London, UK - Veteran British actor Michael Caine, a Hollywood icon with a decades-spanning career littered with awards and acclaim, revealed on Saturday that he has retired from acting at the age of 90.

The Oscar-winner bows out following another widely-praised performance in his final film, The Great Escaper, which was released on October 6.

In it, he plays real-life World War II British veteran Bernie Jordan, who escaped from an elderly residential care home to attend 2014 D-Day celebrations in France.

"I keep saying I'm going to retire. Well, I am now," Caine told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

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"The only parts I'm liable to get now are 90-year-old men. Or maybe 85.

"They're not going to be the lead. You don't have leading men at 90; you're going to have young, handsome boys and girls. So I thought, I might as well leave with all this."

A prolific actor known for his amiable Cockney persona and deadpan acting style, Caine has appeared in more than 160 films during his seven-decade career.

A six-time Oscar nominee - who has won two Academy Awards in 1986 (Hannah and Her Sisters) and 2000 (The Cider House Rules) - Caine has also earned Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and numerous other gongs.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000.

Caine's acting retirement announcement comes a month before his first novel, Deadly Game, is scheduled for release.

He revealed in June that it had been a long-held ambition to write a thriller, noting it is the genre he most enjoys reading.