Born Maurice Micklewhite March 14, 1933 in London, England, the son of a fish market porter and a charlady, Michael Caine grew from his humble beginnings to become one of the world’s best known and most respected actors.

Having left school at 15, he took a series of working-class jobs before joining the British Army during the Korean War. Upon his return to England he gravitated toward the theater, taking the name Caine at the suggestion of his agent from a marquee advertising The Caine Mutiny. He appeared in more than 100 TV dramas and various theatre companies as well as in numerous films in bit parts from 1950. He received his first major notice as an aristocratic British soldier in 1964’s Zulu.

Caine had his first starring role as Harry Palmer in the 1965 thriller The Ipcress File for which he received the first of eight BAFTA nominations to date. He received his second for 1966’s Alfie for which he also received the first of six Oscar nominations to date.

Major roles in films on both sides of the Atlantic followed in such films as 1966’s The Wrong Box, Gambit and Funeral in Berlin; 1967’s Hurry Sundown; 1969’s The Italian Job and Battle of Britain; 1971’s Get Carter; 1972’s Sleuth for which he received his second Oscar nomination; 1976’s The Eagle Has Landed; 1977’s A Bridge Too Far; 1978’s California Suite; 1980’s Dressed to Kill and 1982’s Deathtrap.

His portrayal of the professor who brings hope to housewife Julie Walters in 1983’s Educating Rita brought him another Oscar nod and his first and only BAFTA win to date. Subsequent hits included 1986’s Hannah and Her Sisters for which he won his first Oscar; that same year’s Mona Lisa and The Whistle Blower; 1987’s The Fourth Protocol; 1988’s Without a Clue and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; 1990’s A Shock to the System; 1998’s Little Voice for which he received his sixth BAFTA nomination and 1999’s The Cider House Rules for which he received his seventh BAFTA nomination and second Oscar.

His portrayal of the older reporter in 2002’s The Quiet American brought him another BAFTA nod as well as his first Oscar nomination in a leading role in nearly twenty years. Since then he’s continued to spread his time between leading roles in such films as the 2007 remake of Sleauth and 2009’s Harry Brown as well as supporting roles in such films as 2006’s Children of Men; 2010’s Inception and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Married to his wife Shakira since 1973, Sir Michael Caine was knighted in the Queen’s New Year’s honors of 2000. He has two children and three grandchildren and remains busy as ever, making one film after another at the age of 80.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

ALFIE (1966), directed by Lewis Gilbert

One of the seminal British films of the 1960s, Alfie begins with Caine facing the camera and announcing that there will be no opening credits. Highly stylistic, the bittersweet film follows the exploits of a cad who easily seduces women, but soon grows bored and dumps them, leaving him slightly older and somewhat wiser in the end. Caine is excellent in the title role and Shelley Winters, Millicent Martin, Julia Foster, Jane Asher and Shirley Ann Field are all good as various women he has flings with, but the standout is Vivien Merchant, who along with Caine, accounted for one of the film’s five Oscar nominations as a married woman who has an abortion with dire consequences. A 2004 remake with Jude Law was a box office disappointment.

SLEUTH (1972), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

One of the best mystery thrillers of its day, the first film version of Anthony Shaffer’s play was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewiz with Laurence Olivier as an upper-crust land-owner whose elegant home is the scene of a weekend of games between him and his wife’s young lover, a hairdresser, played by Caine. Mankiewicz, Olivier and Caine were all nominated for Oscars, as was composer John Addison for his terrific score. Caine would play a role similar to Olivier’s in 1982’s Deathtrap in which Christopher Reeve would play mouse to his cat. A 2007 remake directed by Kenneth Branagh with Caine in Olivier’s role and Jude Law in Caine’s was a critical and commercial flop.

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986), directed by Woody Allen

Nominated for seven Oscars and winner of three including Caine’s first win for Supporting Actor, Hannah and Her Sisters remains one of Woody Allen’s best loved films. Following the ins and outs of the lives of three sisters from one Thanksgiving to the next, Caine plays the husband of the title character (Mia Farrow) who falls in love with her younger sister (Barbara Hershey) who then leaves her lover (Max von Sydow) for him. With marvelous performances by Allen at his best and Dianne Wiest in her first Oscar winning performance, there are also wry turns by Maureen O’Sullivan and Lloyd Nolan as the girls’ parents.

THE QUIET AMERICAN (2002), directed by Phillip Noyce

This is a more faithful version of Graham Green’s novel than Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 1958 film with Audie Murphy and Michael Redgrave in the role played here by Caine. Although the focus in that one was on Murphy’s character, the emphasis here shifts to Caine’s duplicitous older reporter in this prophetic tale of love and betrayal set against the backdrop of U.S. policy failure in Vietnam, nee French Indochina. Caine’s masterly performance earned him his sixth Oscar nomination, his fourth in the lead category, for what may well be the best of his career. Although he’s never won an Oscar in a leading role, he won both times he was nominated in support, the last time for 1999’s The Cider House Rules.

CHILDREN OF MEN (2006), directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Based on legendary mystery writer P.D. James’ acclaimed science fiction novel, Cuaron’s film takes place in a 2027 world where women have become infertile, thus signifying a near end to civilization. Clive Owen stars as a former activist who is assigned to escort a miraculously pregnant woman to safety in a sanctuary at sea where other women may or may not have given birth over the last eighteen years. Caine has a small, but important and very colorful role as Owen’s father in one of his most enjoyable late career performances. The charm he brings to his role here was later put to good use in 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.

MICHAEL CAINE AND OSCAR

• Nominated Best Actor – Alfie (1966)
• Nominated Best Actor – Sleuth (1972)
• Nominated Best Actor – Educating Rita (1983)
• Oscar Best Supporting Actor – Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
• Oscar Best Supporting Actor – The Cider House Rules (1999)
• Nominated Best Actor – The Quiet American (2002)