The great and now late actor Terence Stamp passed away recently at age 87, and actors who shared roles big and small with him throughout his nearly 60-year career paid tribute to him in memory.
Notably, one of Stamp's co-stars, Guy Pearce, who alongside Hugo Weaving made up the trio of stars in 1994 cult LGBTQ+ classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, shared a touching post about their time together making the film.
Priscilla follows two drag queens—played by Pearce and Weaving—and a transgender woman (Stamp) as they road-trip across the Australian Outback in a tour bus named Priscilla.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Surprising many, given the charged nature of the HIV/AIDS epidemic still ravaging the LGBTQ+ community at the time, the film became a worldwide hit and even merited an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Since then, it has remained a prominent cult favorite and foundational film in LGBTQ+ cinema history.
Stamp had perhaps one of the longest and most varied careers in Hollywood history. Emerging in the 1960s with a debut role in Billy Bud (1962) that also scored him his first Academy Award nomination, he continued the decade with hit after hit, including the widely loved Far from the Maddening Crowd (1967).
Setting a menacing tone for superhero films for decades to come, many remember him as Zod, the antagonist to Christopher Reeve's Superman in 1978.
Pearce wrote in a tweet:
"Fairwell dear Tel. You were a true inspiration, both in & out of heels. We'll always have Kings Canyon, Kings road & Fink ABBA. Wishing you well on you way 'Ralph'!"
Fans of Priscilla were touched by Pearce's message.
In later years Stamp would often bemoan how he only got questions about his run as General Zod, the antagonist to Christopher Reeve's Superman, and Priscilla, despite having several decades worth of award-winning films behind him.
He lamented this focus on his two later roles to Priscilla director Stephan Eliot, who remained his friend after filming concluded.
“Terence would complain that he was only ever asked about two things: Priscilla or Superman. The amount of times he said to me, ‘Far From the Madding Crowd [1967] – I’ve never worked so hard at something so magnificent and it has been forgotten."
At least one commenter remembered his earlier work.
@frankconniff/bskysocial
Others in the film industry shared memories of working with Stamp or seeing him as a role model.
Several commenters had their weekend plans sorted.
RIP, Terence.