Terence Stamp, best known as General Zod from Superman and Superman II, has died at the age of 87. A statement from his family confirmed that the actor, who was also known for his performances in The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and The Limey, passed away Sunday morning. "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," the family told Reuters. "We ask for privacy at this sad time."
Born in 1938, Stamp originally left school to find a job in advertising before shifting his focus to acting and earning a scholarship in drama school. It was during the '60s that Stamp began making a name for himself, starring in the likes of William Wyler's The Collector and Joseph Losey's Modesty Blaise, before turning heads starring opposite Julie Christie in Far from the Madding Crowd.
Before he squared off against Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel, he almost became Dr. No's number one target when he was considered for the role of James Bond alongside Sean Connery. In 2013, Stamp told The Belfast Telegraph that he presumed he missed out on the role because he didn't check all the boxes required by producer Harry Saltzman. "Like most English actors, I'd have loved to be 007 because I really know how to wear a suit," Stamp explained. "But I think my ideas about it put the frighteners on Harry. I didn't get a second call from him."
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It would be after a few more roles before Stamp would earn worldwide attention as one of the most iconic comic book movie villains ever, when, in 1978, he made a brief appearance as the longtime foe of the House of El, General Zod, in Richard Donner's Superman. He might not have had much screen time before getting chucked into the Phantom Zone, but it was enough to put the fear in audiences until he made his return in Superman II in 1980, ordering Reeve's legendary hero and anyone else he crossed paths with to "Kneel before Zod."
After stealing the show and being defeated by big blue in the beloved sequel, Stamp kept a connection with Superman in different forms in the years that followed. 26 years later and he caught up on his Krpytonian history once again, only this time taking on the role of Jor-El, the father of Tom Welling's Kal-El/Clark Kent in the hit Superman prequel series, Smallville.
Outside of this world, though, Stamp still made some great appearances in films like Wall Street, Young Guns, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Wanted, and the 2008 Tom Cruise WWII vehicle, Valkyrie. His last performance on the big screen was starring alongside Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, and Diana Rigg in Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho.
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