NEWSMichael Caine Reflects on Oscar Fame, Filming Flops in Revealing New Memoir
Michael Caine reflected on his illustrious Oscar run in his upcoming memoir 'Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over.'
March 29 2025, Published 9:03 p.m. ET
In a bold twist of Hollywood irony, Michael Caine missed the 1987 Oscars where he snagged Best Supporting Actor for his role in Hannah and Her Sisters. Why? Exhaustion from filming Jaws: The Revenge – a movie often dubbed the black sheep of his illustrious career!
"When people said to me, 'That was the worst film I’ve ever seen!', I’d say, 'Probably, but it paid for a beautiful house for my mother, so what’s your problem?'" he reveals in his candid memoir, Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over, obtained by Closer. “Second, I won my first Oscar just after filming Jaws. Talk about a contrast."
Michael Caine gets candid about his film career in his upcoming memoir, 'Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over.'
At the ripe age of 91, Caine provides an unfiltered look into the rollercoaster of his life and career, co-penned with Matthew d’Ancona. From humble beginnings to Hollywood royalty, he illustrates how a mix of hard work, optimism and sheer luck launched him from the gritty projects of south London to the glitz of Tinseltown.
"Make an effort to look for the bright side," advises the two-time Oscar titan, boasting over 150 credits to his name. "Very few failures are definitive or even important.”
Michael Caine reflected on his humble beginnings in his memoir.
Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite to a fish market porter and a cleaning woman, Caine fell head over heels for the magic of movies as a kid. The legendary Humphrey Bogart stoked that fire.
"He wasn’t tall, dark and handsome and I looked at him and thought, well, he became a movie star, why can’t I?" Caine muses.
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At the age of 11, Michael Caine was set on becoming an actor.
In his youth, he joined the theater group at 11 — not just for the craft but for the eye candy: "I wanted to be around the best-looking girls," he admits, adding that this made him see the potential in acting.
"Pretty soon, I realized that acting itself was something I might just be good at," he recounted in the book.
Caine's rise to fame took off with 1966's Alfie, where he played a London bachelor facing the existential price of his carefree lifestyle. The years that followed saw him juggling war epics, dramas, comedies and thrillers, often landing in three or more films a year.
Michael Caine said he has a 'strong work ethic.'
"I have a strong work ethic from my upbringing. You never lose it," he asserts. “The old saying that the harder you work, the luckier you get — there’s a lot to be said for that."
Despite declaring retirement in 2023, the cinematic icon released his first nonfiction novel, a thrilling page-turner titled Deadly Game. "It was something I’d wanted to do for a long time," he reveals. "Shows you can still be doing new things, aged ninety."
With all the wisdom of a loving grandfather — he's got three grandkids — Caine stressed the importance of living in the present. "You can remember the past with fondness, but you should never get trapped in it,” he counsels. “We only get one life — or at least that’s what I believe…it is just common sense to treat every day as a gift and make the most of it."
Caine’s memoir, Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over hit the shelves on March 25.
