Beyoncé Told Michael Caine on ‘Austin Powers’ Set She Dreams of Winning an Academy Award

In 2002, Michael Caine had the opportunity to see Beyoncé's ability up close.

 The 92-year-old actor discusses his experience working with Beyoncé on ‘Austin Powers’ in Goldmember: the third and last movie in the ‘Austin Powers’ series, in his new book, ‘Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life’.  Beyoncé played Foxxy Cleopatra, a lighthearted homage to classic blaxploitation characters, while Caine played Nigel Powers, father of Austin Powers (played by Mike Myers).  Additionally, Caine's character was a reference to the parts he performed in the Swinging Sixties.

He said it was too fantastic an opportunity to miss and characterized the movie as a funny take on 1960s psychedelic culture and couture.  He revealed that it was a joy to make the film because it both praised and parodied the time period.

Image Courtesy: Beyoncé/ Instagram

 When questioned about his experiences working with Beyoncé, Caine recalls that at the age of nineteen, she had already demonstrated exceptional attention and star power.  He recalled asking her about her goals when they initially met on the first day of filming.  She confided in him with total assurance and without any sense of superiority that she hoped to win an Academy Award for a movie one day.  Goldmember was her big-screen debut at the time, right before she left Destiny's Child to pursue a solo career.

Additionally, Caine pointed out that Beyoncé nearly lost out on an Oscar in 2023 after receiving a nomination for her King Richard song ‘Be Alive.’  He praised her amazing accomplishment of having already won 30 Grammys and said he thought she would someday win an Oscar.

Image Courtesy: Beyoncé/ Instagram

 Caine talked about Beyoncé's experience on set, saying that she and her co-stars Michael York, Robert Wagner, and the late Verne Troyer—who played Mini-Me—were completely engrossed in the humorous atmosphere.  Caine had never heard loud rock 'n' roll music on set before, but he praised Mike Myers as a creative genius and a lovely personality who kept everyone entertained in between takes.  He added that the filming experience was made even more pleasurable by Myers's extraordinary charm and familiarity with Caine's own cinematic background.

In addition to recalling ‘Austin Powers’ from Goldmember, Caine used his book to offer more general guidance on life and acting.  He emphasized that it is needless and unreasonable to strive for a faultless career.  He asserted that making mistakes demonstrates a willingness to take chances and is a necessary part of the process.  The most important thing is how one handles failure and goes on.

–Farheen Ali