Michael Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite on March 14, 1933, in London, England. The son of a fish-market porter and a charwoman, he left school at the age of 16 and began toiling away at a series of dead-end jobs before serving with the British army in Korea during the Korean War.
Michael Caine makes his big-screen debut
Upon returning to England, Michael Caine responded to an ad for an assistant stage manager at a local theater and, before long, was soon appearing in front of the footlights in a series of walk-on roles. The experience clearly appealed to him and he eventually made his big-screen debut several years later in 1956 as Private Lockyer in the gritty war film A Hill in Korea. Michael Caine spent the rest of the decade honing his craft with small roles in a series of television dramas and stage productions.
Michael Caine gets his big break in zulu
After years of toiling in relative obscurity, Michael Caine finally received his big break in 1964 when he was cast as an upper-class British army officer in Zulu. The BAFTA-nominated film caught the imagination of audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, and he further enhanced his reputation in the following years with well-received roles as master spy Harry Palmer in 1965’s The Ipcress File and wicked womanizer Alfie Elkins in 1966’s Alfie. The uproarious sex farce netted Michael Caine his first of six Academy Award nominations, and his star continued to rise throughout the 1960s with well-received roles in the hit films Gambit (1966), Funeral in Berlin (1966), Play Dirty (1968), and Battle of Britain (1969), a thrilling WWII epic costarring Christopher Plummer and Sir Laurence Olivier.
Michael Caine stars in the man who would be king
Michael Caine began the 1970s with the highly entertaining gangster film Get Carter before going on to star in a number of career-defining films, such as 1972’s Sleuth and 1975’s The Man Who Would Be King, a rollicking Oscar-nominated adventure film costarring Sean Connery. Sadly, the rest of the decade was not quite as fruitful as he displayed an increasing willingness to choose his roles strictly for the financial windfall they promised.
Michael Caine wins his first oscar
That was particularly evident in 1980 when he delivered a pair of severely lackluster performances in The Island and Dressed to Kill, an unwatchable film about a transsexual murderer. In fact, Michael Caine was so abysmal in both movies that he was nominated for two Worst Actor trophies at the inaugural Razzie Awards later that year. Luckily, he got back on track later that decade with critically acclaimed appearances in 1983’s Educating Rita, for which he won his first and only BAFTA award, and 1986’s Hannah and Her Sisters, for which he won his first Oscar. He was also honored with a Golden Globe in 1988 for his exceptional performance as Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline in the made-for-TV movie Jack the Ripper.
Michael Caine is knighted by queen elizabeth ii
Michael Caine continued to pick up steam in the 1990s with roles in ‘98’s Little Voice, a feel-good hit for which he won a Golden Globe, and ‘99’s The Cider House Rules, a touching drama for which he won his second Oscar. Both films reconfirmed his status as one of Hollywood’s living legends and his contributions to arts and culture were formally recognized on November 16, 2000, when he was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
Michael Caine stars in the dark knight
Michael Caine has since lent his trademark charm and effortless wit to a number of blockbuster films, including The Quiet American (2002), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Batman Begins (2005), Children of Men (2006), and The Prestige (2006). In 2008’s The Dark Knight, he reprises his role as Batman’s trusted servant Alfred Pennyworth.
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