Michael Caine
Michael Caine - or as he was born, Maurice Micklewhite - is an institution of British acting, known for his prominent "Saaf London" accent, and his countless early roles as scoundrel-type characters, before evolving into more complex and unexpected characters later in his career. Alongside Jack Nicholson, he remains the only actor to have been nominated for an Oscar in every decade from 1960-2000, though of course, him being an icon of British cinema makes him a whole lot more eligible for this list than good 'ol Jack. Coming to prominence in the 1960s in roles such as Zulu, Alfie, The Ipcress File, Gambit, The Italian Job and Get Carter, Caine's iconic stature cannot be understated; we need only look at the number of tireless remakes of Michael Caine films to observe the influence that his performances have had on the film industry. Caine has worked with a litany of top-tier directors, such as Sidney Lumet, Brian De Palma and Woody Allen, though gained a whole new fanbase with his work on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, superbly cast as trusty butler Alfred Pennyworth. We proudly enter Michael Caine into the British Film Registry, a true great of British cinema.