Michael Caine has hinted that his upcoming film The Great Escaper may be his last, saying: “I’m 90 now, and I can’t walk properly.”
The Oscar-winning actor, 90, stars alongside the late Glenda Jackson in the upcoming drama inspired by true events.
The film tells the story of a Second World War veteran who escapes from a care home in Hove, East Sussex, to attend the 70th anniversary of the landing in France.
Sir Michael plays Bernard Jordan, who made headlines around the world in 2014, while Glenda plays his wife Irene.
Glenda, who gave up her acting career in 1992 to serve in Parliament for more than 20 years, had been working with Sir Michael on what proved to be her last film just weeks before her death.
In an interview with TelegraphMichael expressed concerns about the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic could mark the end of his career in 2020.
However, he later found hope in accepting a role in The Great Escaper.
I was very happy to do it,” he said. I loved the character of Bernie. I thought it was great, and very beautifully written.
Discussing the possibility of ending his stellar eight-decade career, he said he was “kind of” already retired.
He added: “I’m 90 years old now, and I can’t walk properly and all that…
I lived the best possible life I could think of. The best possible wife, the best possible family.
“They may not be a family that other people would say is the best possible family – but they are the best possible family for me.”
The Interstellar star, who has been using a walking stick after undergoing back surgery last year, explained how he used it on film.
“They gave me a very good walking stick, and I was able to do the scenes that needed it,” he said.
‘I’d just do it once, and then drop. But just one take, and that’s it. Forget it.’
Michael’s wife, Shakira, confirmed last year that Michael had undergone major surgery in a London hospital, and told the Daily Mail that he was suffering from spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis is a condition that narrows the spinal canal and can cause back and leg pain. Surgery is usually only recommended when non-surgical treatments are not effective.
The Great Escaper will be released in theaters on October 6, 2023
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