Terence Stamp, General Zod in ‘Superman’ and ‘Billy Budd,’ dead at 87
‘Superman’ villain star leaves behind six-decade career spanning ‘Billy Budd’ to ‘Priscilla Queen of Desert’
Terence Stamp, the British actor known for his roles in “Billy Budd,” “Superman” and “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” has died. He was 87.
Stamp’s death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online, according to The Associated Press.
“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come,” his family said in a statement to Reuters.
Throughout his six-decade career, Stamp — who was nominated for an Oscar for his film debut role in the 1962 film “Billy Budd” — made a name for himself with roles such as General Zod in “Superman” and “Superman II,” Freddie Clegg in “The Collector,” and Sergeant Troy in “Far From the Madding Crowd.”
Terence Stamp, the British actor known for his roles in “Billy Budd,” “Superman” and “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” died at 87 years old. (Getty Images)
A representative for Stamp did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Born in London in 1938, Stamp found his passion for film at a young age.
His father was in the Merchant Navy and spent much of Stamp’s childhood away from the family. As a child, Stamp experienced the World War II bombing of London.
“The first film I ever saw was called ‘Beau Geste,’ with Gary Cooper,” he told BFI in 2013. “My mother took me to see that. I was probably under 4 years old. It was Cooper playing a soldier in the Foreign Legion. I didn’t realize the impact, but it made an indelible impression on me.”
Terence Stamp, here at the premiere of “Superman 2” in 1980, famously portrayed General Zod in the films. (Tom Wargacki/WireImage)
“It wasn’t until we got our first TV — I would’ve been about 17 I think, and I was already at work — that I started saying things like, ‘Oh, I could do that,’” he told BFI. “My dad just turned me off it. He was probably trying to save me a lot of aggro. He genuinely believed that people like us didn’t do things like that.”
After scoring a Golden Globe Award for his role in “Billy Budd,” Stamp became one of the most sought-out actors in the 60s. However, everything seemed to take a turn as a new decade approached.
“It’s a mystery to me,” he told The Guardian in 2015. “I was in my prime. When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it. I remember my agent telling me: ‘They are all looking for a young Terence Stamp.’ And I thought: ‘I am young.’ I was 31, 32. I couldn’t believe it.”
Stamp found his passion for film at a young age. (Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
“During that time away from the screen, I had transmuted myself,” he added. “I no longer saw myself as a leading man. What had happened inside of me enabled me to take the role and not feel embarrassed or depressed about playing the villain. I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything.”
After starring opposite Christopher Reeve in the 1978 “Superman,” work picked up for Stamp with roles in the 1984 film “The Hit,” 1986’s “Legal Eagles,” Oliver Stone’s 1987 “Wall Street,” “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” and more.
