The tough guy actor inspired by Michael Caine
You could do far worse than to follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Caine. He might be a bit of a meme these days, known primarily for assisting ‘Master Wayne’ and singing with the Muppets, but it would be unwise to sleep on the man formerly known as Maurice Micklewhite. He’s starred in some of the greatest British films of all time, was an icon of the 1960s, and is still better at certain things than most other actors half his age. He’s probably the greatest crier in cinematic history.
The boy from Rotherhithe is an inspiration in many ways. He was a big part of why Tom Hanks turned to acting, which might explain why he does such a good impression of him. He also sparked the passion inside one of his fellow countrymen: footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones.
The owner of one of the most unlikely stories in cinema history, Jones was incredibly successful on the football pitch before he got in front of the camera. He was notably part of the ‘Crazy Gang’ era at Wimbledon FC. This team won the FA Cup in a huge upset in 1988 but was just as famous for their wild and violent antics. Jones personally holds the record for the fastest yellow card in the history of the sport, getting booked after just five seconds into a match.
This hardman image proved to be a perfect match for the big screen. Jones made his movie debut in the 1998 gangster flick Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. He was paired up with fellow bruiser Jason Statham, whom Jones had known since childhood. This also began his fruitful relationship with director Guy Ritchie, who would also cast Jones in Snatch and the TV adaptation of the film The Gentlemen. Following this, the former defensive midfielder would appear in a string of massive movies. Swordfish, Year One, She’s the Man, X-Men: The Last Stand. In terms of athletes making the move to Hollywood, there’s a strong case for Jones being among the best to ever do it.
According to the man himself, Sir Michael was a major reason behind his decision to fully pursue his new vocation. “After Lock, Stock I had people like Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine say to me, you’ve got a career in this,” he told The Big Issue. “They said, you have got a massive screen presence – the minute you come on screen you just take over, no matter who’s on the screen with you. Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine both said that to me.”
Caine was absolutely right. He might not have much variety in his roles, but Jones is a captivating presence whenever he’s on screen. It’s hard to ignore his combination of intimidating size and disarming swagger. Jones has also proven himself more than capable of making fun of himself. One only has to watch his appearance in EuroTrip to understand how unserious this one-time thug can be.
As it stands, Caine and Jones haven’t appeared in a movie together. Given that the former has since retired from acting (twice), it’s looking unlikely that we’ll ever get this cockney-iest of team-ups. It’s a shame because the pair would have made a killer combination. At least we’ll always have Caine to thank for Jones’ award-winning voice role in Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.
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