'The Dark Knight Rises' actor Michael Caine describes encounter with Japanese fans

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07/20/2012 by OnTheRedCarpet.com Staff

Michael Caine has had a career that has spanned over 50 years and yet the actor realizes that for some, his role as Alfred Pennyworth in the "Batman" franchise directed by Christopher Nolan is his most famous role.

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In fact, the actor recently described an encounter with a group of Japanese teenagers in London to prove that point.

"I was walking along Piccadilly [Circus] in London (I live in London), I was walking along Piccadilly, which is like 5th Avenue [in New York City] or something, and there was a party of little 14-year-old Japanese girls and they all recognized me from Alfred," Caine told OnTheRedCarpet.com in an interview earlier this month. "They had no idea what my name was, they just all pointed at me, and started laughing and saying 'Alfred.'"

"I can imagine what people are thinking -- just this old man in the middle of Piccadilly, signing bits of paper for all these Japanese teenagers," he added. "12-year-old, 14-year-old Japanese girls who have no idea about anything else in my career know me and they're all saying 'Alfred.'"

Caine began acting at 20 years old and had his first film role in the 1956 movie "A Hill in Korea" when he was 23. Caine's career eventually took off in the 1960s with roles in "Alfie," "The Italian Job" and "Zulu." He would go on to star "The Man Who Would Be King," "Educating Rita" and earn an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1986 film "Hannah and Her Sisters."

"The Dark Knight Rises" marks the third time Caine will portray Alfred Pennyworth on screen. In the film, an escaped convict named Bane, played by Tom Hardy seeks to cause chaos in Gotham City and draw Batman out of exile after taking the blame for the death of Harvey Dent.

Anne Hathaway appears in the film as Selina Kyle, who is known as Catwoman in the comic books. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a Gotham City cop named John Blake and Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, a board member of Wayne Enterprises who is eager to help a still-grieving Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, resume his father's philanthropic endeavors for Gotham.

When asked if the film was suitable for an underage audience -- the film is rated PG-13 in the United States -- Caine's co-star Morgan Freeman, who plays Lucius Fox in the movie, said, "There is mayhem, but no more than normal mayhem. I don't think there's anything that will change a 9-year-old's approach to live."

Caine added, "And there is a very good morality to it about good and evil."

"The Dark Knight Rises" hit theaters on July 20. Check out the trailer below.

Reporting by George Pennacchio of KABC Television, parent company of OnTheRedCarpet.com that also produces the entertainment show "On The Red Carpet"(check for local TV listings).