Michael Caine has suggested that his next film project could be the final one of his career.
The veteran actor, 90, stars in the forthcoming drama The Great Escaper, opposite the late Glenda Jackson.
In the film, Caine portrays Bernie Jordan, a World War II vet who escaped from his care home to attend the D-Day anniversary celebrations in France. Jackson, who died in June at the age of 87, plays Irene, the wife of Caine’s character.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Caine said that he feared the Covid pandemic had brought an end to his career in 2020, before signing on to appear in The Great Escaper.
“I was so happy to do it,” the Italian Job star said. “I just loved the character of Bernie. I thought he was incredible, and it’s so beautifully written.”
Caine also spoke about the mobility problems he was experiencing while working on the film, revealing that he required the use of a walking stick.
“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,” he said. “But just one take, and that’s it. Forget it.”
Speaking about the prospect of bringing his illustrious eight-decade career to a close, Caine stated that he was “sort of” retired already.
“I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he added.
“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.”
Michael Caine pictured on 20 September 2023— (Getty Images)
In 2021, Caine suggested during interviews that his final film would be the comedy Best Sellers, but later issued a statement denying that he intended to retire.
He previously suggested that he would retire after making the 2009 thriller Harry Brown, but went on to feature in more than 25 subsequent film projects.
The Great Escaper will be released in cinemas on 6 October 2023.
The film marks the first time Caine and Jackson worked together since 1975’s The Romantic Englishwoman, nearly half a century ago.
Caine is known for films such as Get Carter, Zulu and Educating Rita, as well as his late-career collaborations with director Christopher Nolan, which include Inception, Interstellar and the Dark Knight trilogy.
