Michael Caine as Alfred: 10 Quotes About Iconic Role

There's no denying that Michael Caine has turned in numerous iconic performances throughout the last decades. However, younger audiences mostly know him first and foremost as Alfred from the "Batman" franchise.

Here are 10 quotes about his latest iconic role.

1. "I didn't want to come in the movie every so often, every 20 minutes saying, 'Dinner is served, would you like coffee?'" - Michael Caine, in an interview with Mojo Mums.

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When Christopher Nolan first approached the legendary British actor about playing Alfred, he expected the part to be nothing more than a one-dimensional talking plot device. The first thing that Caine made clear was that he had more in mind for his character, adding in this interview with Mojo Mums, "I wanted something a bit more meaty than that, and I really got it!"

2. "It was like watching a master class in acting." - Gary Oldman

Describing a scene where Caine had to muster up some serious emotion, co-star Gary Oldman came away impressed, according to an interview with Empire. He said, "He came in, take one: Got it. Take two: Got it. Take three: Nailed it."

3. "I think being able to say, 'my great friend Sir Michael Caine' is one of the great pleasures of my life." - Christopher Nolan

In a retrospective about the "Batman" franchise after it had finished shooting, Director Christopher Nolan remained a close friend with Caine. He said in The New York Times interview about Caine, "He never met a man who didn't like him."

4. "He's the heart of Bruce Wayne." - Morgan Freeman

Co-star Morgan Freeman said that while his character, Lucius Fox, is the "brain behind 'Batman,'" Michael Caine's rendition of Alfred is his emotional center, according to Newsweek.

5. "Remarkably effective in several trenchant scenes." - Roger Ebert

In Roger Ebert's review of "The Dark Knight Rises," he made particular note of Caine's emotional heavy lifting in several pivotal scenes.

6. "Caine elevates the dedicated butler to a new level" – Jeff Otto of IGN

In this IGN review, Jeff Otto said that Caine took the established character to new places while turning in a stellar performance. It continued, "Caine is terrific in the part, undoubtedly the best choice one could imagine."

7. "Michael Caine purrs with warmth and humor." – Peter Travers

In Peter Travers's Rolling Stone review of "Batman Begins," he made specific mention of Caine's ability to inject humor in an otherwise serious, dense plot.

8. "Caine's Alfred remains the most deprecating and humorous iteration of the character." – Den Of Geek

This Den of Geek article ranks all the versions of Alfred in TV and film. The authors conclude that Caine's interpretation most successfully makes the character "more father than servant."

9. "Caine acts as the balancing force that keeps Batman focused and functional." –Taste of Cinema

Ranking Caine's best all time performances, Taste of Cinema places this one in its top 20. According to the site, "Caine's Alfred is always grounded and sees clarity when Batman may have lost it." They even rank it higher than his Oscar winning role in "The Cider House Rules."

10. "I thought, well, I'll read it and turn it down." -Michael Caine

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Caine explained how this defining role almost never happened. When Director Christopher Nolan went over the part with him, he was consigned to the fact that he’d never accept it. Instead, it became one of his most enduring characters.

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