Veteran British Actor Terence Stamp Passes Away!!

Terence Stamp, the British actor who brought cut-glass sophistication to every role he played, has died. Stamp was best known for starring in Superman II, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and The Limey. Stamp passed away this morning at the age of 87.

Terence Henry Stamp was born in London, England on July 22, 1938. As an aspiring actor, he lived with Michael Caine; they were both up for the title role in Alfie, but Caine ultimately landed it, launching his career. Stamp ended up making his film debut in Peter Ustinov‘s adaptation of Herman Melville‘s Billy Budd. Although the film wasn’t well-reviewed, Stamp‘s performance in the title role was acclaimed, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He appeared in a number of films emblematic of the “Swinging London” of the 1960s, including The Collector, Modesty Blaise, and Far From the Madding Crowd. In the 1970s, he recolated to Italy, starring in a number of local film productions.

Who Is General Zod?

In 1978, Stamp starred in Richard Donner‘s Superman: The Movie as General Zod, a Kryptonian criminal exiled to the Phantom Zone. He only appeared in one scene of that film, but returned with a vengeance in 1980’s Superman II, battling the Man of Steel with a memorably chilly and imperious performance. Zod became one of the most iconic villains in superhero cinema, and resulted in a resurgence for Stamp, starring in Hollywood productions like Wall Street, Young Guns, and Alien Nation. He also starred in the British crime film The Hit, his first leading role in over a decade: it partnered him with John Hurt and, in his first movie role, Tim Roth.

One of Stamp‘s most iconic roles came in sharp contrast to the rest of his filmography: in 1994, he starred as Bernadette Bassenger, an aging trans woman who goes on a road trip with two drag queens across the Australian outback in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The film was a surprise critical and commercial hit, and Stamp‘s heartfelt performance was singled out for praise. In 1999, Steven Soderbergh cast Stamp in the lead role of the thriller The Limey, which served as an homage to Stamp’s early career: footage from his 1967 film Poor Cow was used in flashbacks. That year, Stamp also had a supporting role in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. In recent years, he starred in Big Eyes, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Unusual Children, and Murder Mystery. His final performance was in Edgar Wright‘s Last Night in Soho.