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Michael Caine has watched the film industry change rather drastically. When he emerged as a star, the Golden Age of Hollywood was dying out and being replaced with New Hollywood, although it took Caine some time before he made his way over to the American industry, instead cutting his teeth in various successful British movies.
From Zulu to Alfie to The Ipcress File and Get Carter, Caine made his mark on cinema with his Cockney accent and horn-rimmed glasses, embodying a new kind of British man more relatable than what much of cinema had seen before. As Caine continued to establish himself as a star, he eventually made his way over to Hollywood, appearing in movies like Dressed to Kill, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in the 1980s.
It was during this time that he met a budding American actor whom he knew was going to be the next big thing. In fact, he recognised a kind of star quality in him that’s rare to come by, believing he was destined to go far in Hollywood. Caine was right, because the actor turned out to be none other than Tom Cruise, one of the biggest acting icons in the world.
When Caine met the young actor, Cruise was just starting out, with the veteran star revealing that it was around the time that the actor was working on Risky Business. The hit teen comedy was a pivotal moment in Cruise’s career, marking his first proper leading role. In Caine’s memoir, Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over, the actor revealed, “I’ve known Tom for more than 40 years. We were doing a big event for Educating Rita and I turned around and there was this young actor, very polite, asking questions about how not to be just a flash in the pan. That was Tom, probably around the time of Risky Business.”
The actor continued, revealing what it is about Cruise that has made him such a star: “I can’t remember what I said, but it obviously didn’t do him any harm! There was something special about him. He had a great attitude, this sense of poise. What interests me is that he is really one of the last true stars in movies. People will go to see a film just because he’s in it. Brad Pitt is a star, Morgan Freeman has some of that quality too. There are so few nowadays — not like John Wayne or Humphrey Bogart or Cary Grant.”
Certainly, when Caine started acting, there were surefire cinematic legends, those who were instantly recognisable and drew crowds just because of their names. They landed countless leading roles and were really, truly iconic. Now, there is an oversaturation of big actors out there, and Caine believes that only a few, like Cruise, are “true stars”.
Caine is correct. Cruise is one of the most financially successful actors in the world, consistently starring in huge blockbusters like the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises. Not only is Cruise routinely praised for his acting, but he is also keen on doing death-defying stunts himself, which has impressed many, including Caine, no doubt.
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