PRAYERS: Terence Stamp, a British acting legend who starred in a few ’Superman’ films, has died at the age of 87. The actor’s family told Reuters that he passed on Sunday (August 17).
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In a statement to the outlet, the family said, “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.” An official cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Stamp not only leaves behind his loving family and amazing fans, but a widely successful acting career. In 1962, he starred in ‘Billy Budd,’ which earned him an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actor.” He’s also primarily known for his roles as villains.
He notoriously played “General Zod” in 1978’s ‘Superman: The Movie,’ 1980’s ’Superman II,’ and 1983’s ‘Superman III.’ He then appeared in other productions like, ‘Wall Street,’ ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,’ ’The Haunted Mansion,’ ‘Yes Man,’ ‘Elektra,’ ‘Get Smart,’ ‘My Boss’s Daughter,’ and many more.
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Terence Stamp’s Early Life And Acting Career
Terence Stamp was born in London in 1938. His father was in the Merchant Navy and he spent much of Stamp’s childhood away from the family. As a child, Stamp experienced the World War II bombing of London.
In 2013, he told BFI, “The first film I ever saw was called ‘Beau Geste‘ with Gary Cooper. My mother took me to see that. I was probably under four 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.”
Despite being so fascinated, he kept his acting aspirations to himself. Stamp said, “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.’ 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.”
As he continued to dream abut the entertainment industry, Stamp ended up winning a scholarship to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He was soon performing in repertory theater. He went on to become friends with fellow young actors Michael Caine and Peter O’Toole.
Soon enough, he had his film debut in 1962’s ‘Billy Budd.’ In the film, he played the title role. His performance led him to receive an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actor.” He also won the Golden Globe for “Most Promising Male Newcomer.”
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