Sir Michael Caine has confirmed he is officially retiring from acting.
The Oscar-winning actor made an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today talk show to discuss his upcoming and now-final film, The Great Escaper. The Warner Bros. movie is based on the true story of World War II veteran Bernard (Bernie) Johnson, who, in the summer of 2014, snuck out of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
“Funny enough, I’d retired when I was sent the script, and I turned it down three times, but I kept falling in love with him every time I read it, and so I did it,” Caine said on the radio show of William Ivory’s script. The film is directed by Oliver Parker and co-stars the late Glenda Jackson.
“I kept saying I’m gonna retire. Well, I am now because I figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead, and it’s got incredible reviews,” he continued of the film. “The only parts I’m likely to get now are old men, 90-year-old men — well, maybe 85, you know? And I thought, ‘Well, I might as well leave with all this. I’ve got wonderful reviews. What am I gonna do to beat this?’”
The news that he’s officially retiring comes a few weeks after the actor hinted at it in an interview with The Telegraph. He explained that after the COVID pandemic, he thought he was done acting since he hadn’t worked on a film in three years, but when the chance to play Bernard came along, he “suddenly did it and had such a wonderful time.”
Despite enjoying his time on set, Caine admitted the role was challenging for him physically. “They gave me a very good walking stick, and I was able to do scenes that needed that,” he shared. “I’d just do them once, and then fall over.”
The Great Escaper follows the acting legend’s long list of projects that include The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Best Sellers, Now You See Me, Inception, The Cider House Rules and many more.
While he may not star in films anymore, the actor plans to continue working. Elsewhere in the BBC interview, he discussed how he’s switching his focus from acting to writing. His debut novel, Deadly Game, will be released in December.
“I got COVID, and I sat there, and I had nothing to do, I couldn’t do any movies, nothing,” Caine recalled of when he began the thriller. “I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I’ve written several biographies. Then, I wrote a fiction book…I’m quite amazed.”
The Great Escaper is in theaters now.