Quotes from Michael Caine

I don't think you retire from movies; movies retire you.

Anyone can write. But comedy, you've got to do some writing. You get one comedy script to every 20 dramas.

You get paid the same for a bad film as you do for a good one.

My wife comes with me on all the movies, but she is not an appendage to a film star or anything like that. She is a completely intertwined partner. She is the other half of me. Also, we're still very much in love with each other. We always have been, we always will be.

A lot of my best parts I've been the second choice for, so you never get too egotistical about anything.

To disappear your complete self into a character is quite difficult. I've tried it 85 times, and I've succeeded two or three times.

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?'

Growing up, there was only classical music on BBC Radio. We had to listen to the American Forces Network in Germany, which played pop songs, or the pirate radio boats off the coast.

Obsession is a young man's game.

I don't want to sound like Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, but I do think there should be some sort of national service for young men.

I'm not a betting man, and even if I was, I certainly wouldn't bet on this! I would not bet on the Best Actor.

Save your money. You're going to need twice as much money in your old age as you think.

I've got a lot of back-up because my father was a Catholic, my mother was a Protestant, I was educated by Jews and I'm married to a Muslim. So I won't lose out on a technicality.

I'll always be there because I'm a skilled professional actor. Whether or not I've any talent is beside the point.

God willing, even I might scrape a nomination.

I'm very, very family oriented. I'm a big cook and a good connoisseur and I only drink very good red wines now.

A lot of movie stars are not great actors; they're just very good-looking. And when they start to age and they don't have the looks any more, then it's over.

In my early days, I didn't know what a good film or a bad film was, and I was trying to make some money. As it happens I was lucky. I made some good films.

There are loads of black actors.You can't say: I'm going to vote for him, he's not very good but he's black, [so] I'll vote for him. You've got to give a good performance.

I want to stick around with the big boys. I don't want to be in the old folks home.

When you're a young actor you ring your agent every evening. It's not like when you're in Hollywood where you do one picture a year. You just hope you get a day on television.

I have been rich and I have been poor. I know which one I prefer.

My most useful acting tip came from my pal John Wayne. Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too much.

In England, I was a Cockney actor. In America, I was an actor.