Sir Michael Caine, (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr., 14 March 1933) is an English actor, producer, and author who has appeared in more than 130 films in a career spanning over 60 years. He is considered a British film icon. Known for his cockney accent, Caine was born in south-east London and evacuated during World War II. When his mother discovered his being ill treated in foster care, she took him back to London immediately. Michael Caine made his breakthrough in the 1960s with starring roles in British films, including Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), Alfie (1966), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, The Italian Job (1969), and Battle of Britain (1969). He achieved some of his greatest critical success in the 1980s, with Educating Rita (1983), earning him the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. As of February 2017, films which he has starred in have grossed over $3.5 billion domestically and over $7.8 billion worldwide. Caine is ranked as the twentieth-highest-grossing box office star.Caine is one of only two actors nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s.