Actor Terence Stamp, star of Superman films, dies aged 87

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By William Schomberg

LONDON (Reuters) -Terence Stamp, who made his name as an actor in 1960s London and went on to play the arch-villain General Zod in the Hollywood hits “Superman” and “Superman II”, has died aged 87, his family said on Sunday.

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.

The family said in a statement to Reuters that Stamp died on Sunday morning.

“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,” the family said. “We ask for privacy at this sad time.”

Born in London’s East End in 1938, the son of a tugboat stoker, he endured the bombing of the city during World War Two before leaving school to work initially in advertising, eventually winning a scholarship to go to drama school.

Famous for his good looks and impeccable dress sense, he formed one of Britain’s most glamorous couples with Julie Christie, with whom he starred in “Far From the Madding Crowd” in 1967. He also dated the model Jean Shrimpton and was chosen as a muse by photographer David Bailey.

After failing to land the role of James Bond to succeed Sean Connery, he appeared in Italian films and worked with Federico Fellini in the late 1960s.

He dropped out of the limelight and studied yoga in India before landing his most high-profile role – as General Zod, the megalomaniacal leader of the Kryptonians, in “Superman” in 1978 and its sequel in 1980.

He went on to appear in a string of other films, including “Valkyrie” with Tom Cruise in 2008, “The Adjustment Bureau” with Matt Damon in 2011 and movies directed by Tim Burton.

(Reporting by William Schomberg and Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Alison Williams)