A 'funny, kind and fascinating' legend of British 1960s cinema

Veteran British actor Terence Stamp, who was a doyen of the film industry throughout his long career, has been remembered as ‘iconic’ and a ‘true movie star’. Hannah Roberts and Ellie Crabbe look back on his life and times

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ACADEMY Award-nominated actor Terence Stamp, who died on Sunday aged 87, leaves behind a distinguished body of work spanning more than half a century.

He was an icon of 1960s cinema, continued to appear in movies right up until 2021 - and along the way also played a key role in the original blockbuster Superman movies.

Filmmaker Edgar Wright, who directed Last Night In Soho, the last movie Stamp featured in, paid tribute to the actor in a lengthy social media post.

He said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Terence Stamp, a British actor who was truly iconic. An East Ender that rose to such fame in Swinging Sixties London, he could rightly be called its epicentre.

“Terence’s career spanned seven decades and never stopped surprising. I was fortunate to work with him on what became his final screen role in Last Night in Soho.

“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 closeup, 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.