Terence Stamp, the legendary English actor whose striking presence and versatile performances defined a career spanning more than six decades, has died at the age of 87. From his Oscar-nominated debut in Billy Budd to unforgettable roles in Superman II and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Stamp captivated audiences with his intensity and charisma on screen. News of his passing on August 17, 2025, was confirmed by his family, who remembered him for leaving behind “an extraordinary body of work.”
Find out more about him and his net worth below.
Stamp was born on July 22, 1938, in Stepney, London, the eldest of five children. Raised in modest circumstances—his father, Thomas Stamp, was a tugboat captain—Stamp grew up with a fascination for cinema and pursued acting at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
He made a remarkable debut in Billy Budd (1962), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and instantly establishing himself as one of Britain’s most striking new talents. His early career was marked by critically acclaimed performances in films such as The Collector (1965), where he won the Best Actor award at Cannes, Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), and Blue (1968).
By the late 1970s, Stamp became a household name internationally thanks to his role as the villainous General Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), a performance that remains one of the most memorable in comic book cinema. He later reinvented himself in the 1990s with a standout, award-nominated turn as Bernadette, a transgender woman, in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).
Stamp continued to work steadily into the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in projects like Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey (1999), for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination, as well as Wall Street (1987), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), and Wanted (2008).
Outside of acting, Stamp was also an accomplished writer, publishing memoirs such as Stamp Album and Rare Stamps: Reflections on Living, Breathing, and Acting.
