Terence Stamp, Actor Who Played Superman Villain General Zod, Dies

Terence Stamp passed away on Sunday, August 17. He was a captivating actor whose commanding presence and steely glare electrified screens from the 1960s through the Superman movie era.

Stamp of Terence

The New York Times was informed by his family that he had passed away at the age of 87. There was no mention of the reason or place of death.

Stamp’s career lasted six decades, and he is most known to millions as the terrifying General Zod from Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980).

Kneel before Zod!, his icy command, became a cult catchphrase that signaled his early success and subsequent rebirth.

Born in the East End of London in 1938, Stamp trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art before beginning his career. He survived the Blitz as a boy.

In his first motion picture, Billy Budd (1962), he immediately made an impression and was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA.

Stamp, who starred opposite Julie Christie in Far from the Madding Crowd and won Best Actor at Cannes for his eerie performance in The Collector (1965), was a key figure in Swinging London by the middle of the 1960s.

Stamp shone in movies like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), The Limey (1999), and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), and he was equally comfortable in prestige dramas, cult favorites, and blockbusters.

In addition, he was a well-known author and voice actor who added seriousness to everything from British jazz documentaries to computer games.

Stamp’s personal life was as vibrant as his filmography: he was a mainstay of London’s thriving social scene, a confidant to Michael Caine, and a muse to photographers.

He is survived by his brother, music mogul Chris Stamp, and his first wife, Elizabeth O. Rourke.