‘Alfie’: the iconic role Michael Caine tried to talk his flatmate into taking
When Michael Caine began regularly booking acting jobs in the 1960s, for many people, it signalled a turning point. Until this point in time, working-class performers had largely been relegated to small roles, playing servants or other minor supporting parts. Yet, the late 1950s and early ’60s saw people from less privileged backgrounds emerge within British cinema – with more working-class actors getting cast than ever before.
The kitchen sink movement welcomed working-class stories to the screen, some considerably grittier than others. From Look Back in Anger to A Taste of Honey and Billy Liar, these films captured a moment in time when disillusionment, unemployment, and a lack of governmental care were high for those from lower-class backgrounds.
Caine, who spent much of his childhood living in a tiny prefab house in London, began his career after working as an assistant stage manager in a local theatre in Sussex. Once he had secured enough uncredited and minor roles in theatre and cinema productions, he was soon handed more prominent opportunities. Roles in movies like Zulu and The Ipcress File were major roles for Caine, who proved himself to be a versatile actor capable of taking on prominent parts.
Yet it was Alfie, released in 1966, that truly shot Caine to stardom. The film is often considered part of the kitchen sink movement, with the actor’s character finding himself faced with the realities of life after his womanising leads him to become a father. His encounters with various women throughout the film force him to re-evaluate everything as he comes to deal with issues like abortion, illness, and loneliness.
The film was a huge success both in England and abroad, with Caine earning an Academy Award nomination for the performance. Talking to The Guardian, he explained that the role was a huge moment, not just for him, but for working-class actors, too: “Alfie was a womaniser and a cockney, and it was a big lead part. That was important.”
However, Caine almost didn’t end up with the role, which was offered to some other talented British actors, including one of his closest friends. He told Detroit Free Press, “Alfie was a stage play which I auditioned for and never got. I was the last choice of anybody. I shared a flat with Terence Stamp, and he was offered Alfie. I spent two days trying to talk him into doing it.” The pair rose to prominence at the same time, but luckily, Stamp had other projects that would boost his career, like Far From the Madding Crowd, Poor Cow, and Teorema.
Caine continued, “Laurence Harvey, Anthony Newley were offered it. Funny enough, everyone turned it down because there was an abortion sequence in it. It was the first time I was nominated for an Oscar. But I had seen Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons, so I didn’t even bother to turn up.”
Evidently, the actor wasn’t put off by some controversial scenes, such as when Alfie helps a woman through an abortion and catches sight of the fetus. Alfie allowed Caine to become a star, and he soon followed it up with leading parts in films like The Italian Job and Get Carter.
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