Superman star, Terence Stamp, passes away

Iconic movie actor, Terence Stamp, has passed away, aged 87.

The demise of the famous actor, known as General Zod in the popular film franchise, Superman, was announced by his family today, Sunday, August 17, 2025.

In a statement, the family mourned the loss of the movie icon, noting that he left behind a huge body of work that will inspire others in the industry for years to come.

The cause of death of Terence Stamp was not disclosed, but he was said to have passed this morning.

Stamp was born in London’s East End in the late 30s. He survived the bombing of the city during the Second World War and managed to gain a formal education before going into advertising.

He later won a scholarship to go to drama school, setting him up for the exploits he was to have in the film industry.

He had a fling with the model Jean Shrimpton and coupled up with a fellow ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ stara, Julie Christie, in 1967.

Stamp made a bid to play James Bond after Sean Connery, but was unsuccessful. He then went on to feature in some Italian films in the late 1960s.

The legendary actor lived a low profile lifevfor some time when he went into yoga in India. He bounced back into public limelight when he bagged the role of General Zod in ‘Superman’.

The film ruled the airwaves in the late ’70s and early ‘80s.

In a number of interviews, Stamp talked about how close he was to becoming a tantric sex teacher in India before a London agent contacted him in 1977, notifying him of his consideration for a role in ‘Superman’.

He recalled that he was on the night flight the next day back to London.

Before then, he had been out of work for about eight years.

Stamp would often talk about his humble beginnings, recalling that he dropped out of school to become a messenger in an advertising firm.

But he distinguished himself quickly and rose through the ranks before bagging a scholarship to study drama.

Afterwards, he bagged a job in director Peter Ustinov’s 1962 adaptation of ‘Billy Budd’, a story about the British Navy in the 18th century.

He got an Academy Award nomination for that role.

The movie icon Stamp, at the age of 64, married Elizabeth O’Rourke, a pharmacist, in 2002. She was  35 years his junior. The marriage crashed in 2008.