Michael Caine Talks Heath Ledger’s Death, Tells Celeb Stories in Book

Michael Caine’s 70-plus years in Hollywood allowed him to type friendships with some main stars — and the actor has no qualms in terms of sharing tales about them.

Caine’s newest memoir (his eighth printed ebook) Don’t Look Again, You’ll Journey Over: My Information to Life was launched in the US on Tuesday, March 25, and options “life hacks” from the legendary star. Whereas sharing tips of the commerce he’s realized alongside the best way, Caine couldn’t assist however spill the tea on his well-known buddies. (This ebook was initially launched within the U.Ok. late final 12 months.)

From anecdotes about working with Beyoncé to referring to the late Quincy Jones as his “celestial twin,” Caine has some fairly epic anecdotes up his sleeve.

Preserve scrolling for tales from the actor about his well-known buddies:

Remembering Heath Ledger

Ledger labored with Caine on 2008’s The Darkish Knight, the second film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Caine recalled the late Ledger as a “beautiful man, very mild and unassuming,” however famous that the late star actually turned it on when it grew to become time to rework into The Joker.

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“It was chilling. Completely floored me the primary time I noticed him in motion – I used to be terrified!” Caine wrote of Ledger’s portrayal, noting that the late star can be remembered as a “nice actor.” Ledger died at age 28 from an unintended overdose in January 2007.

“You consider what he might need gone on to realize, it’s simply heartbreaking. We had been all terribly shocked, and it made doing the publicity for The Darkish Knight that summer season way more intense, as a result of all of the journalists needed to speak about his demise,” he recalled. “I used to be so happy when he was awarded the posthumous Oscar, as a result of it will need to have been no less than some kind of consolation for his poor household. The reality is, we’d all hoped he would win an Academy Award and thought he ought to, even whereas we had been nonetheless filming the film.”

Going Out With Peter O’Toole

Caine labored with “the wonderful” O’Toole within the 1959 stage present The Lengthy and the Quick and the Tall, they usually struck up fairly the friendship.

“We grew to become nice buddies and one evening he took me out on the Saturday after the present to get pissed. Which I did, as did he,” Caine recalled. “We awoke the following morning and we had no concept the place we had been. We had been each totally clothed mendacity on high of a double mattress.”

Once they awoke, it was Monday!

How He Launched Woody Allen and Mia Farrow

Caine and Allen frequented the identical restaurant and as soon as, Farrow requested to satisfy the famed director.

“She mentioned, ‘Effectively, when you’re ever there and also you see Woody Allen at one other desk, invite me alongside to dinner.’ And so I did. Which is how they actually met,” Caine recalled, noting elsewhere within the ebook that he didn’t anticipate how issues would finish between them. (Farrow accused Allen in 1992 of molesting their adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow, which he has vehemently denied.)

His Bond With Quincy Jones

Caine instantly clocked the late Jones as “an important individual” once they first met. After Caine invited Jones to his birthday celebration, the 2 stars realized that they share a start date and time.

“We name ourselves ‘celestial twins,’” Caine wrote, noting that it grew to become “a little bit of a convention” for him and Jones to have a good time their milestone birthdays collectively.

“For our sixtieth birthdays in 1993, we had an important bash in L.A. Ice-T got here alongside and challenged me to rap with him!” he recalled. “Then we had one other nice occasion for our eightieth in Vegas, with Stevie Surprise singing ‘Joyful Birthday’ and Chaka Khan doing the theme tune from Alfie.”

Jones died in November 2024 however was nonetheless alive when Caine wrote this ebook.

“These are wonderful reminiscences, to be cherished,” he wrote. “We had a humorousness in widespread, and he was such straightforward firm from the get-go. I believe that’s the center of friendship, isn’t it? You don’t have to observe your self and what you say, you possibly can chill out and be pure. After I say we’re twins, I do imply that he appears like one other brother to me. A terrific addition to my life, and I hope I used to be to his. I can’t keep in mind a foul second in our friendship.”

Changing into Mates With Vin Diesel

Caine known as the actor “particular” in his ebook, recalling the primary time they crossed paths.

“I simply instinctively greeted him with a hug and introduced to the entire room, ‘That is my son!’ Typically, you sense a connection,” Caine shared. “I simply favored the man instantly, he has a giant coronary heart. It turned out he was going via some robust instances again then, so I believe maybe it made an impression upon him to be embraced and handled with love. Anyway, we’ve been nice buddies ever since.”

The actor mentioned that he all the time has dinner with the “multi-talented” Diesel once they’re in the identical place on the similar time.

Working With Beyoncé

Caine bought an opportunity to work alongside Beyoncé within the 2002 film Austin Powers in Goldmember. The singer shared her large desires with the legendary star.

“You would already inform how centered she was and the way large a star she was going to be,” he recalled. “I keep in mind the primary day on set, I requested her what her ambition was, and he or she mentioned, ‘I wish to win an Academy Award for a film.’ Not a hint of conceitedness, simply readability. She was nominated a few years in the past. I’m certain she’ll win an Oscar ultimately.”