Michael Caine has over 176 acting credits and two Oscar wins to his name and the movie star is active in Hollywood today with no plans to retire soon. That being said, 1966 is one year that he can’t ever forget, because it was during this time the movie that introduced him to the American audience, Alfie, was produced. Also, he set foot on American soil for the first time and was fortunate enough to meet the legendary John Wayne.
The Dark Knight star was born in a low-income family in London and forayed into acting to set the course of his life on the right path. Therefore, when someone told him about a glimpse of his future, he held on to it and made the dream come true.
How John Wayne Met Michael Caine
Five thousand miles apart, John Wayne knew who Michael Caine was before they met physically. When both stars finally saw each other in America, he didn’t hesitate to give Caine a piece of his mind. The advice stuck with the Alfie star, who shared the hilarious encounter on The Graham Norton Show over five decades later.
RELATED: These Were John Wayne’s Five Favorite Movies Of All Time
He revealed how he was brought to America, then promptly left alone in a five-star hotel. “I’d never been to America. They put me at a luxurious suite in the Beverly Hills Hotel and then nobody ever talked to me or phoned me. I didn’t know anybody. I was just in this luxury hotel, I’m ordering caviar and champagne all on my own for a week!”
Michael Caine definitely enjoyed his first time in America. “In the daytime, I used to go down to the lobby and sit in the corner to see if I could see any stars. One day, a helicopter landed, and all the flowers went up in the beds outside, up in the air, and in walked John Wayne, in a complete cowboy hat.”
Innocently, the young star at that time introduced himself to the True Grit actor. “He was registering at The Beverly Hills Hotel, and he looked up, and he saw me in the corner, he said to me, ‘What’s your name, kid?’ I said, ‘Michael Caine.’ He said, ‘You in that movie, Alfie?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘I saw that, and you’re going to be a star, kid.’ I said, ‘Oh, thank you, sir.’”
John Wayne said suede shoes aren’t meant for stars
John didn’t stop at that; he gave the impressionable Caine advice on how to survive as a star when he becomes one. “He said, ‘But let me give you some advice, ‘talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too effing much.’”
The Western movie legend had lots of advice to give, especially seeing Caine’s shoes. “I had on suede shoes, and he said to me, ‘Never wear suede shoes again.’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Never wear suede shoes.’ So, I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Cause I just told you, you’re going to be a star, kid.’ He said, ‘And you’re going to be in the gents toilet taking a pee, and the guy next to you is going to be taking a pee and he’s going to look and he’ll go ‘Michael Caine!’ And then he’s going to pee all over your shoes.”
Sounds like solid advice.