“His dedication is something to be admired”: the co-star Michael Caine called an incredible actor
Alongside actors ranging from Terence Stamp to Charlotte Rampling, Michael Caine was among a crop of new British stars to emerge in the 1960s. The period was a significant time for cinema, with filmmakers experimenting more, both thematically and formally. Thus, these actors became the faces of a new and progressive era, one that is arguably still the greatest decade for British cinema.
Caine starred in many iconic movies from the period, like Zulu, The Ipcress File, The Italian Job and Alfie. He exemplified a more realistic Englishman, one that many men aspired to be like. With his Cockney accent and penchant for playing gangsters, Caine established himself as a British icon. As he continued to star in many popular films throughout the decades, he soon came to work with filmmakers who had admired his movies while they were growing up.
One of these was Christopher Nolan, who placed Caine in eight of his films. Their collaborative relationship first began in 2005 with Batman Begins. The actor recalled how he was cast in the film, initially believing his role was much smaller than it ended up being. In Interview Magazine, he revealed, “I said, ‘Now, what’s the movie?’ And [Nolan] said, ‘It’s called Batman Begins.’ I thought to myself, ‘I’m too old to play Batman, so I’m probably the butler.’ So I said to him, ‘Am I the butler?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you’re the butler.’ So I said, ‘What do I say? Dinner is served? Would you like another glass of wine?’”
Nolan had to stress that the part was very significant to the movie. “And he said, ‘Michael, the butler, was his foster father. His father died, and the butler brought him up, so he’s very important, and it’s a very good part. Read the bloody script.’” Caine’s character, Alfred Pennyworth, is one of Batman’s most loyal friends, as well as a parental figure. The actor portrayed him in the whole trilogy, which ended up being highly acclaimed.
Of course, Caine became well-acquainted with Christian Bale while filming the Dark Knight series, who played Batman. For Caine, Bale was the real deal – a highly passionate actor who truly committed himself to the role, even though it was rather challenging. Talking to Movies.ie, Caine praised Bale, saying, “Christian’s an incredible actor, and his dedication is something to be admired. It’s all up there on the screen.”
He also added, “I’d rather work with someone as passionate about their work as Christian is than a hundred so-so actors who bring muffins for the whole crew every morning…”
Moreover, in 2010, after a tape emerged that exposed Bale for ranting and shouting at a crew member on the set of Terminator Salvation, Caine even took the time to defend his actions while appearing on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. He told the host, “What Christian did was quite pale to what I would do sometimes,” reassuring that Bale is actually a great guy, just one who is highly dedicated to his work – sometimes to the detriment of others.
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