Guy Pearce, Edgar Wright, Billy Idol Pay Tribute to Terence Stamp: ‘A True Movie Star’

Numerous actors, filmmakers, and musicians have paid tribute to Terence Stamp following his death at 87.

The Oscar-nominated British actor was best known for starring in The Limey, Billy Budd, and as General Zod in Superman. He also appeared as a transgender woman in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which earned him a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.

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Guy Pearce, who starred alongside Stamp in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 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’!”

Priscilla director Stephan Elliott penned a remembrance for The Guardian, noting that Stamp initially “turned it down.” “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,’” Elliott wrote. “But he put the pain of what he was going through into the performance, and that’s what made the film.”

He added, “Terence kept to himself. He was an enigma. And then he’d show up, use the eyes and turn everybody to jelly. He was a wonderful man — and he’s not done yet.”

Actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who starred with Stamp in Young Guns, wrote on X, “Terribly saddened to hear this. 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.”

Edgar Wright, who cast Stamp in his 2021 feature Last Night in Soho (the actor’s final screen role), shared a lengthy tribute on social media, writing, “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.”

He continued, “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.”

Billy Idol noted, “I interviewed Terrence once for details, magazine, New York. It was fantastic meeting him. He was great.”

David Zucker recalled directing Stamp in 2003’s My Boss’s Daughter opposite Ashton Kutcher. “‘Terry’ as we called him was as sweet and funny as he was scary on screen,” Zucker wrote. “When I had to do a reshoot to save the picture, I went to the Chateau Marmont where he graciously volunteered to let me video him hanging off his hotel room balcony… I can’t say I’ll miss him, since I haven’t seen him for 20 years, but, gee, what an amazing actor and an even better guy.”

Producer Gale Anne Hurd, who worked with Stamp on 1988’s Alien Nation, tweeted, “Terence Stamp was a brilliant actor. I think he and Peter O’Toole not onlv had the most mesmerizing eyes…but delivered equally indelible performances.”

Actor Titus Welliver added, “Terrence Stamp has departed. A titan, we are fewer. Flights of angels.”

Stamp’s death was announced Sunday by his family, who said in a statement, “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,” the BBC reported. No cause of death was provided.

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