Michael Caine, the icon of British cinema, has confirmed that he now views himself as retired after filming what he feels will be his final role, inThe Great Escaper. Caine had caused in stir after filmingLina Roessler’sBest Sellersin 2021 when he said the movie might be his last. Representatives for theesteemed two-time Oscar winnerpromptly moved to clarify thatCaine’s proclamation was premature, revealing that he was already contemplating involvement in two upcoming film projects at that time. Fast forward two years, and it appears that Caine has largely embraced retirement.
“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” hetold The Telegraphin a new profile. “I sort of am retired now." Should Caine indeed have retired, his final outing on the big screen would beThe Great Escaper,featuring co-starGlenda Jackson. This movie draws its inspiration from the remarkable true story of Bernard “Bernie” Jordan, a Royal Navy veteran who, at the age of 89, vanished from his retirement facility with the intent of journeying to France, where he aimed to partake in the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day. Caine expressed his joy at being able to take part in the film, having thought his days of movie-making were at an end.
“I was so happy to do it. I just loved the character of Bernie. I thought he was incredible, and it’s so beautifully written. With Covid and all that, I hadn’t done a picture for three years, and I thought I was finished. And I suddenly did it — and had such a wonderful time. They gave me a very good walking stick, and I was able to do scenes that needed that. I’d just do them once, and then fall over. But just one take, and that’s it. Forget it.”
The film’s director,Oliver Parker, explained the care that was taken with Caine given his age and difficulties, as well as the long gap between filming his most recent movie to returning to work on the project.
“We were careful to ensure that Michael wasn’t working too hard,” said Parker, “and having to negotiate him moving around at the pace he did. But for him to have returned to acting afternot having made a film in a while, and in the way he did, was quite a thing. I’ve rarely seen him playing a character that has such frailty. He’s always been Michael Caine — carefree, confident and cool. Here he’s playing a man who is struggling to keep control. And for the audience to invest in that he really has to share his vulnerabilities, and I really was thrilled at Michael’s ability to do that.”
The Best Possible Life
Caine was in a positive and reflective mood when looking backacross not just his career, but his life. Admitting he missed being able to do so many things that had brought him happiness in his earlier days, he had found joy in the world through his family, in particular his grandchildren.
“The worst thing about it is that so much disappears from your life. You can’t run around, you can’t play football, and you gradually realize you’re approaching death. [Death] could be just around the corner at 90,” he said.
“But I’m quite happy. I’m sitting here writing, doing my thing. I like it. I have two children, three grandchildren and a wife… Everyone’s going to join me eventually. No one’s going to say, ‘I’m so sorry you’re going to die — I wish you were like me and not going to die.’ Everybody’s going to die. At least I’ve lived to fucking 90; I didn’t die at 9, or 19 or 29. I’m 90, and I’ve had the best possible life I could have thought of.”
