--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alfie was the first time I was above the…" description: "\"Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first time I became a star in America.\" — Michael Caine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg" --- # Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first… ![“Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first time I became a star in America.” quote by Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg) > “Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first time I became a star in America.” [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving fame in America marked a personal milestone, elevating his status beyond a mere title. **In simple terms:** First American star status felt like a real achievement. Key Takeaway Recognize and celebrate personal breakthroughs. Themes achievement identity career Mood proud reflective Type motivational celebratory When to use this quote - career milestones - public recognition - personal growth Key Concepts selfesteem cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What does true success feel like to you? - How do you stay grounded after a breakthrough? A Different Perspective Success can bring pressure and expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I think taking the biggest star in India and the biggest star in America, and putting them together in a movie that starts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-ratner/i-think-taking-the-biggest-star-in-india-and-the-biggest-star-in/) [Brett Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-ratner/) > [I'm not such a big star. I am just a little planet. In Spain, people don't put so much attention on the star system.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-banderas/i-m-not-such-a-big-star-i-am-just-a-little-planet-in-spain-people-don/) [Antonio Banderas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-banderas/) > [I was a star in England, but Ive never been a star in America. Now I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lee/i-was-a-star-in-england-but-ive-never-been-a-star-in-america-now-i-am/) [Anna Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lee/) > [I was a star in England, but I've never been a star in America. Now I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lee/i-was-a-star-in-england-but-i-ve-never-been-a-star-in-america-now-i-am/) [Anna Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lee/) > [Will Rogers became the biggest, most popular, and highest-paid star of every existing media of his time. The biggest star America ever produced. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-tune/will-rogers-became-the-biggest-most-popular-and-highest-paid-star-of/) [Tommy Tune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-tune/) > [When I came for the first time to the United States, visiting, I was absolutely fascinated by New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milos-forman/when-i-came-for-the-first-time-to-the-united-states-visiting-i-was/) [Milos Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milos-forman/) > [I'm gonna challenge Camacho, Rosario or anyone else who has the lightweight title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cesar-chavez-sr/i-m-gonna-challenge-camacho-rosario-or-anyone-else-who-has-the/) [Julio Cesar Chavez Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cesar-chavez-sr/) > [Again, a franchise to me doesn't have to be a billion dollar title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fincher/again-a-franchise-to-me-doesn-t-have-to-be-a-billion-dollar-title/) [David Fincher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fincher/) > [I never really know the title of a book until it's finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wesley/i-never-really-know-the-title-of-a-book-until-it-s-finished/) [Mary Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wesley/) > [Success is walking out of here with the title, and anything less is not good enough in my book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/success-is-walking-out-of-here-with-the-title-and-anything-less-is/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [The word actress has always seemed less a job description to me than a title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/the-word-actress-has-always-seemed-less-a-job-description-to-me-than/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [I'd rather be dealt with as a person than a persona. With my children, I'm just 'Mom.' At the end of the day, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-rania-of-jordan/i-d-rather-be-dealt-with-as-a-person-than-a-persona-with-my-children/) [Queen Rania of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-rania-of-jordan/) > [No, it's interesting to remake a film for the contemporary audience today. I think it's a good idea; it needs to respect the original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-argento/no-it-s-interesting-to-remake-a-film-for-the-contemporary-audience/) [Dario Argento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-argento/) > [I don't want my title to define my character. I don't think, as a president, I will change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weah/i-don-t-want-my-title-to-define-my-character-i-don-t-think-as-a/) [George Weah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weah/) > [Well, executive producer can mean anything in the world of Hollywood, sadly. It can be a bought title in many instances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-stanton/well-executive-producer-can-mean-anything-in-the-world-of-hollywood/) [Andrew Stanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-stanton/) ## More by Michael Caine > [That to me is what my idea of film acting should be. There shouldn't be any acting. You should just be watching a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/that-to-me-is-what-my-idea-of-film-acting-should-be-there-shouldn-t/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Theater acting is an operation with a scalpel, movie acting is an operation with a laser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/theater-acting-is-an-operation-with-a-scalpel-movie-acting-is-an/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [If you're a leading actor you don't work with another actor. You work with a lady.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/if-you-re-a-leading-actor-you-don-t-work-with-another-actor-you-work/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [“Be a duck, remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/be-a-duck-remain-calm-on-the-surface-and-paddle-like-hell-underneath/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I try to make everyone around me feel comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-try-to-make-everyone-around-me-feel-comfortable/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [You can see all sorts of things in film acting if you know where to look and what to look for. One thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/you-can-see-all-sorts-of-things-in-film-acting-if-you-know-where-to/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I was a repertory actor, which meant that I did a play every week. I was a different character every week; for a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-was-a-repertory-actor-which-meant-that-i-did-a-play-every-week-i/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [You start pretending to have fun, you might have a little by accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/you-start-pretending-to-have-fun-you-might-have-a-little-by-accident/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [If you held a pistol at my head, I couldn't tell you who they're going to vote for Best Actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/if-you-held-a-pistol-at-my-head-i-couldn-t-tell-you-who-they-re-going/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I wear a baseball cap all the time, which I would never normally wear, and I walk very fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-wear-a-baseball-cap-all-the-time-which-i-would-never-normally-wear/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I've always loved reprehensible people because they're so much more interesting to play on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-ve-always-loved-reprehensible-people-because-they-re-so-much-more/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I want to stick around with the big boys. I don't want to be in the old folks home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-want-to-stick-around-with-the-big-boys-i-don-t-want-to-be-in-the/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I've been on movies where I literally couldn't hear what the other actor was saying. It's very awkward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-ve-been-on-movies-where-i-literally-couldn-t-hear-what-the-other/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [My father was a fish market porter. So I grew up on fish, because he used to steal one a day, I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/my-father-was-a-fish-market-porter-so-i-grew-up-on-fish-because-he/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [The trouble with women? Elbows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/the-trouble-with-women-elbows/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) [Explore all 282 Michael Caine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first time I became a star in America.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Caine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the-title-the-first-time-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the-title-the-first-time-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cf/michael-caine-1152_america_alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the_3066415.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Alfie was the first time I was above the title; the first time I became a star in America.” — Michael Caine", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Caine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Alfie was the first time I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the-title-the-first-time-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/alfie-was-the-first-time-i-was-above-the-title-the-first-time-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```