Terence Stamp, the incredible British actor best known for playing General Zod in Richard Donner’sSupermanmovies, has died aged 87. The actor’s career spanned more than six decades and every genre, but it was commanding roles such as Zod that really defined him to audiences. His family confirmed that he passed away on Sunday morning, June 04, 2025.
“He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come,” they said, according toReuters. “We ask for privacy at this sad time.”
Stamp was born in Stepney, East London, in 1938. His acting breakthrough came in 1962 withBilly Budd, Peter Ustinov’s adaptation of the Herman Melville novel, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It did not take Stamp long for his steely gaze to turn him into a sought-afgter leading man throughout the 1960s. Stamp appeared in films that defined British cinema, includingFar from the Madding Crowd,The Collector, in which he delivered a chilling performance as a disturbed kidnapper.
After stepping away from the industry to travel in India during the 1970s, his return to the screen saw him take on his most iconic and formidable role as General Zod in Richard Donner’sSuperman(1978) andSuperman II(1980). He embodied one of cinema’s most enduring supervillains, and his commanding “kneel before Zod” line became one of the most quoted lines from any comic book movie.
Stamp Was a Hugely Versatile Actor
As his career advanced, Stamp often reinvented himself, most notably when surprising audiences with his moving role as Bernadette, a transgender woman in Stephan Elliott’s 1994 movieThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The performance earned him Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations, and further cemented his reputation as one of the most versatile and adaptable actors of his generation.
His other credits range from Oliver Stone’sWall StreettoStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, where he played Chancellor Valorum, and later films such as Bryan Singer’sValkyrie, Tim Burton’sBig Eyes, and Edgar Wright’sLast Night in Soho.
No matter what role Stamp took on, his ability to capture an audience set him apart from many of his peers, and his legacy is one that will be remembered long into the future as a result. We share our condolences with Stamp’s family and friends at this time.
