Michael Caine made some controversial comments about how Hollywood has “changed,” especially with the inclusion of intimacy coordinators on film sets.
“Really? Seriously? What are they?” Caine, 90, told the Daily Mail in an interview published on Saturday, September 23. “We never had that in my day.”
Intimacy coordinators have worked on various TV show and movie sets since the #MeToo movement to ensure safety between actors while filming scenes that include sex and nudity.
Caine, for his part, is grateful he doesn’t have to worry about filming sex scenes on screen anymore. “Thank God I’m 90. … In my day you just did the love scene and got on with it without anyone interfering,” he added.
The Dark Knight star was joined by fellow actor John Standing for the interview, which promoted their forthcoming movie, The Great Escaper. Caine claimed being politically correct is a “dull” way to live their lives. “Not being able to speak your mind and not being able to call anyone ‘darling.’ It’s hard,” he said.
Standing, 89, agreed.
“I’m endlessly being told I can’t say this or that because it’s inappropriate. And I still call everyone ‘darling,’” he said. “It’s like learning a new language. And we are trying our best.”
Both actors try to keep up with the changing times, with Caine noting that he likes “to learn from friends who are younger” than him.
When it comes to being surrounded by the younger generation, Caine and Standing both gushed about spending time with their grandkids.
“I love being around young people,” Standing shared. “The secret to old age is to mix with people much younger than yourself. Which is why I love spending time with my 9-year-old grandson, who makes me watch him play Minecraft for hours — and gets furious when I call it Witchcraft by mistake.”
Caine noted how becoming a grandparent has changed his life. “As you get older, you inevitably think about dying, but as soon as you get grandchildren, your focus shifts. You think about them,” he explained. “You want to go on living because they are so much a part of you, and you want to live forever to see what they do with their lives. You just want to keep going.”
The duo also weighed in on how the idea of fame has changed overall since the beginning of their decades-long careers.
“It wasn’t about being famous. It was about working. And being good at what you did. And to keep working,” Standing shared. “Fame was a by-product. Not the aim. That’s what’s changed.”
