Terence Stamp, the English actor whose piercing presence defined villains and heroes alike in films such as Superman and The Limey, has died. He was 87. A statement from Stamp's family said he died Sunday, per the Washington Post. The actor also gave acclaimed performances in British cinema across decades, keeping his standards when choosing roles up though not impossibly high. "I don't do crappy movies, unless I haven't got the rent," he once said, the AP reports. Stamp's interest in acting was sparked when he saw the 1939 film Beau Geste in a theater.
"The empathy I felt from Gary Cooper was life-changing, and a secret dream was born in the darkened auditorium," Stamp wrote in his 2017 memoir, The Ocean Fell Into the Drop, per the Hollywood Reporter. Stamp gained early acclaim with his performance in the 1962 film Billy Budd, which earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer. He emerged as a prominent figure in British cinema during the 1960s, with notable roles and highly publicized relationships with actress Julie Christie and model Jean Shrimpton. Internationally, Stamp is perhaps best known for portraying General Zod, the antagonist in 1978's Superman and its 1980 sequel. He reportedly accepted the role in order to work alongside Marlon Brando.
After his run as a leading man, Stamp embraced character roles. Those appearances included The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, playing a transgender woman—a performance often cited as a standout despite mixed reviews for the film. In 1999, he starred in Steven Soderbergh's The Limey, again drawing critical praise. Stamp's later work included a role in Last Night in Soho, a film set in 1960s London, echoing the era that launched his fame, per the Post. That period also kicked off a drought that didn't end until Superman, he told the Guardian in 2015. "When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it," Stamp said. "I remember my agent telling me: 'They are all looking for a young Terence Stamp.'"
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
