Actor Terence stamp, who established his worldwide fame by playing Superman's arch-villain in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), has passed away at the age of 87.
Born July 22, 1938 in Stepney, London, Stamp made his debut in films, playing the titular role in Billy Budd (1962) which earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination.
The actor starred in over 60 films in his career, including Pier Paolo Pasolini's Theorem in 1968 and A Season in Hell in 1971. He was once in line to play James Bond after Sean Connery stepped away from the franchise, but couldn't achieve it as his radical ideas about how he could interpret the character put off producer Harry Saltzman. Stamp then went to Italian films and joined hands with Federico Fellini in the late 1960s.
It was his role as General Zod in Richard Donner’s 1978 film Superman and its 1980 sequel Superman II, directed by Richard Lester revived his career and propelled him to further fame. He played one of the greatest movie villains of all time. He later voiced Clark Kent’s biological father in the TV series Smallville.
Also known for his striking good looks and impeccable fashion choices, Stamp became one of Britain's most glamorous stars. He and actress Julie Christie made one of the most iconic couples of the '60s, starring together in Far From the Madding Crowd (1967). He also had a high-profile romance with supermodel Jean Shrimpton and was a favourite muse of legendary photographer David Bailey.
Stamp's versatility was evident in his varied career. He played a corrupt English crook in Steven Soderbergh's The Limey (1999), earned recognition as Chancellor Valorum in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), and won hearts with one of his boldest and most challenging roles as Bernadette, a transgender woman, in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
In the 2000s, he worked in The Haunted Mansion (2003), Valkyrie (2008), Yes Man (2008), Wanted (2008) and Get Smart (2008). Even in his seventies, he continued to remain active and worked on roles in The Adjustment Bureau, (2011), The Art of the Steal (2013), Big Eyes (2014), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016) and more. His last on-screen appearance was in Last Night in Soho (2021).
