Caine continued: “And I also wrote a book, a couple of books, which were published and were successful, so I’m now not an actor, I’m a writer.

“Which is lovely, because as an actor you have to get up at half past six in the morning and go to the studio. As a writer, you start writing without leaving the bed!”

Host Simon Mayo asked: “So you’re saying this is your last picture?”

To which The Italian Job star replied: “I think it would be yeah.”