Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr., in Rotherhithe, London, England. Coarsely debonair star of British and international films, highly popular after playing the title role as a self-centered lothario in ALFIE (1966) and portraying atypical, bespectacled, vulnerable heroes in a succession of espionage thrillers of the late 60s. The son of a cockney fish-market porter and a cleaning-woman mother, he left school at 15 and worked at a variety of odd jobs. Got the acting bug a year later when he served tea in London theatre, and began appearing in amateur plays while working as a laborer. After serving in the British army in Korea and Germany, he began playing small parts in provincial theatres and on British TV and from the mid-50s appeared in bit roles in British films. Caine first attracted attention in the role of an effete young officer in the film ZULU (1964) and has since proved himself a versatile, as well as popular, screen personality. Known for his omnipresence on screen, he said of selecting roles, "First of all I choose the great ones, and if none of those come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don't come -- I choose the ones that are going to pay the rent." Divorced from actress Patricia Haines, he married in 1973 Shakira Baksh, an exotic former Miss Guyana finalist who co-starred in THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING. His autobiography, What's It All About?, was published in 1992. He was knighted Sir Maurice Micklewhite in 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II. Visit the Internet Movie Database to view Caine's copious film (and occasional TV) credits.  Nominated for Actor 1966: ALFIE  Nominated for Actor 1972: SLEUTH  Nominated for Actor 1983: EDUCATING RITA  Supporting Actor 1986: HANNAH AND HER SISTERS  Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1999: THE CIDER HOUSE RULES  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 2002: THE QUIET AMERICAN 6 nominations, 2 Awards