British actor Terence Stamp, who played the arch-villain General Zod in the 'Superman' and 'Superman II' movies, died today aged 87.
The Oscar-nominated actor starred in films ranging from Pier Paolo Pasolini's 'Theorem' in 1968 and 'A Season in Hell' in 1971 to 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' in 1994 in which he played a transgender woman.
His family said in a statement today: 'He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and as a writer that will continue to touch and inspire people for years to come. We ask for privacy at this sad time.'
Stamp, who made his name as an actor in 1960s London, died this morning but his cause of death was not immediately known.
Born in London's East End in 1938, the son of a tugboat stoker, he endured the bombing of the city during the Second World War before leaving school to work initially in advertising, eventually winning a scholarship to go to drama school.
