It looks as though Vin Diesel and Helen Mirren will have to shelve any plans to bring in Michael Caine as the patriarch of the Shaw family in Fast & Furious 10 and 11, because the acting legend has revealed in his new interview that his most recent movie will be his last.
Dramatic comedy Best Sellers was released last month and flew largely under the radar, but now it could be set to find a place in the history books as the final onscreen appearance for one of the all-time greats. During an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Kermode and Mayo show, the 88-year-old explained his reasons for stepping away from the silver screen.
“Funnily enough, it has turned out to be what is my last part really. Because I haven’t worked for two years, and I have a spine problem which affects my legs so I can’t walk very well, so. And I also wrote a book, a couple of books, which were published and were successful, so I’m now not an actor, I’m a writer.
Which is lovely, because as an actor you have to get up at half past six in the morning and go to the studio. As a writer, you start writing without leaving the bed! I think it would be my last picture, yeah. There haven’t been any offers honestly for two years, because nobody’s been making any movies I wanna do. Also, you know I’m 88. There’s not exactly scripts pouring out with a leading man that’s 88, you know?”
The man born Maurice Micklewhite made his feature film debut in 1950, going on to enjoy an illustrious career that’s seen him rack up over 170 credits. Not only has he won two Academy Awards from six nominations, but he’s one of just four actors to have received an Oscar nod in five different decades, alongside fellow Hollywood royalty Laurence Olivier, Jack Nicholson, and Paul Newman.
If Michael Caine is indeed finished with his onscreen career, then it’ll be strange knowing that he won’t play a part in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, having worked with the director on every one of his projects since Batman Begins. It’s a huge loss for the industry in general—even if Caine exits the spotlight with a growing career as a writer.