Terence Stamp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terence Stamp
Stamp in 1973, photographed by Allan Warren
Born	Terence Henry Stamp (1938-07-22)22 July 1938 Stepney, London, England
Died	17 August 2025(2025-08-17) (aged 87)
Alma mater	Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–2021
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth O'Rourke ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2008)​
Relatives	Chris Stamp (brother)

Terence Henry Stamp (22 July 1938 – 17 August 2025) was a talented English actor. He was well-known for playing interesting villain roles in movies. He won several awards, including a Golden Globe Award and a Cannes Film Festival Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards.

After studying acting in London, Stamp began his career in 1960. His first film role was in Billy Budd. This role earned him nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA. During the 1960s, a lively time in London known as Swinging London, Stamp was photographed by famous artist David Bailey. He starred in films like Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) and Poor Cow (1967).

Stamp became even more famous for playing the powerful supervillain General Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). He also starred in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), which earned him more award nominations. Other notable films include Wall Street (1987), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), The Haunted Mansion (2003), and Wanted (2008). His final film role was in Last Night in Soho (2021).

Early Life and Beginnings

Terence Henry Stamp was born on July 22, 1938, in Stepney, London, England. He was the oldest of five children. His father worked on a tugboat. Terence spent his early years in the East End. Later, his family moved to Plaistow.

His father was often away with the Merchant Navy. So, Terence was mostly raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunts. He looked up to actor Gary Cooper from a young age. He was also inspired by actor James Dean in the 1950s.

Growing up in London during World War II, Stamp experienced the Blitz. This was when German planes bombed London. He later helped director Bryan Singer create a scene about hiding from bombings in the film Valkyrie. After school, Stamp worked in different advertising agencies. He also worked as an assistant to a golfer. He wrote about these early years in his book Stamp Album.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out and Gaining Fame

Terence Stamp earned a scholarship to study acting. He then performed in many local theaters. He acted alongside another young actor, Michael Caine. Stamp made his film debut in Billy Budd (1962). His performance in this movie brought him international attention. He also appeared with Laurence Olivier in Term of Trial (1962).

Stamp with actress Monica Vitti in 1965 during filming Modesty Blaise

Stamp worked with many famous directors. He starred in The Collector (1965). He also appeared in Modesty Blaise (1966). Stamp then worked on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) and Poor Cow (1967).

He was considered for the role of James Bond when Sean Connery stopped playing the part. However, his ideas for the character did not fit what the producer was looking for.

Stamp lived in Italy for several years. During this time, he made films like Teorema (1968) and A Season in Hell (1971).

Stamp in The Divine Nymph (1975)

Later films included The Mind of Mr Soames (1970), where he played a patient. He also appeared in Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979) and The Hit (1984). In The Company of Wolves (1984), he had a small role as a mysterious character. He also appeared in Link (1986) and Wall Street (1987). He played John Tunstall in Young Guns (1988). His film Beltenebros (1992) won an award at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. Stamp wore amazing costumes in the comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).

In 1999, Stamp played a main role in The Limey. This film was highly praised by critics. He was nominated for awards for his performance. Also in 1999, Stamp appeared in the big movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He later said this experience was "boring." He also appeared in Bowfinger (1999) and Red Planet (2000). He was featured in the documentary Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002).

Playing General Zod in Superman

Stamp played the powerful Kryptonian supervillain General Zod in Superman (1978). He appeared in a scene with Marlon Brando. The first Superman film and its sequel were planned as one long movie. Zod and his evil friends were meant to return later to fight Superman. But the script was too long, so it was split into two parts.

Stamp returned as General Zod in Superman II (1980). He was the main villain in this film. Total Film magazine ranked Stamp's General Zod as #32 on their "Top 50 Greatest Villains of All Time" list in 2007.

In 1988, Stamp introduced a BBC Radio special called Superman On Trial. In 2003, Stamp returned to the Superman world in a new way. He voiced Clark Kent's biological father, Jor-El, in the TV series Smallville. He also provided the scream of Zod in an episode. In 2006, he appeared as Zod again in Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. This was a new version of the 1980 film.

Later Film Roles

In later years, Stamp appeared in films like Ma femme est une actrice (My Wife Is An Actress, 2001). He also starred in My Boss's Daughter (2003) and Disney's The Haunted Mansion (2003). He was in the superhero fantasy Elektra (2005). In 2008, he appeared in the spy comedy Get Smart. He was also in Yes Man with Jim Carrey. He acted alongside Angelina Jolie in Wanted. He also worked with Tom Cruise in Valkyrie. This film was based on a true story about a failed attempt to stop Adolf Hitler.

Stamp in 2009

In the 2010s, Stamp appeared in The Adjustment Bureau (2011). This was a science-fiction adventure film. In 2012, Stamp was in a music video for the band Hot Chip. He played a character named Arthur in Song for Marion (2012). He also starred in the comedy The Art of the Steal (2013).

In 2014, Stamp appeared in Tim Burton's film Big Eyes. In 2016, he was in another Tim Burton film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. He played Abe, the main character's grandfather.

Stamp's next project was Crooked House (2017). He also appeared in Bitter Harvest. Stamp's final film role was in Last Night in Soho (2021).

Other Creative Works

Books, Music Videos, and Voice Acting

Besides acting, Terence Stamp was also a writer. He published three books about his life. One of them, Stamp Album, was written to honor his mother. He also wrote a novel called The Night. He co-wrote a cookbook with Elizabeth Buxton. This book had recipes for people with certain food sensitivities.

Stamp also lent his voice to video games. He voiced the villain Mankar Camoran in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. He also voiced the Prophet of Truth in Halo 3. In 2005, Stamp narrated a BBC Four documentary called Jazz Britannia. This series explored the history of British jazz music.

Stamp read the book Perfect Brilliant Stillness for SilkSoundBooks. He appeared in the music video for "At the Bottom of Everything" by Bright Eyes. Stamp was a guest on the BBC Radio show Desert Island Discs twice.

In 2002, Stamp narrated History of Football: The Beautiful Game. This was a series about the world's most popular sport. Stamp attended every England game at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. In July 2016, he narrated 1966 – A Nation Remembers for ITV. This marked 50 years since England won the World Cup.

On July 7, 2007, Stamp gave a speech about climate change at the Live Earth concert in London. His book, The Ocean Fell into the Drop, was published in 2017. Stamp also narrated the BBC's The Story of Only Fools and Horses in 2017.

Personal Life and Passing

In the 1960s, Stamp shared a house in London with actor Michael Caine. This was before they both became very famous. In his book, Michael Caine wrote about how he tried to convince Stamp to take a role in the play Alfie.

Stamp's brother, Chris, was important in the music world. He helped the band The Who become famous in the 1960s. He also co-founded Track Records.

In 1984, the band the Smiths released their song "What Difference Does It Make?" The single cover used a photo from Stamp's film The Collector. At first, Stamp did not want the photo to be used. So, some copies of the single showed the band's singer, Morrissey, in a similar pose but holding something different. Later, Stamp changed his mind, and the original photo was used again.

Terence Stamp married for the first time on New Year's Eve in 2002. His wife was Elizabeth O'Rourke. They met in Australia in the mid-1990s. Elizabeth grew up in Singapore before moving to Australia. The couple later divorced in April 2008.

Terence Stamp passed away on August 17, 2025, at the age of 87.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Theatre Performances

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Terence Stamp para niños