Terence Stamp dies aged 87
The Oscar-nominated actor made his name in 1960s London and went on to play the arch-villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II.
He also starred in films ranging from Pier Paolo Pasolini's Theorem in 1968 and A Season in Hell in 1971 to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994, in which he played a transgender woman.
His family said in a statement that he died on Sunday morning.
They added: '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. We ask for privacy at this sad time.'
Born in London's East End in 1938, the son of a tugboat stoker, he endured the bombing of the city during the Second World War before leaving school to work in advertising, but then won a scholarship to go to drama school.
Famous for his good looks and impeccable dress sense, he formed one of Britain's most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in Far From the Madding Crowd in 1967.
He also dated the model Jean Shrimpton and was chosen as a muse by photographer David Bailey.
After failing to land the role of James Bond to succeed Sean Connery, he appeared in Italian films and worked with Federico Fellini in the late 1960s.
He dropped out of the limelight and studied yoga in India before landing his most high-profile role as General Zod, the megalomaniacal leader of the Kryptonians, in Superman in 1978 and its sequel in 1980.
He went on to appear in a string of other films, including Valkyrie with Tom Cruise in 2008, The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon in 2011 and movies directed by Tim Burton.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Terence Stamp remembered by Priscilla director Stephan Elliott: ‘Those eyes turned everybody to jelly'
I first saw Terence in The Collector (1965) when I was a kid. It struck in my head as the ultimate horror film – it terrified the daylights out of me. Terence's greatest beauties were his eyes – in some of the early films you don't see it, but in person, when they were shining, he could hold a room. He'd sit there and say, 'Watch this, I'm going to stop a restaurant.' And he could do it. I saw him do it! It was extraordinary. He once told me that he used to have real fun on Superman when he was bored, stuck on top of the ice castle. 'I'd just stare down until everyone went quiet,' he said. We tried many actors when casting Bernadette in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but absolutely everybody turned the role down. Terence was easily on the top of our list, but we thought he'd never do it. The honest truth is, he turned it down at first. But out of nowhere, his agent said to him, 'Well, you're bored. You've just done superhero movies. Why don't you do something else?' It was astonishing when his agent reached out and said, 'No, he wants to talk.' We were falling over ourselves. If he wanted the role, it was his. We talked long and hard about why he'd initially said no. It was fear. And fair enough – you have got to remember we were coming out of the HIV/Aids mess. It was a taboo subject. I looked at the work that he'd done all the way through, like the Italian years when he worked with Fellini and Pasolini, and thought: this was a man who took chances. And I think he was at absolutely the right moment in his life where he was ready for another chance. Terence admitted he was absolutely terrified to play Bernadette – he was being voted one of the best-looking men on earth and suddenly in Priscilla he was, and this is a direct quote, 'dressed up as an old dog'. But he put the pain of what he was going through into the performance, and that's what made the film. In my head, I had a very clear idea of who Bernadette was. I remember looking at Terence when he came out presented as Bernadette for the first time. I said, 'Well this isn't what I pictured in my head, but it's interesting. Let's talk about it.' Meanwhile, Terence looked at the mirror and completely exploded. From that point in the film, no mirrors were allowed. It was the fear. But he worked it in – he knew what he was doing. Every day, they'd say, 'You want to see rushes?' And he'd say, 'No. If I'm committing, I'm going for it.' By the time we finished the shoot, he was way past being afraid and Priscilla was a real high point for him. Over the years, we became very close. He was a loner, but we became really good pals. Anytime I was anywhere near him, I would visit. Once you got through the layers, he was an East End boy, a working-class boy, and I think over the years, the thing I most loved was that he let me into that world. And sometimes it was very foul-mouthed! Terence would complain that he was only ever asked about two things: Priscilla or Superman. The amount of times he said to me, 'Far From the Madding Crowd [1967] – I've never worked so hard at something so magnificent and it has been forgotten.' I said, 'It's called time, Terence.' He said, 'But Priscilla is 30 years old. Why doesn't it go away? They only ask me about two films, and one of them's fucking Priscilla.' And I'd get the giggles. That's when we began talking about a Priscilla sequel. On that front, let's just say – he agreed to do the sequel a few years ago and we've been particularly busy over the past year. By the end of his career, he was working to keep himself entertained. He was discerning – if he'd already seen something like it, he didn't care. If something pressed his buttons and piqued his interest, he'd consider it. His Italian years were just breathtaking. Who the hell gets to work with all those people? He said to me, 'I just drifted from one to the other – if somebody had something interesting, I'd do it. That's the way it's always been.' Terence kept to himself. He was an enigma. And then he'd show up, use the eyes and turn everybody to jelly. He was a wonderful man – and he's not done yet. Stephan Elliott is a film-maker and director of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
How Terence Stamp rose from working class to Hollywood stardom – & being name-checked in one of greatest pop songs ever
He clung on to a feeling that 'the call would come' — but the wait was a long one WORKING CLASS COOL How Terence Stamp rose from working class to Hollywood stardom – & being name-checked in one of greatest pop songs ever THERE can be no cooler claim to fame than to be name-checked in one of the greatest pop songs ever written. Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks, released at the height of the Swinging Sixties, featured a couple referred to only by their first names — Terry and Julie. 10 Terence Stamp with lover Julie Christie in 1967's Far From The Madding Crowd Credit: Alamy 10 Down the boozer with drinking buddy Michael Caine, who he shared a flat with in London before they found fame Credit: Alamy Advertisement 10 Stamp in Paris for the premiere of comedy-drama Song For Marion in 2013 Credit: Getty - Contributor Julie was Julie Christie, the drop-dead gorgeous actress, and Terry was Terence Stamp, her real-life boyfriend. The accomplished actor died yesterday morning, aged 87, and last night his family led the tributes to him. They said in a statement: '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.' Advertisement Along with a handful of other leading men from humble backgrounds such as Michael Caine and Albert Finney, Stamp epitomised a new breed of screen star. Ruggedly handsome, uncompromising and from a tough working-class background, he shot to fame with his first movie. But as the Sixties drew to a close, it looked as though the sun was also setting on his career — and it was almost a decade before he triumphantly reappeared. The oldest of five children, he was born Terence Henry Stamp on July 22, 1938, in Bow, East London, to mother Ethel and father Thomas, a £12-a-week tugboat stoker. Advertisement 'I was in pain. I took drugs – everything' That made him, according to the saying, a genuine Cockney — 'born within the sound of Bow bells'. His first home had no bathroom, only a tub in the backyard which he would be dragged into on Friday evenings. He later remembered: 'The first one in would get second-degree burns — and the last one frostbite.' Superman defeats General Zod, played by Terence Stamp, in Superman II In 2016, he said of his childhood: 'The great blessing of my life is that I had the really hard bit at the beginning. We were really poor. 'I couldn't tell anybody that I wanted to be an actor because it was just out of the question. I would have been laughed at. Advertisement 'When we got our first TV, I started saying, 'Oh I could do that' and my dad wore it for a little bit. 'After I'd said, 'Oh I'm sure I could do better than that guy', he looked at me and he said, 'Son, people like us don't do things like that'.' As an 18-year-old, he tried to evade National Service — a year and a half of compulsory duty in the military — by claiming to have nosebleeds but was saved when he failed his medical because of fallen arches. Determined to realise his dream, Stamp left home and moved into a basement flat on London's Harley Street with another promising young Cockney actor — Michael Caine. The pair became firm friends and ended up in repertory theatre, touring around the UK together. 10 Stamp in the title role of his first hit, 1962's Billy Budd Advertisement 10 In the 1966 spy comedy Modesty Blaise with Monica Vitti Credit: Alamy 10 Stamp as an alien in Superman II with Sarah Douglas and Jack O' Halloran Credit: Alamy Stamp's performances soon brought him to the attention of acclaimed writer and director Peter Ustinov, who gave him the lead role in the 1962 historical drama movie Billy Budd. He was an overnight success. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he also won the hearts of millions of female fans. And with his first Hollywood pay cheque, the image-conscious actor celebrated by buying himself a Savile Row suit and bleaching his hair blond. Stamp heeded the career advice Ustinov gave him — to only accept job offers when something he really wanted came his way. Advertisement That may explain why he made only ten movies between 1962 and 1977. His most famous role was as Sergeant Troy in Far From The Madding Crowd in 1967 — where he met and fell in love with co-star Julie Christie. While Stamp was fast becoming a screen icon, his younger brother Chris was making waves in the music biz. I was someone who was desperately unhappy. I was in pain. I took drugs — everything Terence Stamp Stamp Junior managed The Who and Jimi Hendrix, and was friends with many music legends of the time. Talking about The Kinks' classic Waterloo Sunset, written by frontman Ray Davies, Terence said: 'My brother was quite friendly with him. Advertisement 'He asked Ray Davies about that lyric and Ray Davies told my brother that, yes, he was visualising Julie and me when he wrote the lyric.' But by the end of the decade, Stamp's career was on the wane — and he was devastated when his 'Face of the Sixties' model girlfriend Jean Shrimpton walked out on him — beginning what he called his 'lost years'. He said: 'I'd lost the only thing I thought was permanent. 'The revelation came to me then — nothing is permanent, so what was the point trying to maintain a permanent state? 10 Stamp as tough ex-con Wilson in Steven Soderbergh's 1999 crime thriller The Limey Credit: Imagenet Advertisement 10 Stamp with Guy Pearce, left, and Hugo Weaving in Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert Credit: Alamy 10 Stamp in 1964 with model Jean Shrimpton, who left him devastated when she ended their three-year relationship Credit: Getty 'I was someone who was desperately unhappy. I was in pain. I took drugs — everything.' He clung on to a feeling that 'the call would come' — but the wait was a long one. It finally came in 1977 when he was offered the part of General Zod in Superman. Advertisement He took it — mainly because it gave him the chance to appear alongside his acting hero Marlon Brando. The part brought him to the attention of a new audience — and last night fans paid tribute to his portrayal of the banished alien villain. In a nod to his role as the evil leader who demanded his enemies show him deference, one fan wrote on X: 'Thank you Terry . . . we will kneel today in your honour.' Another wrote: 'Terence Stamp was much more than Zod but at the same time one of the best comic book villains ever.' 'My present was a box of Star Wars stencils' Making up for lost time after the 1978 release of Superman, Stamp made dozens of films from then until 2021, showing off his huge range. Advertisement He won universal praise for his portrayal of an East End villain in The Limey (1999) and transgender woman Bernadette Bassenger in The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert. Stamp also played Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum in Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, although the director George Lucas did not give him a huge payday. He once cornered a producer during the shoot and complained about the pay. He recalled: 'I said, 'Listen, you're not paying much money and it's making hundreds of millions. What goes down? What happens?' 'She said, 'If the actors are really good, George gives them a present'. 'I thought, ooh, that's all right. So when I leave the studio I go into my dressing room and there's a box. It was a box of Star Wars stencils. Advertisement 'That was my present. I just couldn't believe it. I thought, may the Force be with you, George. I didn't keep my stencils. I left them in the dressing room.' Around that time, he said: 'I moved from England some time ago because I wasn't getting any work. 'I'm getting work in America and my films appear in France but for some reason I'm not getting any offers in Britain.' But he kept himself busy by launching a successful parallel career as an author, writing five bestselling memoirs and two cookbooks. He continued to select interesting roles and made a series of memorable cameo appearances, most recently, in 2021, in Edgar Wright's psychological thriller Last Night In Soho. Advertisement 10 Talking about The Kinks' classic Waterloo Sunset, written by frontman Ray Davies, Terence said: 'My brother was quite friendly with him' Credit: Supplied Although he dated some of the world's most beautiful women, including Julie Christie, Brigitte Bardot and sisters Joan and Jackie Collins, he married only once — to Elizabeth O'Rourke. The pharmacist was 35 years his junior and the marriage lasted from 2002 to 2008. He admitted he was upset by the split but added: 'I always said I'll try anything once, other than incest or Morris dancing. 'I'd never been married and I thought I would try it, but I couldn't make a go of it.' Advertisement Looking back on his career, he once said: 'I'd be lying if I said I was completely indifferent to the success of all my contemporaries. There are parts I would love to have had a stab at, but I see the decisions I made as invaluable. 'I'm not just chasing an Oscar. I am learning how to die — how to build something within myself that does not become dust.'
BreakingNews.ie
7 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Actor Terence Stamp, who starred in original Superman films, dies aged 87
Veteran British actor Terence Stamp, who starred in the original Superman films, has died aged 87. The Academy Award-nominated actor, who played Kryptonian villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II, died on Sunday. Advertisement Stamp, who starred as a transgender woman in 1994's The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, was nominated for a Bafta for his performance. Born in the East End of London in 1938, Stamp rose to acting fame in the 1960s after he won a drama school scholarship. The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art scholarship led him to the stage, where he acted in repertory theatre and met Michael Caine, who was five years older than him. Terence Stamp rose to acting fame in the 1960s (Matt Sayles/AP) The pair lived together in a flat in Harley Street while they were both looking for their big break, but they parted ways and lost touch, Stamp previously told The Guardian. Advertisement He made his film debut in Peter Ustinov's 1962 film adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd and his portrayal of the title character brought an Oscar nomination. Known for his stylish clothes, Stamp famously dated actress Julie Christie, who he performed alongside in the 1967 film Far From The Madding Crowd and was also in a relationship with the model Jean Shrimpton. Stamp, left, dated actress Julie Christie, right (PA) But, after missing out on the role of James Bond, he fell out of the limelight for a while. It was not until 1978 that he got his most famous role as General Zod and appeared in Superman's 1980 sequel as the same character. Advertisement Stamp was also widely praised for his lead in director Steven Soderbergh's 1999 crime drama The Limey. He began voice acting and writing books in the late '90s, but also continued acting in films, appearing alongside Tom Cruise in Valkyrie in 2008 and working on movies directed by Tim Burton. The actor was known for his stylish clothes (Edmond Terakopian/PA) Stamp married 29-year-old Elizabeth O'Rourke in 2002 at the age of 64 but the couple divorced six years later. He did not have any children. His film career spanning six decades ended with the 2021 psychological thriller Last Night In Soho. Advertisement Stamp's death was confirmed in a death notice published online, the Associated Press said.
