From Batman Begins to Interstellar, I did six blockbusters in a row with Christopher Nolan. I don’t think I’ve done two blockbusters in a row with anyone else. I used to call him the new David Lean, but he’s not. He’s the Christopher Nolan.

Aside from being a brilliant director, he’s a brilliant screenwriter with an element of surprise and an intelligence that’s quite extraordinary. Just when you think that’s where we’re going, he says, “Let’s go over there!”

Christopher is very secretive, and each film has a code title. He had us call Inception by the name Oliver’s Arrow. On the set, no matter how hot it is, he wears an overcoat and sips tea all day. You wouldn’t be able to pick him out as the director. There’s no shouting and screaming—he’s a very quiet gentleman. If you get it wrong, you just do it again. It’s like working with a philosopher.

Caine, a two-time Academy Award winner, recently starred in Kingsman: The Secret Service

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