Sir Michael Caine is "more or less done" with movies

Explaining how he turned down a screenplay that involved his character running away from some criminals, Michael told The Guardian newspaper: "I can't walk, let alone run. And I'm more or less done with movies now.

"I've done 150 movies. I think I've done enough."

Michael – who has appeared in films such as 'Alfie', 'The Italian Job' and 'Hannah and Her Sisters' during an extensive career – also lamented that many of his acting contemporaries have now passed away.

He said: "My generation is going. All my friends are dying off. Because we all got so old. Roger Moore, Sean Connery – those are two of my closest friends who went.

"Then a couple of days, Johnny Gold, who owned Tramp, the discotheque in London. And I have another very close friend who is very, very ill. If he survives until next weekend I'll be surprised. And I won't mention his name, but you'll read about him in the papers."

Michael caused confusion over the weekend when he appeared to suggest that his role as cranky retired writer Harris Shaw in 'Best Sellers' would be his last on the big screen, but his representatives informed TheWrap that this was not the case.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's 'Kermode and Mayo's Film Review', Michael said: "Funnily enough, it has turned out to be what is my last part, really.

"Because I haven't worked for two years, and I have a spine problem, which affects my legs. So, I can't walk very well.

"And I also wrote a book, a couple of books, which were published and were successful. So, I'm now not an actor, I'm a writer, which is lovely because as an actor, you have to get up at half-past six in the morning and go to the studio. As a writer, you can start writing without leaving the bed."