- Michael Caridia was born on August 2, 1941 in Swaffham, Norfolk, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Vanity Fair (1956), ITV Television Playhouse (1955) and Jo's Boys (1959).
- A student at Italia Conti from 1953, he enjoyed enormous success as a child actor. He took part in more than 200 television plays and dramas, acted in the West End of London and, most famously, played the juvenile lead opposite Sir Norman Wisdom in the 1956 film "Up in the World".
- At 25, his Fiat was hit at high speed. It was an accident that left him with a permanent limp and terrible burns. He spent nine months in hospital, but later said it was the best thing that could have happened to him.
- He was of Greek origin but born in Belgium. He moved to Germany as a mechanic when he was 21. This was courtesy of his father, one of the heads of Volkswagen in the UK.
- Television was filmed live in those days. There were no retakes and usually no audience so it was like acting in a play but to camera - terrifying and exhilarating.
- Before the accident, I was reckless and drifting. It made me realise that I only had one life and I needed to do something with it. My legs had been shattered and I was in calipers, which the doctors said I would always need. They also said I would probably never work again. The accident was the best lesson of my life. I learned to use my brain and my Greek temper positively. It made me tenacious and determined never to give up.
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