Sir Michael Caine is one of the most iconic British actors, with major roles in the likes of The Italian Job, Alfie, The Muppet Christmas Carol and the Batman film series, where he played Alfred Pennyworth.
However, the 93-year-old isn’t the only famous face in his family, as the star’s younger brother, Stanley, accompanied him in many of his 1960s ventures. Although Stanley only remained in the world of showbusiness for a decade, he appeared alongside Michael in The Italian Job, Billion Dollar Brain and Play Dirty.
Stanley only played small roles in these films, with his largest role coming in his final film, The Italian Job, where he played Coco, one of the thieves who worked for Michael’s character, Charlie.
Following his short-lived acting career, Stanley ended up working at Selfridge’s, but he struggled with alcoholism, and Michael felt incredibly guilty about his fate. Speaking to The Guardian in 2023, he lamented: “He just stood there and watched me become a millionaire when he didn’t even have a job. I turned him into someone who couldn’t move. I should have gone and moved him.”
Stanley was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2008, and in 2013, he passed away in his sleep at the age of 77. In the same interview, Michael shared his sadness that Stanley had died before him, given that Michael was his senior by “three years”.
Michael sadly didn’t attend his younger brother’s funeral, with Stanley’s widow, Marie, telling the Mirror in 2013 that they were worried about a “media circus” had the legendary actor been present. She told the publication: “But Michael is grieving for his brother. They were very close.”
Michael’s secret brother
However, Michael and Stanley both had an older brother, David Burchell, whom they weren’t aware of until their mother passed away in 1989. Reflecting on his secret sibling, Michael once told The Belfast Telegraph: “What happened was, he was born okay, but medically he was treated badly and something went wrong.
“My mother kept her secret for 30 years. She went every week and visited him and none of us never knew. My dad knew nothing about this whatsoever.”
© Getty ImagesDuring his youth, David was placed into foster care and became disabled after suffering from an epileptic fit. Michael’s mother would claim she was going shopping whenever she paid David a visit, and Michael said: “I felt absolute amazement, how she fooled us all for 50 years, every Monday.”
Due to his wealth, Michael started providing for David after discovering the truth, but sadly David died just 18 months after Michael discovered his identity.
Read the full article here
