London: Terence Stamp, one of the defining faces of British cinema in the 1960s who reinvented himself decades later as a celebrated character actor in films such as Superman, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and The Limey, has died at the age of 87.
His family confirmed the news on Sunday, saying Stamp “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.”
Director Stephen Frears, who cast him in the 1984 thriller The Hit, paid tribute, describing him as “a fine man and a fine actor. It was an honor to have directed him.”
Born in Stepney, east London, the son of a tugboat sailor, Stamp grew up in Plaistow and won a scholarship to drama school. His early-stage career led to a breakthrough in cinema with his first major screen role in Billy Budd (1962), earning him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
He quickly became one of the glamorous new faces of 1960s British cinemas, alongside contemporaries such as Michael Caine, with whom he shared a flat during their early careers. Stamp’s high-profile relationship with model Jean Shrimpton made the pair among the most photographed figures of the decade.
We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Terence Stamp, aged 87. Well known for playing General Zod in the Superman films, Stamp was nominated for two BAFTAs in 1963 and 1995 for his work in Billy Budd and The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. pic.twitter.com/ALZaFfF4Ua
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) August 17, 2025
Early successes included William Wyler’s The Collector (1965) and John Schlesinger’s Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) opposite Julie Christie. He also worked with European masters, including Federico Fellini (Spirits of the Dead) and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who cast him in the provocative Theorem.
Despite his early promise, Stamp’s career faltered at the end of the 1960s. “When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it,” he later reflected. He spent several years in India, retreating from the screen, before Hollywood recalled him with the role of General Zod in Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) and its sequel.
Embracing character work, Stamp thrived in a second career. He delivered memorable performances in Frears’ The Hit (1984), Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves (1984), and in 1994 gained widespread acclaim as Bernadette Bassenger, a transgender cabaret performer, in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The role earned him Bafta and Golden Globe nominations.
Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey (1999) brought another career-defining performance, playing a London gangster seeking vengeance in Los Angeles. His later credits included Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Song for Marion (2012), and collaborations with Tim Burton in Big Eyes (2014) and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016). His final released film was Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (2021).
Remembered as both a matinee idol and a masterful character actor, Stamp leaves behind a career that spanned six decades, bridging the glamour of swinging London and the grit of modern cinema.
