Sir Michael Caine almost quit acting in the 90s after he realised he was too old to "get the girl" on screen.
The 82-year-old actor – who has been hailed the greatest living movie star – almost turned his back on his career 20 years ago because he was no longer being cast as the hunk and, instead, assigned to play the father in movies.
Speaking to Shortlist magazine, he said: "I was 62, 63 and one day I got a script and I read it and I sent it back to the producer with a letter saying the part was too small.
"He sent me a letter back saying, ‘I didn’t want you to read the lover, I wanted you to read the father.’
"That was a turning point for me. I suddenly realised, getting the girl was over. I gave up and I went and lived in Miami."
However, although he was determined to leave the world of film behind him, Sir Michael believes the musical ‘Little Voice’ stopped him from making a big mistake,
He explained: "I was having loads of fun, and then Jack Nicholson got a script and said, "Why don’t you do this movie ‘Blood and Wine’ with me?’. So I started off again.
"Then I did ‘Little Voice’ and a whole series of movies I really enjoyed. I won Academy Awards, BAFTAs and Golden Globes all over the place. ‘Little Voice’ got me going again."
Sir Michael Caine’s age almost made him quit acting
