Michael Caine‘s part in the upcoming World War II drama “The Great Escaper” is the largest role that the 90-year-old actor has taken on in years — and he was never shy about the fact that it could be his last. Throughout his colorful press tour to promote the film, Caine frequently teased that his career might be approaching its conclusion. On Saturday October 14, he decided to make things official. In a new appearance on BBC Radio 4 (via The Independent), Caine took himself out of the running for future acting gigs.
“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well, I am now,” Caine said, explaining that “The Great Escaper” was a fitting high note on which to end. “So I thought, I might as well leave with all this. I’ve got wonderful reviews. What am I going to do to beat this?”
He went on to explain that roles for 90-year-old men are extremely limited, and he’d rather retire than limit himself to playing caricatures of senior citizens.
“You don’t have leading men at 90, you’re going to have young handsome boys and girls,” he said. “The only parts I’m liable to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85.”
Caine’s announcement should not be surprising to anyone who has followed his career in recent years. The 90-year-old actor previously called himself “sort of” retired and explained that he was only able to make “The Great Escaper” because of the limited physical demands that came with the role.
“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he said in a recent interview. “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.”
He continued: “I’ve had the best possible life I could have thought of. The best possible wife, and the best possible family. They may not be a family that other people would say is the best possible family — but the best possible family for me.”
