The first actor I ever saw was The Lone Ranger. I thought, That's what I want to do.
I just love to go home, no matter where I am, the most luxurious hotel suite in the world, I love to go home.
Let me put it this way: If you're sitting in a movie and you're watching me, and you say, 'Isn't that Michael Caine a wonderful actor?' then I've failed.
I used to get the girl; now I get the part. In 'The Quiet American' you may have noticed I got the part and the girl. It's a milestone for me, because it's the last time I'm going to get the girl.
If you're a movie actor, you're on your own - you cannot control the stage. The director controls it.
The difference between a movie star and a movie actor is this - a movie star will say, 'How can I change the script to suit me?' and a movie actor will say. 'How can I change me to suit the script?'
If you think you're going to be up for an Oscar, you schedule your moviemaking.
I'm a sort of boy next door. If that boy has a good scriptwriter.
I don't work very much, and I just sit here waiting for a script that I can't refuse - and I'm not talking about money.
I regard myself as someone who is retired but who occasionally goes out to work. In fact, I'm offered so much good stuff that it's not so occasional.
I feel like 35. At 35 you're old enough to know something and young enough to look forward to what you can do with the knowledge. So I stayed at 35!
I think life has got to develop as you get older, and I don't want to be wandering along doing the same old thing. I want more out of life.
The standing ovation threw me... to be held in such regard in a town so full of talent is quite something.
At age 11, I went to a Jewish school. I speak Yiddish. I'm Church of England Protestant. My father was Catholic, and my mother was Protestant. My wife is a Muslim.
I was a repertory actor, which meant that I did a play every week. I was a different character every week; for a year, I was doing 40 or 50 characters.
I've always loved reprehensible people because they're so much more interesting to play on screen.
I never bring a role home with me. The moment they say, 'It's a wrap,' it's gone completely. I'm a totally ruthless professional, and life is my family, not my work.
But the whole point of the Sixties was that you had to take people as they were. If you came in with us you left your class, and colour, and religion behind, that was what the Sixties was all about.
I don't worry about the last shot or the next shot. I concentrate. Every shot gets a clean slate. And when a shot is over, I wipe it out absolutely. Tell a joke or something. If you worry about how you looked, how well you did, you'll go insane.
Oh, what a shock. My career must be slipping. This is the first time I've been available to pick up an award.