Batman's butler, Alfred, has been a coveted character since the Caped Crusader leaped from the DC comic book realm to live-action, starting with Alan Napier for the "Batman" TV series in the 1960s, and continuing with Michael Gough in director Tim Burton's groundbreaking "Batman" film starring Michael Keaton in 1989.
However, when Nolan was brought aboard to give a new spin on the franchise with 2005's "Batman Begins," he was determined to give Alfred a bit more emotional weight. It took Nolan some work, though, to recruit the actor he wanted to play the role.
In a Q&A about his career with Variety, Caine revealed how Nolan convinced him to play Alfred because the writer-director promised the iconic actor that it wouldn't be a thankless role. Caine said it began with a simple ring of the doorbell at his country house. The man at the door was none other than Nolan, who Caine said was "standing there with a script in his hand and he said he was a director of movies."
"He said, 'Can I come in?' And he said to me, 'I want you to play the butler in 'Batman.' So, I said, 'The butler? What do I say, 'Dinner is served?' He said no, he was the godfather of Batman and it's a much bigger part," Caine recalled. "That was the first thing I remembered about Christopher Nolan."
