Terence Stamp, an English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the Superman films, died at the age of 87.
In a career spanning six decades, the Oscar-nominated actor appeared in films such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd, and Valkyrie.
Stamp died on Sunday morning, his family announced in a statement to the Reuters news agency.
“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come,” they said.
Stamp was nominated for an Oscar for 1962’s Billy Budd. Known primarily for his roles as villains, he played General Zod in 1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II, and appeared in Wall Street, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Haunted Mansion, to name a few.
Born in London in 1938, his father was in the Merchant Navy and spent much of Stamp’s childhood away from the family. As a child, Stamp experienced the World War II bombing of London.
“The first film I ever saw was called Beau Geste, with Gary Cooper,” he told BFI in 2013. “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 realise the impact, but it made an indelible impression on me.”
He kept his acting aspirations private. “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,’” he told BFI.
“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.”
Stamp’s dreams persevered. He received a scholarship to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and immediately began performing in repertory theatre. He befriended other young actors Michael Caine and Peter O’Toole.
He made his film debut in 1962’s Billy Budd, playing the titular character. He was nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actor and won the Golden Globe for most promising male newcomer.
