Author Description

Michael Caine has more films to his name than years, and if he stopped filming today would leave a body of work behind him as astounding for its quantity and diversity as it is for its varying quality. Two Oscars and a knighthood have deservedly rewarded him for a lifetime of achievement that has made him one of the richest, most famous and respected British actors in the world. In his own country, Michael Caine is more than an icon -- he is a national institution. And at seventy he is showing no sign of letting up. In recent years, performances in The Quiet American, Goldmember, Last Orders, Little Voice and the Oscar winning Cider House Rules have endeared him to a whole new generation of admirers and earned him more critical acclaim than ever. Yet the road to fame was a rocky one. Long before the days of Zulu, the Harry Palmer spy series or of cockney womanizer Alfie, success on the big screen was a mere dream for Michael, who spent years doggedly playing minor roles on television, stage, and screen in the hope that he would get noticed. And just at the point when he feared his chance might be gone, it all started to happen.