The reason Michael Caine knew he was the right person for ‘Austin Powers’ role
As a genuine stalwart of British cinema who has succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the world over, it’s fair to say that pretty much every young actor would do well to look up to the legendary Michael Caine, a man who has seen it all, from the glamour of the 1960s to the technology-leaning modern age.
Rightfully knighted in 2000, Caine has detailed some of the most memorable acting performances of all time in a wide range of genres and roles. Whether in his early days in Zulu and The Italian Job, his mid-career Oscar-winning efforts in Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules, or his later turns in The Dark Knight and Harry Brown, Caine has always come out on top.
Dramatic roles have been the London-born actor’s bread and butter for much of his career, but Caine has never shied away from the odd comic performance either. In 2002, he was featured in the third and final instalment of the Austin Powers movie series, Austin Powers in Goldmember, in which Mike Myers once again portrayed the British spy parody.
In fact, Myers played a further three characters in Goldmember, Dr. Evil, Goldmember and Fat Bastard, while Caine played Nigel Powers, the father of both Austin and Dr. Evil. In an interview with the BBC, Caine once spoke of being “flattered” by getting the Nigel Powers role and admitted that he thought he was “ideal” for the part.
“From the very first time I saw Austin Powers, I realised Mike had based it on a character I played many years ago – Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File,” Caine noted. “The 60s, the glasses, and the accent – I knew it was me. So I felt like I was the creative father of the character anyway.” In fact, not only did Caine feel he was the perfect person for the role of Nigel, but he felt that he was the “only person” who could truly do the part justice.
According to Caine, Myers had written to him explaining the role of Rigel and giving details as to his own relationship with his father. Myer’s letter suggested that the Canadian actor and comedian had wanted to “recreate an era that his father loved” as well as tap into the great movies of the 1960s that he father cherished and that Caine has largely starred in.
With all that in mind, Caine understood that he had a particular importance to Myers, far more than he could ever be as a mere acting playing the role well. “It’s a sentimental thing,” Caine pointed out. “I’m probably about the same age as his father would’ve been – who died of Alzheimer’s. I have a very close relationship with Mike – almost like a father/son.”
While the Austin Powers movies are indeed a bit of satirical fun, according to Caine’s words, there is evidently more than a sprinkling of emotion from Myers, who seems to have created the movies as a sign of respect for his father. And who better to have played his on-screen dad than that actor who practically defined 1960s British acting in Michael Caine?
Noting his memories of the era, Caine signed off, “After the 60s, my life has been in Technicolor. That’s how I see it The 60s were incredibly important. It seems frivolous – but the miniskirt and burning the bra were ways of throwing away restrictions.”
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