British actor Terence Stamp, 87, died on Aug. 17. One of the rough and tumble New Breed of ‘60s actors, the London-born Stamp began his career in rep theater, palled around with Michael Caine and Peter O’Toole, and became a star as the titular Billy Budd in 1962. He recalled that his early roomie Caine “gave me all my early values, like making sure you were doing good stuff, waiting for the right things - then as soon as he got away he did exactly the opposite. Went from one movie to another.” Stamp’s career skyrocketed with Modesty Blaise, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Collector, Poor Cow, and The Mind of Mr. Soames; his intense, steely-eyed looks got him the role of General Zod in Superman and Superman II. Stamp had a good turn as the trans character in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and later in his career appeared in The Limey, Wall Street, Young Guns, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Valkyrie, Big Eyes, and Last Night in Soho. Stamp was one of the stars of Swinging London, dallying with Julie Christie and Jean Shrimpton, among others. Stamp said that “When the 1960s ended, I just ended with it. I remember my agent telling me: 'They are all looking for a young Terence Stamp.' And I thought: 'I am young.' I was 31, 32. I couldn't believe it. It was tough to wake up in the morning, and the phone not ringing. I thought: this can't be happening now, it's only just started.”
