British acting legend Sir Michael Caine has built up an amazing career in the film industry spanning over six decades. From his debut role in Zulu through his legendary appearances in The Dark Knight trilogy, Caine’s diverse acting skills and enduring charm have cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s most revered and admired actors.
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Michael Caine
However, his career went through a serious downturn until being unexpectedly saved by his close friend Jack Nicholson. Michael Caine credited Jack Nicholson with saving his acting career.
Michael Caine became an acclaimed actor in both British and American cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. Despite his prior success, Caine was stuck in a rut in his career and was having trouble regaining the momentum he had in earlier decades.
In an excerpt from his memoir Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: And Other Lessons in Life, Caine said that he was planning his retirement in the 1990s. According to Caine, he started thinking about retiring in the 1990s. But then appeared Jack Nicholson who helped Michael Caine in saving his career and preventing retirement.
Michael Caine
Michael Caine remembers,
“The scripts not only dried up, they started looking hurtfully different. One of the lowest moments of my career—or so it seemed at the time—was that day I was sent the script in which, the producers had to spell out to me, I was to read the father, not the lover. My first reaction to the revelation that I was too old to play the romantic lead was that my acting career was over and I was going to have to radically reinvent ‘success.’”
During this challenging period, Caine’s close friend and fellow actor Jack Nicholson was crucial in saving his declining career.
Michael Caine is Eternally Grateful to Jack Nicholson
Amidst his career struggles, Michael Caine found an unexpected savior in his close friend, Jack Nicholson. He said in his memoir:
“I was living in Miami and running a restaurant that I owned. I wasn’t too happy with the roles I was getting and didn’t need to do bad roles in order to make a living.”
Fortunately, Caine met Jack Nicholson during that phase of his career at Miami Beach. He said:
“Then director Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson came to Miami to make Blood And Wine. They met with me and asked me to do their film. Jack’s enthusiasm and commitment to the picture was inspirational. Jack was key in restoring my faith in acting.”
Caine calling Nicholson one of the greatest actors and personally a good friend said:
“I sort of retired for a couple of years and I kept getting a load of scripts. Not much money, a load of crap. I was down in Miami Beach with Jack Nicholson and suddenly he got a movie script. He said, “Do it with me.” So I did it. And I came back and started making movies again due to Jack, who to me as a friend is fabulous and to work with is one of the greatest actors I’ve ever worked with.”
Jack Nicholson as the Joker in Batman
He stated that after winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1999 film The Cider House Rules, things started to look bright for him again.
“And he brought me out of the slough of despond, as they say they say. And I came back. I made two movies and I won an Academy Award. I retired more than twenty years ago, and since then I have made more than forty new movies with a whole new generation of directors, producers and movie stars. I may no longer get the girl, but I’m still getting the parts. Bliss.”
In the latter stages of his career, Caine continued to be a sought-after actor, often lending his talents to both commercial successes and indie films.
Prantik Prabal Roy is a writer at Fandomwire. With an experience of over 4 years in content writing industry and a Master's degree in English literature, he continues to write about your favorite Hollywood celebs and keeps a close watch on their every move to provide intriguing perspectives for the readers. He likes reading, watching movies and traveling. When not working, you will find him obsessing over Leonardo DiCaprio and reading some books on space and sports.
