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We have sad news to report out of Hollywood today:
Film legend Trenence Stamp has passed away at the age of 87.
Though he racked up dozens of film and television credits over the course of his storied career, Stamp is likely best remembered for his work in Richard Donner’s Superman movies.
Hollywood mourns the loss of a legend
Word of Stamp’s death comes courtesy of his family, who issued a statement 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 said, according to Reuters.
“We ask for privacy at this sad time,” the family concluded.
No cause of death was given.
Stamp was reportedly surrounded by loved ones at the time of his passing.
A long and varied career
Nominated for an Oscar for 1962’s Billy Budd, his first major role, Stamp worked consistently in the decade that followed, appearing in such classic films as Far From the Madding Crowd and A Season in Hell.
But it was as the villain General Zod in 1978’s Superman that Stamp would reach his largest audience. Stamp’s “kneel before Zod” remains the film’s most oft-quoted line.
He reprised the role in Superman II in 1980.
Years later, Stamp would rejoin the franchise in unexpected fashion, playing Jor-El for 23 episodes of the WB and CW series Smallville.
Stamp would go on to appear in films as varied as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, in which he played a trans woman.
He continued to work until 2021, with the hit thriller Last Night In Soho serving as his final film role.
News of Stamp’s passing made him an instant trending topic across social media.
“RIP Terence Stamp, eternally fabulous in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
“R.I.P. East End boy Terence Stamp. First remember him as a pin-up on my sister’s bedroom wall. Handsome & accomplished actor famous for courting Julie Christie, Jean Shrimpton & many other beautiful women of the era,” author Martin Knight chimed in.
Our thoughts go out to Stamp’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
