Terence Stamp tributes pour in from Hollywood legends as esteemed actor dies aged 87

Tributes have poured in for British actor Terence Stamp, who died over the weekend at the age of 87.

In a career that spanned across six decades, the actor starred in hall-of-fame worthy films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd and Valkyrie.

He will also be known to many as the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films.

"He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come," his family said in a statement shared with Reuters.

Filmmaker Edgar Wright, who worked with Stamp on Last Night in Soho in 2021, is among those sharing their memories of working with the actor.

He wrote on X: "Terence was kind, funny, and endlessly fascinating. I loved discussing music with him (his brother managed The Who, and he's name-checked in The Kinks' Waterloo Sunset) or reminiscing about his films, going back to his debut in Billy Budd.

"He spoke of his last shot in that film, describing a transcendental moment with the camera – a sense of becoming one with the lens. Decades later, while directing him, I witnessed something similar.

"The closer the camera moved, the more hypnotic his presence became. In close-up, his unblinking gaze locked in so powerfully that the effect was extraordinary. Terence was a true movie star: the camera loved him, and he loved it right back."

BAFTA shared that it was "saddened" to hear the news of Stamp's passing, noting he had been nominated for two awards in 1963 and 1995 for his work in Billy Budd and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert.

Guy Pearce, who worked in Stamp in the '90s, wrote on X: "Fairwell dear Tel. You were a true inspiration, both in & out of heels. We'll always have Kings Canyon, Kings road & F'ing ABBA. Wishing you well on your way 'Ralph'! xxxx"

Lou Diamond Phillips, who worked with Stamp in Young Guns, also took to X to share his condolences.

"Terribly saddened to hear this," he wrote. "We were all incredibly privileged to have worked with him on Young Guns. He grounded all of us and truly elevated the filming experience. Such class and artistry. What a kind, beautiful, generous man. RIP".

Stephan Elliott, who wrote and directed The Adventures of Priscilla, shared with The Guardian that Stamp had initially turned down the role of Bernadette Bassenger largely out of "fear".

He told the publication: "We talked long and hard about why he’d initially said no [to the role]. It was fear. And fair enough - you have got to remember we were coming out of the HIV/Aids mess. It was a taboo subject.

"I looked at the work that he’d done all the way through, like the Italian years when he worked with Fellini and Pasolini, and thought: this was a man who took chances.

"And I think he was at absolutely the right moment in his life where he was ready for another chance. Terence admitted he was absolutely terrified to play Bernadette – he was being voted one of the best-looking men on earth and suddenly in Priscilla he was, and this is a direct quote, ‘dressed up as an old dog.’ But he put the pain of what he was going through into the performance, and that’s what made the film."