Actor Sir Michael Caine arrives at the world premiere of King of Thieves in London. AFP

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.

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

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"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.

Possessing one of Hollywood's most recognisable -- and imitated -- voices, he has long enjoyed iconic status in Britain, where he became a defining face of the so-called Swinging Sixties.

His filmography includes classic films ranging from "Zulu" and "The Italian Job" to more recently appearing in "Interstellar" and "The Dark Knight" franchise, alongside Christian Bale.

A six-time Oscar nominee -- who has won two Academy Awards, in 1986 ("Hannah and Her Sisters") and 2000 ("The Cider House Rules") -- he 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.

Agence France-Presse