Born into extreme poverty in South London to a working poor family, Maurice Micklewhite has come a long way from his humble beginnings. Acting was probably not the most sensible route to take, and it must not have impressed his parents overly much, but in the end the decision proved to be a good one.

Maurice Micklewhite then became Michael Caine, taking his new surname from his favorite movie, Caine Mutiny, The (1954). In 1966, he came out of nowhere to land a starring role as Alfie, a disgusting but highly memorable character (for which he won a Golden Globe), and as agent Harry Palmer in a trilogy of spy films.

Read the rest of his biography on Moviething.com.