Caine Learned to Drive in Hollywood

Michael Caine took his driving test in Los Angeles because it was too expensive for him to learn how to drive his first car, a Rolls Royce, in London.

The Get Carter actor bought his first Rolls when he started making goodmoney from his movies - but he couldn't drive it.

Instead he hired a chauffeur and never bothered to take his test for years.

He tells Wenn, "I grew up in the war in London and I didn't know anybody who had a car until I was 15 or 16. There was no reason to have a car. When I became a movie star I had never driven a car and I went from penniless to quite well off. "I bought a Rolls Royce and I couldn't drive it.

I said, 'I'll learn todrive it,' and the insurance company said, 'No you won't! Nobody learns to drive in a Rolls Royce.' The insurance premium for me as a movie actorto learn to drive was twice the sum that I would pay a chauffeur, so I had chauffeurs all my life.

"I never drove a car until I went to Los Angeles because there you haveto drive a car. So I took my driving lessons in America and it was very official. They said, 'The inspector, who will judge your driving, will only speak to you about technical things. You will not speak to him about anything personal. Just listen to what he says.' "So I got in the car very nervous to take my test and the guy says to me, 'You're gonna have to be rubbish not to pass this test because I lovedyou in The Man Who Would Be King.' So I was off and running". But Caine admits he still rarely drives in London because he hasn't gotthe patience to deal with the British capital's traffic. He adds, "I'm not a very patient man and the idea of parking a car and looking for a space and all that stuff...

so I have a chauffeur.

And if you're very famous you're not allowed to go on public transport because itwould cause a hubbub, so there's always taxis".