Veteran British actor Terence Stamp, best known for playing the Kryptonian villain General Zod in the original Superman films, has died at the age of 87. The Academy Award-nominated star passed away on Sunday, leaving behind a seven-decade career that spanned film, theatre and television.
Filmmaker Edgar Wright, who directed Stamp in his final screen role in Last Night in Soho, paid tribute to the actor in a lengthy social media post. Wright described Stamp as 'iconic' and a 'true movie star', recalling a memorable on-set anecdote. During a night shoot, Stamp remarked that a staircase was 'not good enough to be in a movie' – a comment later immortalised on a brass plaque at The Toucan pub in Soho.
Other tributes included actor Sam Claflin, who said a quick coffee with Stamp turned into a four-hour conversation about film and life, calling him 'a true gent'. Guy Pearce, who starred with Stamp in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, wrote on X: 'Fairwell dear Tel. You were a true inspiration, both in & out of heels.' Director Stephan Elliott recalled that Stamp was initially terrified to play a transgender woman in that film, but delivered a Bafta-nominated performance.
Born in London's East End in 1938, Stamp won a drama school scholarship and later shared a flat with Michael Caine while seeking his big break. He made his film debut in Peter Ustinov's Billy Budd (1962), earning his first Bafta nomination. A second Bafta nod came for Priscilla. Bafta said in a statement: 'We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Terence Stamp, aged 87.'
