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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British actor Terence Stamp, ‘Superman' star and famed figure of swinging London, dies at 87
Terence Stamp, the British actor who became synonymous with Swinging London in the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday, according to Reuters. He was 87 years old. Stamp first came to prominence when he took on the titular role in the 1962 film 'Billy Budd.' The black and white drama, directed by Peter Ustinov, who also starred, saw Stamp nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the only Oscar nomination of his lengthy career. He went on to star in a host of films in the 1960s, among them John Schlesinger's Thomas Hardy adaptation 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and Ken Loach's first feature film, 'Poor Cow.' CNN has reached out to his representatives for confirmation of his death. He was a star who rose from humble beginnings in London's East End, about as far from Hollywood as you can get. He was born on July 22, 1938, to parents Ethel and Thomas, a merchant seaman. In a 2013 interview with the British Film Institute (BFI), Stamp revealed that his father tried to deter him from a career in showbiz. 'He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that,' he said. But his mother, he said, 'loved every second of it.' 'In retrospect, my mother must have always wanted me to do it and must have wished that she could have been more supportive. But my dad was the head of the family and I never really knew what he thought of it because he was of that generation. 'He was a merchant seaman, he shovelled coal, and in that confined living quarters any show of emotion would have been considered unbearably flash.' Stamp would become one of the biggest figures of 1960s London, romantically linked to model Jean Shrimpton and actresses Julie Christie - his 'Far From the Madding Crowd' co-star - and Brigitte Bardot. His only marriage came in 2002 - to an Australian pharmacist 35 years his junior - but that lasted just six years, according to the Guardian. Stamp famously roomed with fellow actor Michael Caine, who was also a rising star at the time. The pair lost touch, however, as he disclosed in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2015. 'We just went different ways. I can understand it: in many ways he was much more mature than me,' he said of Caine, who was five years older. 'Caine gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things – then as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.' After a few years away from the screen, Stamp appeared in the 1978 blockbuster 'Superman' as the superhero's adversary, General Zod. He reprised the role of the comic book villain in the sequel two years later. Ironically, more than two decades later Stamp went on to voice the role of Superman's father Jor-El in the TV series 'Smallville.' His many screen credits also included his role as drag queen Bernadette in the 1990s Australian comedy 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.' Of his eclectic career - including roles in Hollywood's 'Wall Street' and 'The Adjustment Bureau' - he told the Guardian that he had no ambitions, adding: 'I've had bad experiences and things that didn't work out; my love for film sometimes diminishes but then it just resurrects itself. 'I never have to gee myself up, or demand a huge wage to get out of bed in the morning. I've done crap, because sometimes I didn't have the rent. But when I've got the rent, I want to do the best I can.' Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
British actor Terence Stamp, ‘Superman' star and famed figure of swinging London, dies at 87
Actor Terrence Stamp poses for a photo on the red carpet for the movie "Song for Marion" in Paris, France, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon) Terence Stamp, the British actor who became synonymous with Swinging London in the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday, according to Reuters. He was 87 years old. Stamp first came to prominence when he took on the titular role in the 1962 film 'Billy Budd.' The black and white drama, directed by Peter Ustinov, who also starred, saw Stamp nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the only Oscar nomination of his lengthy career. He went on to star in a host of films in the 1960s, among them John Schlesinger's Thomas Hardy adaptation 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and Ken Loach's first feature film, 'Poor Cow.' CNN has reached out to his representatives for confirmation of his death. He was a star who rose from humble beginnings in London's East End, about as far from Hollywood as you can get. He was born on July 22, 1938, to parents Ethel and Thomas, a merchant seaman. In a 2013 interview with the British Film Institute (BFI), Stamp revealed that his father tried to deter him from a career in showbiz. 'He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that,' he said. But his mother, he said, 'loved every second of it.' 'In retrospect, my mother must have always wanted me to do it and must have wished that she could have been more supportive. But my dad was the head of the family and I never really knew what he thought of it because he was of that generation. 'He was a merchant seaman, he shovelled coal, and in that confined living quarters any show of emotion would have been considered unbearably flash.' Stamp would become one of the biggest figures of 1960s London, romantically linked to model Jean Shrimpton and actresses Julie Christie - his 'Far From the Madding Crowd' co-star - and Brigitte Bardot. His only marriage came in 2002 - to an Australian pharmacist 35 years his junior - but that lasted just six years, according to the Guardian. Stamp famously roomed with fellow actor Michael Caine, who was also a rising star at the time. The pair lost touch, however, as he disclosed in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2015. 'We just went different ways. I can understand it: in many ways he was much more mature than me,' he said of Caine, who was five years older. 'Caine gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things – then as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.' After a few years away from the screen, Stamp appeared in the 1978 blockbuster 'Superman' as the superhero's adversary, General Zod. He reprised the role of the comic book villain in the sequel two years later. Ironically, more than two decades later Stamp went on to voice the role of Superman's father Jor-El in the TV series 'Smallville.' His many screen credits also included his role as drag queen Bernadette in the 1990s Australian comedy 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.' Of his eclectic career - including roles in Hollywood's 'Wall Street' and 'The Adjustment Bureau' - he told the Guardian that he had no ambitions, adding: 'I've had bad experiences and things that didn't work out; my love for film sometimes diminishes but then it just resurrects itself. 'I never have to gee myself up, or demand a huge wage to get out of bed in the morning. I've done crap, because sometimes I didn't have the rent. But when I've got the rent, I want to do the best I can.' Lianne Kolirin, CNN
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
British actor Terence Stamp, Superman star and famed figure of swinging London, dies at 87
UK Movies Obituaries MediaFacebookTweetLink Follow Terence Stamp, the British actor who became synonymous with Swinging London in the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday, according to Reuters. He was 87 years old. Stamp first came to prominence when he took on the titular role in the 1962 film 'Billy Budd.' The black and white drama, directed by Peter Ustinov, who also starred, saw Stamp nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the only Oscar nomination of his lengthy career. He went on to star in a host of films in the 1960s, among them John Schlesinger's Thomas Hardy adaptation 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and Ken Loach's first feature film, 'Poor Cow.' CNN has reached out to his representatives for confirmation of his death. He was a star who rose from humble beginnings in London's East End, about as far from Hollywood as you can get. He was born on July 22, 1938, to parents Ethel and Thomas, a merchant seaman. In a 2013 interview with the British Film Institute (BFI), Stamp revealed that his father tried to deter him from a career in showbiz. 'He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that,' he said. But his mother, he said, 'loved every second of it.' 'In retrospect, my mother must have always wanted me to do it and must have wished that she could have been more supportive. But my dad was the head of the family and I never really knew what he thought of it because he was of that generation. 'He was a merchant seaman, he shovelled coal, and in that confined living quarters any show of emotion would have been considered unbearably flash.' Stamp would become one of the biggest figures of 1960s London, romantically linked to model Jean Shrimpton and actresses Julie Christie - his 'Far From the Madding Crowd' co-star - and Brigitte Bardot. His only marriage came in 2002 - to an Australian pharmacist 35 years his junior - but that lasted just six years, according to the Guardian. Stamp famously roomed with fellow actor Michael Caine, who was also a rising star at the time. The pair lost touch, however, as he disclosed in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2015. 'We just went different ways. I can understand it: in many ways he was much more mature than me,' he said of Caine, who was five years older. 'Caine gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things – then as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.' After a few years away from the screen, Stamp appeared in the 1978 blockbuster 'Superman' as the superhero's adversary, General Zod. He reprised the role of the comic book villain in the sequel two years later. Ironically, more than two decades later Stamp went on to voice the role of Superman's father Jor-El in the TV series 'Smallville.' His many screen credits also included his role as drag queen Bernadette in the 1990s Australian comedy 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.' Of his eclectic career - including roles in Hollywood's 'Wall Street' and 'The Adjustment Bureau' - he told the Guardian that he had no ambitions, adding: 'I've had bad experiences and things that didn't work out; my love for film sometimes diminishes but then it just resurrects itself. 'I never have to gee myself up, or demand a huge wage to get out of bed in the morning. I've done crap, because sometimes I didn't have the rent. But when I've got the rent, I want to do the best I can.'
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
British actor Terence Stamp, ‘Superman' star and famed figure of swinging London, dies at 87
Terence Stamp, the British actor who became synonymous with Swinging London in the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday, according to Reuters. He was 87 years old. Stamp first came to prominence when he took on the titular role in the 1962 film 'Billy Budd.' The black and white drama, directed by Peter Ustinov, who also starred, saw Stamp nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the only Oscar nomination of his lengthy career. He went on to star in a host of films in the 1960s, among them John Schlesinger's Thomas Hardy adaptation 'Far From the Madding Crowd' and Ken Loach's first feature film, 'Poor Cow.' CNN has reached out to his representatives for confirmation of his death. He was a star who rose from humble beginnings in London's East End, about as far from Hollywood as you can get. He was born on July 22, 1938, to parents Ethel and Thomas, a merchant seaman. In a 2013 interview with the British Film Institute (BFI), Stamp revealed that his father tried to deter him from a career in showbiz. 'He genuinely believed that people like us didn't do things like that,' he said. But his mother, he said, 'loved every second of it.' 'In retrospect, my mother must have always wanted me to do it and must have wished that she could have been more supportive. But my dad was the head of the family and I never really knew what he thought of it because he was of that generation. 'He was a merchant seaman, he shovelled coal, and in that confined living quarters any show of emotion would have been considered unbearably flash.' Stamp would become one of the biggest figures of 1960s London, romantically linked to model Jean Shrimpton and actresses Julie Christie - his 'Far From the Madding Crowd' co-star - and Brigitte Bardot. His only marriage came in 2002 - to an Australian pharmacist 35 years his junior - but that lasted just six years, according to the Guardian. Stamp famously roomed with fellow actor Michael Caine, who was also a rising star at the time. The pair lost touch, however, as he disclosed in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in 2015. 'We just went different ways. I can understand it: in many ways he was much more mature than me,' he said of Caine, who was five years older. 'Caine gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things – then as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.' After a few years away from the screen, Stamp appeared in the 1978 blockbuster 'Superman' as the superhero's adversary, General Zod. He reprised the role of the comic book villain in the sequel two years later. Ironically, more than two decades later Stamp went on to voice the role of Superman's father Jor-El in the TV series 'Smallville.' His many screen credits also included his role as drag queen Bernadette in the 1990s Australian comedy 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.' Of his eclectic career - including roles in Hollywood's 'Wall Street' and 'The Adjustment Bureau' - he told the Guardian that he had no ambitions, adding: 'I've had bad experiences and things that didn't work out; my love for film sometimes diminishes but then it just resurrects itself. 'I never have to gee myself up, or demand a huge wage to get out of bed in the morning. I've done crap, because sometimes I didn't have the rent. But when I've got the rent, I want to do the best I can.'
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Roland Curram obituary
Roland Curram, who has died aged 92, was a versatile and well-groomed supporting actor for more than 40 years. He often sported a manicured moustache and was always dapper and charming. As indeed he was as Freddie Martin, the first out gay character in TV soaps, among a mixed bag of British ex-pats in the ill-fated 1992 BBC soap Eldorado. A fictional town was built on the Daurada coast south of Barcelona, where it remains to this day as a tourist attraction. The show itself – less of a crowd-pleaser – was axed in 1993. Still, Curram covered the waterfront as a light comedian on stage in Noël Coward, Alan Ayckbourn and Tom Stoppard, and was not above lending a touch of class to lowbrow British movies such as Every Home Should Have One (1970), starring Marty Feldman, or a rollicking sex comedy, Let's Get Laid (1978), with Robin Askwith, Linda Hayden and Fiona Richmond. His best-known performance, however, came in John Schlesinger's Darling (1965), as a gay photographer and companion to the luminous Julie Christie's good-time girl as she embraced the Swinging Sixties in London, Paris and Rome while toying with hedonistic lifestyle opportunities and the sexual affections of Dirk Bogarde's television director and Laurence Harvey's advertising executive. Much later, Curram appeared further down the cast list as a menswear salesman in Schlesinger's Madame Sousatzka (1988), starring an extraordinary Shirley MacLaine as an extravagant Russian-American piano teacher in London. In the intervening two decades, his stage career took him to the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych as an existential cleric in Jules Feiffer's hilarious black comedy Little Murders (1967) and to the Birmingham Rep in a 1982 revival of Coward's Design for Living, in which he played the morally upright art dealer, Ernest, married to an interior designer, Gilda, involved adulterously in a bohemian menage a trois. When the production transferred to the Greenwich theatre in London, Michael Billington opined that Curram endowed Ernest – usually an ostracised figure of fun – with 'such genuine moral passion and such quivering sense of hurt that you entirely see his point of view'. Curram had himself ventured on both sides of sexual engagement, as he revealed in his 2021 publication, Which Way to Love? He had met Schlesinger in the Carlisle rep in 1952 and had remained a lifelong friend through his similarly fast friendship with the Cornish landscape painter John Miller. In 1964, while playing Coward's heterosexually promiscuous matinee idol Gary Essendine in Present Laughter at the Pitlochry Rep, he met the actor Sheila Gish. They married in the same year and divorced 20 years later, after producing two daughters, Lou and Kay. Gish then began a relationship with the actor Denis Lawson and Roly, as he was widely known, moved in with Paul Linn, a singer and songwriter, in Chiswick. Curram felt liberated into his true self, he said, but remained close to his first family. His civil partnership with Linn was ratified in 2006, later dissolved, and he lived most recently with Clive Castle, an online tarot reader whom he met on holiday. Curram was born in Hove, East Sussex, the only child of Phyllis (nee Ashdown), a milliner and pub landlady, and her husband, Bernard Curram, an insurance agent. He was evacuated to Ayr in Scotland during the second world war, and educated at Ayr academy, then Brighton college. He entered Rada to train as an actor aged 16 – his father had died when he was seven – and played in rep between 1952 and 1958 in theatres in Carlisle, Nottingham, Eastbourne and Worthing. One of his early film roles was in Leslie Norman's Dunkirk (1958) – no less a movie, in its own way, than Christopher Nolan's 2017 version of the same wartime evacuation – and his first London bow was at the Royal Court in 1961 in Tony Richardson's revival of the Jacobean thriller The Changeling, a great play that had not been seen in London for 350 years, alongside Robert Shaw and Mary Ure. He appeared opposite Fenella Fielding's Titania as an imposing Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Regent's Park Open Air theatre; and in a series of high-class touring spin-offs out of the Theatre Royal, Bath: in Stoppard's Rough Crossing (1987), with Edward de Souza and Susan George; and in Ayckbourn's Time of My Life (1994), with Anna Carteret and Gareth Hunt. His last big tour, in 1995-96, was in an Australian imported production of High Society (presented by Paul Elliott), adapted from the screenplay by Arthur Kopit, with a Cole Porter songbook. He played 'a very naughty Uncle Willie', said the actor and producer Tracey Childs (who was playing Tracy Lord). Curram told the show's choreographer that he could not really dance but could, if pressed, execute an eccentric sort of 30-second slide. This party piece was incorporated into one big company routine and, said Childs, stopped the show every night. One of his first films, Up to His Neck (1954), a comedy starring Ronald Shiner, Hattie Jacques and Brian Rix, was described by one critic as 'embarrassingly bad', while his last, Michael Winner's Parting Shots (1998) was generally deemed 'one of the worst films ever made'. Everything else in between, including possibly Eldorado, kept him cheery, fun-loving and, above all, popular with everyone he worked with. Curram was predeceased by his daughter Lou. His partner, Clive, survives him, as does his second daughter, Kay, and two grandsons, Joe and Frank. Roland Kingsford Bernard Curram, actor, born 6 June 1932; died 1 June 2025
