Michael Caine

His first American accent was in the film Hurry Sundown . He was taught the Southern drawl by Vivien Leigh , who told him to say "four door Ford" all day long for weeks. (source - "Whats it all about?" Michael Caines autobiography - 1992)

(October 1987) Ranked #55 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Co-owned top London restaurant Langans Brasserie.

1987: Awarded British Variety Club Award for Best Film Actor.

He was awarded the CBE in the 1992 Queens Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.

Owns his own film production company.

Took his name from the film The Caine Mutiny

Shared a London flat with actor Terence Stamp early in his career.

He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queens Birthday Honours List for his contribution to the performing arts.

11/16/00: Formally knighted at Buckingham Palace under his real name of Maurice Micklewhite. He will be known professionally as Sir Michael Caine.

He owns seven restaurants: six in London, one in Miami.

Father, with Shakira Caine , of Natasha.

Father, with the late Patricia Haines , of Dominique (aka Nikki).

The production offices of Mona Lisa were located in the disused St. Olaves hospital, the very hospital in which Caine was born.

Has two brothers. Younger brother Stanley Caine appeared in at least three of Caines films: Billion Dollar Brain , Play Dirty and The Italian Job . He did not know about his elder half-brother David until their mother died. David suffered from epilepsy and had lived in a hospital his entire life.

The title role in Alfie was turned down by Anthony Newley and Terence Stamp before it was offered to him.

Lodged with composer John Barry in the early 1960s for several months, after being forced to leave his own flat, penniless. He returned the favor in 1998 when agreeing to introduce the composers Royal Albert Hall concert - his first in the United Kingdom for 25 years.

"Michael Caine", a top 10 song in Britain in the mid-1980s by the new wave group Madness, had his "My Name is Michael Caine" quote sampled into the song.

2001: Was voted fifth in the Orange Film Survey of greatest British actors.

Lobbied for the lead role in The Day of the Jackal but was rejected by director Fred Zinnemann , who felt that the character of The Jackal, who essentially is a cipher, should not be played by a movie star.

Three of his memorable films ( Alfie , The Italian Job and Get Carter ) have all been remade.

1987: Was not present at the Academy Awards ceremony when he won best supporting actor for Hannah and Her Sisters because he was filming Jaws: The Revenge , for which he was nominated for worst supporting actor at the Razzie awards the following year.

Has stated that the character of Vichy war criminal Pierre Brossard in The Statement was his least favorite. He said that all the other characters he played in his career, whether good or evil, had a sense of humor on some level that he would try to convey in his performance. He felt that Brossard had no sense of humor whatsoever, in part because the character was such an intense man.

The soundstage at Shepperton Studios, in which he filmed Batman Begins , is also the one where he filmed his very first film, A Hill in Korea .

Close friends with Sir Sean Connery , Sir Roger Moore , Sir Elton John and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Throughout the 1960s, he was by his own estimation drinking two bottles of vodka and smoking at least eighty cigarettes a day. He quit smoking cigarettes following a stern lecture from Tony Curtis at a party in 1971, and finally quit smoking cigars shortly before his 70th birthday in 2003.

Was the first person to be nominated for an acting Razzie award for more than one title. He was nominated for Worst Actor of 1980 at the very first Razzie awards for his roles in the films Dressed to Kill and The Island .

In 1957, at Brighton University, Caine appeared in a one-act play written by a fellow actor who went by the name of David Baron. It was Barons very first play. He later changed his name back to Harold Pinter , the name under which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005.

Superstar Swedish rock band Kent refer to him in their song "Palace and Main".

Near the end of The Muppet Christmas Carol , he passes by a store called "Micklewhites". His real name is Maurice Micklewhite.

Allegedly did not get along with Steven Seagal while filming On Deadly Ground .

Mike Myers said that he based the character of Austin Powers partially on Caines character in Alfie . Caine would play Austin Powers father in Austin Powers in Goldmember .

Visited John Wayne several times when the veteran star was dying of cancer in hospital.

Caine has been very open about his political views. He left the United Kingdom in 1979 for tax reasons and did not return until 1987 when Margaret Thatcher had cut the top rate of income tax. An ardent Thatcherite during the 1980s, Caine switched his support to Tony Blair s New Labour Party shortly before the 1997 General Election. In an interview with "The Sunday Telegraph" on 26 April 2009, Caine admitted that he was considering becoming a tax exile again if Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown increased taxes on high earners. He confirmed in an interview with "The Mail on Sunday" newspaper on 1 November 2009 that he had dropped his support for Labour and would vote Conservative at the next General Election. He publicly supported Conservative Party leader David Cameron for Prime Minister in the 2010 General Election. In January 2016, he also publicly called for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

Has been nominated for an Oscar at least once in five consecutive decades (1960s-2000s).

Turned down Alfred Hitchcock s crime thriller Frenzy .

12/18/05: Attended the party at his close friend Sir Elton John s Old Windsor mansion after the singer married David Furnish in a civil partnership ceremony.

While he uses "Michael Caine" professionally, he used his given name in his personal life until he decided to officially change his name to Michael Caine in 2016. He said in an interview that the reason was that he was losing too much time at the reinforced safety checks in airports because the name on his passport did not match his stage name.

Originally had the lead role of Switching Channels but was held up by production delays on Jaws: The Revenge .

Has appeared in the remakes of two of his films: Get Carter and Sleuth .

Alfie and Sleuth were both remade with Jude Law taking over his role.

He is famous for the catch-phrase "Not a lot of people know that", though he never actually said it. The phrase was probably first said by Peter Sellers when he appeared "Parkinson" on 28 October 1972 and said: "Not many people know that. This is my Michael Caine impression. You see, Mikes always quoting from the Guinness Book of Records. At the drop of a hat hell trot one out. Did you know that it takes a man in a tweed suit five and a half seconds to fall from the top of Big Ben to the ground? Now theres not many people who know that!".

His all-time favorite actor, his inspiration to become an actor and his hero is Humphrey Bogart.

Once said that he knew hed made it as an actor when he started getting scripts to read that no longer had coffee stains already on them (meaning that he was the first choice for that role).

He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture.

Chosen by GQ magazine as one of the 50 Most Stylish Men in the Past 50 Years.

Lives in Leatherhead, Surrey, and is a patron to the Leatherhead Drama Festival.

For more than forty years, Caines mother, Ellen Maria Burchell, paid periodic visits to a "cousin" in a mental hospital. When she died in 1989, Caine learned that the cousin was really his elder brother, David.

Is a supporter of Chelsea FC (English soccer team).

Educating Rita is his favourite film of his own, and the performance hes the most proud of.

Stated that for years he hated the smell of garlic as he associated it with his service in the Korean War where North Korean and Chinese troops would munch it as a snack. He eventually overcame his dislike upon becoming a restauranteur.

Claims that his trick to being able to cry on cue is thinking about a painful childhood memory.

His favorite film is The Third Man .

As of 2013, he has three grandchildren, a granddaughter and two grandsons.

(June 2010) Visiting the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, England.

Caine and fellow Brit Michael Gough , who both played Alfred Pennyworth in "Batman" movies, have also both had roles in different productions of "A Christmas Carol" (Caine as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol and Gough as Mr. Poole in A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott ).

As of 2014, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Alfie , Hannah and Her Sisters , The Cider House Rules , Inception .

Of the six performers who have won Oscars for performances in films directed by Woody Allen , he is the only man. The others are Diane Keaton , Dianne Wiest (twice), Mira Sorvino , Penlope Cruz and Cate Blanchett.

In every film where Caine and Christopher Nolan make a collaboration, Caines character either assists, guides, trains or educates the protagonist of each film. In The Prestige , Caine portrays a magician who teaches the main character the art of illusion. For The Dark Knight trilogy, Caine plays a butler to the Wayne family, where he supports, nurtures and loves the main character Bruce Wayne (Batman). During Inception , Caine depicts the father of the main protagonist, Cobb, and aids him by recruiting one of his students. In Interstellar , Caine portrays a professor/engineer, who invites and encourages the central character, Cooper, to lead an important space mission that will determine the future of planet earth.

Has appeared in four films with Laurence Olivier : Battle of Britain , Sleuth , A Bridge Too Far and The Jigsaw Man .

Has two roles in common with Jude Law : (1) Caine played Alfie Elkins in Alfie while Law played him in Alfie and Caine played Milo Tindle in Sleuth while Law played him in Sleuth , in which Caine played Andrew Wyke.

Attended the wedding of media mogul Rupert Murdoch to former model Jerry Hall on March 4, 2016.

He was considered for the role of Mark Wallace in Two for the Road , which went to Albert Finney.

He revealed in his autobiography that he that he also read for Doctor Yuri Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago and participated in the screen shots with Julie Christie , but (after watching the results with David Lean ) was the one who suggested Omar Sharif.

He turned down the role of Colonel Colin Caine in the horror film Lifeforce , which went to Peter Firth.

He turned down the role of John L. Sullivan IV in Switching Channels in order to be in Jaws: The Revenge . The role went to Burt Reynolds.

He tried out for the role of Lieutenant Scott-Padget in H.M.S. Defiant , which went to Dirk Bogarde.

He was considered for Sean Connery s roles in Highlander and Der Name der Rose .

He turned down both of the male leads in Women in Love because he refused to do any nudity. The roles went to Alan Bates and Oliver Reed.

Before he became famous as a film star, he turned down the role of PC Bob Steele in the BBCs police drama series "Z Cars" because he did not want to be typecast in a popular television program. The role was taken by Jeremy Kemp.

He was going to star in The Dresser with Orson Welles in the early 1980s. His role went to Tom Courtenay.

He turned down the role of Jolly in Kiss Me Goodbye in order to star in Educating Rita . The role went to James Caan.

He was originally cast as Private Wilkes in Guns at Batasi . John Leyton replaced him.

He wanted to play the Jackal in The Day of the Jackal , but was turned down by director Fred Zinnemann , because he felt that the role should not be played by a star.

He was considered for the title role in Sebastian , which went to Dirk Bogarde.

He turned down the role of Maurice Castle in The Human Factor , which went to Nicol Williamson.

He was considered to star opposite Sean Connery in Saturn 3 . The roles went to Kirk Douglas and Harvey Keitel.

He turned down the role of Patrick Dalton in Six Weeks , which went to Dudley Moore.

He turned down the role of Colonel John Stewart in Khartoum , which went to Richard Johnson.

He was considered for the title role in Il Casanova di Federico Fellini , which went to Donald Sutherland.

He was considered for the lead role in Tootsie , which went to Dustin Hoffman.

He turned down the role of Staff Sergeant Williams in The Hill in order to star in Alfie . The role went to Ian Hendry.

He was considered for the role of Josiah Samuel Smith in "Doctor Who" {Ghost Light: Part One (#26.5)} . The role went to Ian Hogg.

He turned down the role of Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic , which went to Bernard Hill.

He was considered for the role of Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , which went to David Kelly.

He was the first choice for the role of Marvin in City of Ghosts , which went to James Caan.

He was considered for the role of Ben du Toit in A Dry White Season , which went to Donald Sutherland.

He was considered for the role of Bart in Unleashed , which went to Bob Hoskins.

He was considered to play C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands , which went to Anthony Hopkins.

He was offered the role of Arthur Seldom in The Oxford Murders , which went to John Hurt.

He claimed that the worst films he ever made were The Magus , The Swarm and Ashanti .

He turned down the role of David Dilbeck in Striptease , which went to Burt Reynolds.

In 2009, he praised Christoph Waltz s performance as Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds , saying that it was the "best performance of a villain" he has seen in years.

Though he had been considered for, but never appeared in a Bond movie, Caine was the very first person to hear the completed film score for Goldfinger . After he and roommate Terence Stamp were both ejected from their apartment, Caine asked composer friend John Barry if he could use the spare bedroom at Barrys London residence. As they were good friends, Barry agreed and so for several months Caine crashed with Barry and was there the sleepless night he completed his iconic score. At breakfast the following morning, Barry played his composition for Caine, the first time he had performed it for anybody.

When he was still a struggling actor, Caine shared a London flat with future hairstylist-guru Vidal Sassoon.

Although often listed as 6 2", Caine himself gave his height as 6 1" in his autobiography "Whats It All About?".

Acting mentor and friends with Julie Walters.

Ranked 10th highest grossing actor of all time with his previous films grossing $3.2 billion [2016].

In 2016, at age 83, he finally changed his legal name from Maurice Micklewhite to Michael Caine. He said this was because he was fed up being delayed in airport security by staff who did not understand why the name on his passport did not match the person they recognised.

My name is Michael Caine.

[on Jaws: The Revenge (1987) ] I have never seen it, but by all,accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built,and it is terrific.

I am in so many movies that are on TV at 2:00 a. m. that people think I,am dead.

The best research [for playing a drunk] is being a British actor for 20,years.

The difference between a movie star and a movie actor is this--a movie,star will say, "How can I change the script to suit me?" and a movie,actor will say. "How can I change me to suit the script?",Be like a duck, my mother used to tell me. Remain calm on the surface,and paddle like hell underneath.

[on Alfie (1966) ] To be a movie star, you have to carry a movie.

And to carry a movie where you play the title role is the supreme,example. The third thing, for a British actor, is to do it in America.

The fourth is to get nominated for an award. That picture did all four,things for me.

You get paid the same for a bad film as you do for a good one.

In England I was a Cockney actor. In America, I was an actor.

While shooting Harry Brown (2009) : The young guys I met there,were fascinated by my success. They asked how I got out of there. I,told them the truth - I had a happy family. My mum and dad were,together all the time. I won a scholarship to grammar school. And there,was drink, but not drugs.

The Government has taken tax up to 50 per cent, and if it goes to 51, I,will be back in America. I will not pay the Government more than I get.

I love the start of autumn when the trees in my garden change the colour of their leaves in one last dazzling display.

But the whole point of the Sixties was that you had to take people as they were. If you came in with us you left your class, and colour, and religion behind, that was what the Sixties was all about.

January is the garbage can of movies in America, directly after all the Oscar contenders have been out.

Funny things happen to you in movies for silly reasons.