Shakira Caine

Shakira, Lady Caine (née Baksh; born 23 February 1947) is a Guyanese-British actress and fashion model, the wife of English actor Sir Michael Caine.

She was born in British Guiana and is of Indian heritage. Her mother was a dressmaker, and she aspired to follow in her footsteps and became a fashion designer.

Modeling career

While working as a secretary, she was urged by her employer to enter the Miss Guyana contest, which she won. At the age of 19, she came in third in the 1967 Miss World contest held in London, where she decided to stay to launch a career in modeling. She is a member of the International Best Dressed List since 1991.

Acting career

Baksh appeared in several films, including Some Girls Do (1969), Carry On Again Doctor (1969), Toomorrow (1970), Son of Dracula (1974) and, with her husband, The Man Who Would Be King (1975). She also appeared in two episodes of the science fiction TV series UFO.

After seeing Baksh in a British television advertisement for Maxwell House coffee in 1971, Michael Caine became obsessed with finding the woman he considered to be "the most beautiful... he had ever seen." From a friend in the advertising business, he discovered that she lived only a few miles from him in London. The couple were married in Las Vegas on 8 January 1973, and have one daughter, Natasha.