The "absolutely perfect" movie Michael Caine had to make

(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)

Mon 5 January 2026 20:45, UK

Actors make movies for different reasons. Some want the fame and potential awards show success from a role, others want a good cheque, and then there are those who really believe in what they’re making. They’d take on a part for no money if it meant getting to bring a certain character to life.

Michael Caine, though, has admitted to taking on parts for varying reasons over the years, whether that be to finance a new house or to work with one of his cinematic idols. The Cockney actor, who has recently re-emerged from retirement to partner with an unlikely friend, Vin Diesel, has never been scared to admit when he has accepted a role for reasons other than artistic integrity.

However, the most charming reason for him taking on a movie came in the early 1990s when he realised that none of his previous films were suitable for his young daughter to watch. Having a famous dad must have been an exciting prospect for her, but Caine wasn’t exactly going to sit her down and show her footage of him womanising in his Oscar-nominated Alfie or wielding a gun in the gangster film Get Carter.

So, when the opportunity to appear in a more child-friendly film emerged, he realised it was the perfect chance for him to take on something his daughter could watch, and of course, that film was The Muppet Christmas Carol, a charming, funny, and moving take on Charles Dickens’ classic festive story.

Talking to GQ, Caine explained, “To start, my daughter, who is the mother of my grandchildren, was then seven, and she had never seen me in a movie. I had never made a movie that a seven-year-old can see. And so a man mentioned the Muppets, and I said, ‘That’s it! I’ll do that!’”

Who can resist the Muppets? They’d already found feature film success with The Muppet Movie in 1979, and over the ‘80s, they’d become Hollywood stars. It only seemed right for the beloved puppets to work with someone like Caine, taking something that, at least on paper, sounded a bit mad, and turning it into something iconic. Who’d have thought Caine playing Scrooge alongside Kermit as Bob Cratchit, and Gonzo as Dickens would work so well?

“It’s A Christmas Carol, it’s a fabulous tale! You’ll be old Scrooge, it’ll be marvellous! And it was absolutely perfect at that time for what I wanted. I could make it, and my daughter could see it. That’s why I did it. And it was lovely,” Caine continued.

The film, which was directed by Brian Henson, was a success, and it remains a festive staple that many of us switch on every December without fail. Filled with musical numbers, it was a completely new ballpark for Caine, who even sang for the first time.

Reflecting on showing the movie to his grandkids, the actor laughed, “They can’t believe it was their grandpa – and me singing! People say to me, ‘Have you ever sung?’ I say, ‘Yes, I sang in a movie.’ They say, ‘Who with?’ I say, ‘Kermit the Frog.’”

The “absolutely perfect” movie Michael Caine had to make

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