Sir Michael Caine announced his retirement from acting on BBC Radio 4 show Today on Saturday. The actor, whose final movie was 'The Great Escaper,' is set to publish a book in November
The 90-year-old actor confirmed his retirement — which comes after the Oct. 6 release of his latest, and now final, film The Great Escaper — in a new radio interview on Saturday.
"I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well, I am now,” Caine told BBC Radio 4’s Today show.
"I've figured, I've had a picture where I've played the lead and it's got incredible reviews. The only parts I’m likely to get now are old men,” the acting legend explained. “…And I thought, well I might as well leave with all this — what have I got to do to beat this?”
Caine’s retirement announcement comes after he hinted at retiring in an interview with The Telegraph last month, where he discussed his new role in The Great Escaper, his age and said he was "sort of" retired.
Caine shared during his latest BBC Radio 4 interview that he believes it’s important old age is portrayed in movies, offering that as part of the reason he has kept acting up until now.
When asked if he would ever return to acting, Caine replied, “No. There’ll be writing. I’ll write another book sometime because I so enjoyed writing.”
Michael Caine has been acting for as long as I can remember and while it's not surprising he would retire from acting since he's 90, it kind of felt like he would just keep acting forever.
Having said that, I think he's gotten all he can out of acting and I can see why he would want to retire. I guess we'll see in a few years if it was a real retirement or a Miyazaki retirement.
He's already said he's retiring about three times. Then finds something he likes the look of and he's back. I mean, if he says it after every film, he might eventually be right!
I love Michael Cane roles. He’s such an amazing actor. Some of my most fondest cinema scenes are with him as John Cutter in the Prestige with Hugh Jackman / Christian Bale as well as portraying Alfred with Christian Bale in Batman Begins / Dark Knight. His onscreen presence is just legendary.
Ironic, since I was recently digging through old movies and was watching one of my favourite comedies that he did with Christopher Reeve, called Deathtrap (1982). If you haven't seen it, and enjoy movies that feel like plays, give it a go. It isn't like one of those super amazing films he's done or anything, but it's very entertaining 😊