Biography
Early life
Terence is the eldest of five children by parents Tom and Ethel Stamp. His brother, Chris Stamp, is a rock 'n roll impresario credited with bringing The Who to prominence during the 1960s. Because his father was away for long periods with his job in the Merchant Navy, young Terence was mostly raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunts. He grew up wanting to be the film actor Gary Cooper after his mother had taken him to see Beau Geste.
At the age of 12 while at a convalescent home after an operation, Stamp had a brief sexual relationship with Nurse Grace - about 15 years his senior. On leaving school Stamp worked in a variety of advertising agencies in London, working his way up to a very respectable wage. Deep down he wanted to be an actor, a realisation came when Stamp found he no longer had to serve two years National Service after being rejected for once having treatment on his feet.
His motion picture debut was in Peter Ustinov's 1962 film adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd. Stamp's portrayal of the title character brought him not only an Academy Award nomination, but also international attention. Stamp's pale blue eyes and haunting good looks made him a popular leading man, but it was his outstanding acting that got him noticed by some of the most acclaimed directors of the time.
After his success in Billy Budd, Stamp collaborated with some of the cinema's most revered filmmakers. Stamp starred in William Wyler's adaptation of John Fowles' The Collector (1965), opposite Samantha Eggar, and in Modesty Blaise (1966), for director Joseph Losey and producer Joe Janni. Stamp reteamed with producer Janni for two more projects: John Schlesinger's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd (1967) starring Julie Christie, and Ken Loach's first feature film Poor Cow (1967).
Stamp then journeyed to Italy to star in Federico Fellini's Toby Dammit, a 50-minute portion of the Edgar Allan Poe film adaptation(s) Histoires extraordinaires (1968, aka Spirits of the Dead). Stamp made Italy his home for several years, during which time his film work included Pier Palo Pasolini's Teorema (1968) opposite Silvana Magano, and Stagione all'inferno, Una (1970). Terence Stamp was considered for the title role of Alfie but turned it down.
His subsequent film credits included Alan Cooke's The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970), Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978) and Richard Lester's Superman II (1980) (as Kryptonian super-villain General Zod), Peter Brook's Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979), Stephen Frears' The Hit (1984), Richard Franklin's Link (1986), Ivan Reitman's Legal Eagles (1986), Michael Cimino's The Sicilian (1987), and Oliver Stone's Wall Street (1987). The film Beltenebros (1992, aka Prince of Shadows), in which the actor starred for director Pilar Miro, was awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Stamp began his fourth decade as an actor wearing some of the choicest of Lizzy Gardiner's Academy Award-winning costumes for the comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) for director Stefan Elliot and starring with Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving.
In 1999, it was Stamp's lead role in Steven Soderbergh's The Limey, which debuted that year to widespread critical acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival, that once again made him popular to a whole new generation of moviegoers. For his performance, Stamp received nominations for Best Male Lead at the 2000 Independent Spirit Awards, and for Best British Actor at the London Film Critic Circle (ALFS) Awards. Stamp can also be seen in George Lucas' global blockbuster Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Chancellor Finis Valorum (1999), Frank Oz's Bowfinger (1999) opposite Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, and Red Planet (2000) opposite Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore.
In recent years, Stamp has completed the features Ma femme est une actrice (2001, aka My Wife Is An Actress) for Timothy Burrill Productions, My Boss's Daughter (2003) opposite Ashton Kutcher, Disney's The Haunted Mansion (2003), opposite Eddie Murphy, playing the diabolical butler 'Ramsley', and Elektra (2005), opposite Jennifer Garner, playing "Stick", Elektra's blind master. He has also made a return to the Superman mythos, this time as the voice of Clark Kent's Kryptonian father, Jor-El in the WB television series Smallville (2003-present). Stamp has also made a guest appearance on the popular animated series, South Park.
In addition to his acting career, Stamp is an accomplished writer and author. He has published three volumes of his memoirs, including Stamp Album (written in tribute to his late mother), a novel entitled The Night, and a cookbook co-written with Elizabeth Buxton to provide alternatives to those who are wheat and dairy-intolerant.
Stamp, a private man, has been noted for his many love affairs with gorgeous and interesting women, including Julie Christie and Brigitte Bardot. His most high-profile romance took place in the 1960s with supermodel Jean Shrimpton, then the face of Yardley of London. It was an intense relationship, and the couple was one of the most beautiful and photographed of Mod London, then a hub of pop culture. It was after Shrimpton ended her relationship with Stamp, that the actor despondent with heartache, moved to India. He lived on an ashram, dropping out from the rat race for several years. He grew his hair to his waist, dressed in long, flowing robes, and sought enlightenment -- that is until his long-suffering agent called with an offer of an acting job he couldn't refuse -- opposite Marlon Brando. It was the role of Gen. Zod in Superman. Stamp returned to Europe, and once again pursued his career in earnest. On News Year's Eve 2002, Stamp finally married. His 29-year-old bride was Elizabeth, whom Stamp first met during the mid-1990s at a pharmacist's in Bondi, Australia. Elizabeth was raised in Singapore, later migrating to Australia in her early 20s to study pharmacology.
Stamp's current projects include the video game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, in which he plays a villain, and the films Zombie Island and These Foolish Things.
Stamp played "General Zod" in the music video for At the Bottom of Everything by musical phenom Bright Eyes.
Selected filmography
Kamagata Maru (2006) (announced)
These Foolish Things (2005) (post-production)
Elektra (2005)
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
The Kiss (2003)
My Boss's Daughter (2003)
Smallville (2002) TV
Full Frontal (2002)
Revelation (2001)
Red Planet (2000)
Bowfinger (1999)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The Limey (1999)
The Hunger (1997) TV
Bliss (1997)
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
The Real McCoy (1993)
Alien Nation (1988)
Young Guns (1988)
Wall Street (1987)
Link (1986)
Hud (1986)
The Company of Wolves (1984) (uncredited)
Superman II (1980)
Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979)
Superman (1978)
The Thief of Baghdad (1978) (TV)
Striptease (1976)
Blue (1968)
Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)
Poor Cow (1967)
Modesty Blaise (1966)
The Collector (1965)
Billy Budd (1962)
