At the drop of a hat he'll trot one out. 'Did you know that it takes a man in a tweed suit five and a half seconds to fall from the top of Big Ben to the ground?' Now there's not many people know that!

In 1983, Caine was given the line to say as an in-joke in the film Educating Rita. The line was parodied in Harry Enfield's Television Programme by Paul Whitehouse, who introduced himself with the line "My name is Michael Paine, and I am a nosey neighbour." On 16 December 2007, Caine was the second guest on Michael Parkinson's Final Conversation.

Personal life

Caine with Scarlett Johansson at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2008.Template:Byline

Caine lives near Leatherhead in Surrey, and is patron to the Leatherhead Drama Festival.[18] He has also lived in North Stoke, Oxfordshire, Clewer near Windsor, Berkshire, Lowestoft in Suffolk and Chelsea Harbour in London. In addition, Caine owns a unit at The Apogee in Miami Beach, Florida.

He was married to actress Patricia Haines from 1955 to 1958. They had one daughter named Dominique. He dated Bianca Jagger in 1968. Caine has been married to actress and model Shakira Baksh since 8 January 1973. They met after Caine saw her appearing in a Maxwell House coffee commercial and a friend gave him her telephone number. They have a daughter named Natasha.[19]

Some time after his mother died, Caine and his younger brother, Stanley, learned they had an elder half-brother, named David. He suffered from severe epilepsy and had been kept in Cane Hill Mental hospital his entire life. Although their mother regularly visited her first son in hospital, even her husband did not know the child existed. David died in 1992.[20]

Caine is a fan of the football team Chelsea Football Club.[21]

Trivia books written by Caine include Not Many People Know That!, And Not Many People Know This Either!, Michael Caine's Moving Picture Show and Not A Lot of People Know This is 1988. Proceeds from the books went to the National Playing Fields Association (now Fields In Trust) of which Caine was a prominent supporter.

Unlike many actors who adopt their stage name for everyday use, Caine still uses his real name when he is not working.

Musical career

Caine is a fan of chillout music and has compiled a mix CD called Cained, which was released in 2007 by UMTV.[22] According to Michael Caine, he met with Elton John, and was discussing musical tastes, when Caine claimed that he had been creating chillout mix tapes as an amateur for years.[23] Also in music, Caine provided vocal samples for British band Madness for their 1984 hit "Michael Caine" as his daughter was a fan. He has sung in movie roles as well, including for the musical movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Filmography

Main article: Michael Caine filmography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Michael Caine

References

Wikiquote has quotations related to Michael Caine.
  1. ^ Michael Caine (I) - Awards
  2. ^ "Michael Caine Biography (1933- )". FilmReference.com. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  3. ^ "Michael Caine". Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help); can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHIlbZkTyzE
  4. ^ Profile and Interview: Michael Caine
  5. ^ Michael Caine's Norfolk childhood
  6. ^ For an account of his evacuation and early school years, as sent to Jerry Pam—another Hackney Downs pupil whom he met in the 1950s, who was 6 years his senior, and who has become his publicist for "over 50 years"—see "MC" [Michael Caine], "A Message from Evacuee Maurice Micklewhite", The Clove's Lines: The Newsletter of The Clove Club: The Old Boys of Hackney Downs School 3.2 (Mar. 2009): 16. Print.
  7. ^ William Hall (2004). The Biography of Sir Michael Caine;70 Not Out. John Blake. ISBN 1-84454-019-7. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ Michael Caine (I) | Interviews | guardian.co.uk Film
  9. ^ Horsham Carfax Electric Theatre - Hidden Horsham
  10. ^ Best of Times, Worst of Times: Michael Caine - Times Online
  11. ^ "Michael Caine Biography". Tiscali.
  12. ^ Pierce, Nev (27 August 2009). "Dirty Harry". Empire Magazine (October 2009). London: Bauer Media Group: 93. ISSN 0957-4948.
  13. ^ Wightman (14 September 2009). digitalspy. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |First= ignored (|first= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Title= ignored (|title= suggested) (help)http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a177169/caine-denies-retirement-speculation.html
  14. ^ "No. 52952". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 12 June 1992.
  15. ^ "No. 55879". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 19 June 2000.
  16. ^ "No. 56136". The London Gazette. 2 March 2001.
  17. ^ "Variety Club honours actor Caine". BBC News. BBC. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  18. ^ Welcome to the Leatherhead Drama Festival 2008 - This is the fifth Leatherhead Drama Festival (LDF) and we are proud of our achievement. When so many Arts activities are failing or at least contracting, the LDF is growing from strength to strength
  19. ^ http://www.michaelcaine.com/Dates.htm Michael Caine's Important dates
  20. ^ The Biography Channel: Michael Caine
  21. ^ [1]
  22. ^ UMTV
  23. ^ Michael Caine to release chill-out album Times Online, accessed 2007-07-31
  24. ^ "Jack the Ripper (1988) (TV)". Retrieved 2007-03-31.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Caine.

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