The one actor Michael Caine thought was out of everybody’s league: “Stage, screen, everything”
When Michael Caine was a child – then known by his real name, Maurice Joseph Micklewhite – he realised he could make people laugh on stage, setting him on a path to stardom. He didn’t have gags per se; instead, Caine had an indelible ability to put people at ease, to leave them with a smile on their face, which could gently turn to a chortle with a gentle side-eye.
It is the kind of gift that would make people like Caine indispensable characters at his local pub. And, for the most part, that’s where he would have expected to end up. A working-class kid in London at this time rarely allowed themselves dreams of becoming a Hollywood legend, but Caine had a star quality that was hard to disrupt. Right from the very start.
The dream would spark into life in his teen years. He landed an uncredited minor part in a film when he was 17, giving him his first taste of the industry. After two years in the army, Caine started acting properly, although it took him many years to actually find any hint of success.
He finally began to garner acclaim when he starred in Zulu. From there, he performed in several movies where he was allowed to use his signature Cockney accent, something that set him apart from many of his contemporaries. 1966’s Alfie was particularly instrumental in helping him rise to prominence, and it remains a classic of the swinging sixties. The Italian Job also cemented him as an international star, leading him to play another gangster in Get Carter.
Since then, Caine has appeared in many acclaimed films and even won two Academy Awards, working with plenty of iconic stars that he has looked up to as an actor. One person he was lucky enough to work with was Laurence Olivier, starring opposite him in the 1972 film Sleuth. Directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz, the movie was a huge success, and Caine was delighted to have shared the screen with such a significant acting legend.
Olivier starred in many Hollywood classics and had a prolific theatre career, too, with some of his most memorable films being Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock and his own Shakespeare adaptations. For Caine, Olivier was “the greatest actor in the world: stage, screen, everything”.
He told NPR, “He was incredible.” Caine also shared a story about his early memories of Olivier. “Before we started the film, he wrote me a little letter, a very nice letter, saying, ‘It has occurred to me, as I am a lord, you may be wondering how to address me when we meet. When we do meet, Michael, from the moment we shake hands, I will be Larry forevermore,’ which was lovely.”
Despite the fact that “He put me out of any sort of worry socially,” Caine admits that “the idea that he had to do it is extraordinary and explains a very difficult thing, [which is] the class system in England.” Caine had been deeply affected by the class system in England, his working-class roots almost preventing him entirely from entering the stage at all.
Olivier rose to prominence in the West End back in the 1930s, eventually founding the National Theatre and championing countless Shakespeare productions. He became one of the most important names in the history of modern theatre, equally talented as an actor and director. He was knighted for his contributions to stage and screen in 1947, cementing him as one of the most well-respected actors in the country.
For Caine, Olivier’s acting skills were a huge source of inspiration, and he was over the moon when Olivier praised him. Talking to Esquire, Caine revealed, “The greatest compliment I ever received came while I was working with Sir Laurence Olivier. Lord Olivier. We were making a film called Sleuth, and I did a scene with him. When it finished, he looked at me and said, ‘I thought I had an assistant. I see I have a partner.’”
Few actors can command the respect in Britain than Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Caine knew it. For the most part, there was no greater moment in his life than when he got to work with him, but perhaps this comp,iment might have pipped that.
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