First published 2010
Michael Caine opens this memoir believing his Hollywood journey has reached its end. At fifty-seven, the scripts arriving at his door grow increasingly poor. When he receives one particularly disappointing offer, he phones the producer to voice his concerns about the role. The producer delivers crushing news: they want him not as the romantic lead but as the father figure. Jack Nicholson steps in as an unlikely savior, urging his old friend to attempt one final comeback. Caine describes his personal transformation and one of cinema's most dramatic career reversals. He learns to embrace his new position both in films and in life itself. This acceptance leads to his second Oscar victory, a knighthood from the queen, and some of his finest acting work. Caine recounts this remarkable second act with characteristic charm and candor, revealing the insider's perspective on Hollywood's machinery and the personal journey that transformed potential defeat into spectacular triumph.
Genres: biography, autobiography, biography-memoir, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: second-chance, underdog
Setting: Hollywood
Period: 20th-century
320 pages · Hardcover · Henry Holt & Company