Born Maurice Mickelwhite – not a lot of people know that – actually everyone knows that – in St Olaves Hospital in South London in 1933. In 1986, the same building became Bob Hoskins’ production offices for the making of Mona Lisa, which starred Hoskins and Caine. The son of a fish market porter, Maurice was born with swollen eyelids, ears that stuck out at right angles to his head, rickets and St Vitus Dance. And lucky white heather. Leaving school at 16 he worked in a number of jobs until he was called up to do his National Service with the Royal Fusiliers, which took him to Korea. After leaving the Army he spent his working day in various manual jobs, including a plumber’s assistant whilst studying acting in the evening. His first film part was ironically enough, A Hill in Korea, but his breakthrough was as Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead in Zulu. He went on to star in The Ipcress File and Alfie which gave him his first Academy Award nomination. He has worked non-stop ever since, including films such as The Italian Job, The Man Who Would be King, Hannah and Her Sisters and Little Voice. His fear of returning to poverty drove him to keep making films. "I never thought I was going to get another movie, so I always took ’em," said Caine, "It’s the old cliche, he’s a young boy, he’s got to buy his mother a house. I bought everybody a bloody house." That explains Dirty Rotten Scoundrels then.