British actor Michael Caine, 90, has decided to retire from acting following the recent premiere of his last film, The Great Escape, starring the late Glenda Jackson, he told the BBC.
“I keep saying I’m retiring. Well, now I’m retiring,” said the actor, who holds a British knighthood, after receiving good reviews for his latest performance.
With an extensive filmography that includes films such as Zulu and The Italian Job, Kane has appeared in more than 100 films in a career spanning seven decades.
In the latest film, released October 6, he plays World War II veteran Bernie Jordan, who escapes from a nursing home to attend D-Day celebrations in France.
“The only roles I can get now are men who are 90. Or maybe 85,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Kane added that “at 90 you don’t get leading men, you get young, beautiful boys and girls.”
Michael Caine admitted he turned down the role three times before accepting the final role, which he played opposite Glenda Jackson, who died in June.
The actor’s departure comes a month before the release of Kane’s novel “The Deadly Game,” about the adventures of a detective who has no respect for bureaucracy.
“My goal has been to write a thriller for many years. It’s the genre I love reading the most, and I’m looking forward to working on Deadly Game,” the actor said, expressing hope that “readers will enjoy getting to know his character, Harry Taylor.