Michael Caine names his most memorable movies: “We got slaughtered for that”
When Maurice Micklewhite began his career in the 1950s, he had no idea he would become one of his generation’s most prominent stars. But after changing his name to Michael Caine in 1954, he worked his way to the top. Success didn’t come instantly—nothing good ever does. Caine spent years in uncredited roles in various British films, and it wasn’t until Zulu in 1964, 14 years after his first on-screen appearance, that he landed a major role.
For Caine, this is one of his most memorable movie moments, with the actor finally receiving a sense of recognition for his hard work. After years of minor film roles, here he was with a prominent part as Lt Gonville Bromhead, subsequently allowing him to book further substantial roles. Talking to PopEntertainment.com, the actor revealed, “It was my first speaking part where I had more than 10 lines,” which made it a particularly unforgettable job.
After Zulu, Caine landed a role in The Ipcress File, playing the iconic anti-hero Harry Palmer. The movie, directed by Sidney J Furie, was incredibly successful, taking home several Baftas and firmly establishing Caine as a leading man. It “was the first time I had my name above the title,” the actor explained – and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. His next role would also see him play the protagonist, and he even scooped up an Academy Award nomination.
Alfie, a classic British comedy-drama about a womanizing Cockney who is soon faced with the consequences of his actions, was a huge moment for Caine. Not only did he contribute to the country’s ever-growing canon of gritty social realist dramas, delivering a fantastic performance that balanced humour and sensitivity, but it also allowed him to break through across the pond. The actor claimed that the film “opened a market for me in America.”
Caine continued to star in many great movies over the next few years, from Get Carter and The Italian Job to Hurry Sundown and Battle of Britain, but it was Sleuth that the actor picked out as one of his most unforgettable movies. “The films that I loved making – the original Sleuth…. Well, I loved making the second Sleuth. We got slaughtered for that, but I still loved making it,” he revealed.
The 2007 remake starred Caine and Jude Law (who had played Caine’s character in a 2004 remake of Alfie). While Caine starred opposite Laurence Olivier in the 1972 version, he took on the legendary actor’s role for the remake, while Law played the part Caine had previously played. Critics panned the film, but Caine couldn’t really care less—he had a good time, and it paid the bills.
“And, [there’s] The Quiet American, Little Voice, and Hannah and Her Sisters. I loved working with Woody [Allen] and love New York, so I was very happy with that,” Caine shared. The latter, which also starred Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and Carrie Fisher, won Caine an Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actor’, further asserting Caine as an international star.
A few years later, Caine starred in the comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, another movie he noted as one of his most memorable. He had great fun filming it with Steve Martin under the direction of Frank Oz, revealing, “I made a very funny film, a very happy film, and for that location, they gave me a villa in the south of France for three months. I’m still waiting for another movie like that. I’ve never gotten it.”
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