Sir Michael Caine says death could be 'around the corner' but he's happy

Michael Caine is a cinema legend.

Over the course of his lengthy career, he's starred in more than 160 films, with his latest, The Great Escaper, landing this week.

Check out the trailer:

Based on the incredible true story of World War Two veteran Bernard 'Bernie'' Jordan who escaped from his care home in 2014.

With nothing but a rain coat and his medals, the elderly Jordan (played by Caine) the travels from Sussex to Normandy for the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in France.

His disappearance quickly became a national story, with police desperately searching for the former Royal Navy officer.

Speaking ahead of its release, Caine opened up about his own life and how he's dealt with growing old.

Mike Marsland/WireImage

Now, 90 years old, the Oscar winner, who has had difficulties with his health in recent years, said death could be 'around the corner'.

"The worst thing about it is that so much disappears from your life," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"You can’t run around, you can’t play football, and you gradually realise you’re approaching death. [Death] could be just around the corner at 90.

“But I’m quite happy. I’m sitting here writing, doing my thing. I like it. I have two children, three grandchildren and a wife… Everyone’s going to join me eventually.

"No one’s going to say, ‘I’m so sorry you’re going to die — I wish you were like me and not going to die'."

Pathe

He added: "Everybody’s going to die. At least I’ve lived to f**king 90; I didn’t die at 9, or 19 or 29. I’m 90, and I’ve had the best possible life I could have thought of."

During filming for The Great Escaper, Caine said it was difficult to move as freely as he used to.

"They gave me a very good walking stick, and I was able to do scenes that needed that," he recalled.

"I’d just do them once, and then fall over. But just one take, and that’s it. Forget it."

Having enjoyed a huge amount of success over his career, he added that he doesn't have to work to ensure he can survive, and he says he could be set to call it a day.

"I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that," Caine said.

"I sort of am retired now. Anyway..."

The Great Escaper is in cinemas now.

Topics: UK News, TV and Film

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom