‘It’s been my ambition for years’: Sir Michael Caine achieves career first at age 90 as he writes debut thriller Deadly Game
Michael Caine has achieved a career first by writing his first thriller at the age of 90.
The actor has written his first novel called Deadly Game about a Metropolitan police detective who discovers a high level criminal enterprise.
The book, published by Hodder & Stoughton in November, introduced DCI Harry Taylor, who leads a small team of Met officers.
Michael has always wanted to write a novel, but only got around to it during the Covid lockdowns.
The actor came up with the idea for the book when he read a news story about two garbage collectors who discovered uranium in a rubbish dump in East London.
Author: Michael Caine has achieved a career first by writing his first thriller at the age of 90
Fiction: The actor has written his first novel called Deadly Game about a Metropolitan Police detective who uncovers a high-level criminal enterprise
According to the synopsis, seen by The timesDCI Taylor is called in when one such package is found, mysteriously left in Stepney and stolen before the police can reclaim it.
As security agencies around the world sound the alarm, it’s former SAS man Harry and his small team from the Met who must race against time to find out who has the nuclear material and what they intend to do with it. ‘
Michael said, ‘It’s been my ambition for years to write a thriller. It’s the genre I prefer to read, and I’m really excited to work on Deadly Game and team up with Hodder again to publish it. I hope readers enjoy getting to know Harry Taylor as much as I do.”
Although Deadly Game is Michael’s first novel, he is no stranger to writing and has previously published three memoirs.
The movie star first revealed he was working on the novel in 2021, telling The Guardian: ‘I only read thrillers. I’m an adventurer, I’m not a literature person, so I’m not trying to replace Shakespeare here.
“But it’s based on something I once read about two garbage collectors, two garbage collectors in the East End. . . and they find uranium in the garbage.’
Nick Sayers, the publisher, said: ‘When I met Sir Michael last year I discovered that he is not only a lifelong reader of thrillers, but also an author bursting with ideas for his own fiction. Deadly Game is a smashing thriller with a real voice and a super twist.’
In October 2021, Michael announced that he would likely retire from acting, describing his film Best Sellers with Aubrey Plaza as ‘my last role, really’.
Career move: Michael always wanted to write a novel but only got around to it during the Covid lockdowns (pictured in 2021)
Inspiration: The actor got the idea for the book when he read a news story about two garbage collectors who discovered uranium in a rubbish dump in East London (pictured in 2015)
Noting that he has limited mobility, he added, “Scripts aren’t exactly pouring in for an 88-year-old protagonist, you know?”
But it seems that the actor has yet to star in other projects as he is about to take part in the Czech action-historical drama film Medieval while it is believed that he will reprise his role as Arthur Tressler in Now You See Me 3 .
Sir Michael, who started acting in 1953 when he took a job with a West Sussex repertory company, said: ‘I haven’t worked for two years and I have a spinal problem which affects my legs, so I can’t walk very well. ‘.
He further pointed to the memoirs he has published in recent years – The Elephant In Hollywood in 2010 and Blowing The Bloody Doors Off in 2018.
“And I also wrote a book, a few books that were published and were successful, so I’m not an actor now — I’m a writer,” he said.