Terence Stamp, known for playing General Zod in “Superman,” died at 87 years old, Reuters reported on August 17.
“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’s family said.
While Stamp’s body of work is vast, his first notable role was the evil leader of the Kryptonians in “Superman” and “Superman II.” Here’s everything he’s said about playing General Zod.
Stamp Thought Being Recognized As Zod Was ‘Fun’
In an interview with Columbus Monthly in 2013, Stamp shared, “I can’t go out on the street in London without somebody saying, ‘It’s Zod!’ It’s fun for me.”
That same year, Stamp told The Hollywood Reporter, “As I appeared as the super villain, they did everything they could to make me look hideous.”
“You know, they lit me from below, they put green makeup on me, they gave me these ridiculous costumes,” he said.
Stamp continued, “The camera was still my girl. The camera could always find the best of Terence, and all Terence had to do was give the best of himself.”
Stamp Took on the Role of Zod Because He Was ‘Hungry’
GettyStamp knew that General Zod wasn’t the leading role in “Superman,” but he revealed to BFI in 2013 why he accepted it anyway.
“The kind of parts I then got were Prince Lubovedsky in ‘Meetings with Remarkable Men’ (1979) and General Zod in ‘Superman’ — neither of which were leading men parts, and leading men wouldnât have done them. I only did them because I was hungry to get back into the industry. From then on in, anything thatâs good I do,” he said.
Still, he got to experience working with Marlon Brando, who played Superman’s biological father, Jor-El. “I thought Brando and James Dean were the two actors that I most identified with as a young actor, and so it was a dream come true,” Stamp recalled.
“Looking back, the respect was mutual in a way, because once I got underneath the funny surface of him, he had very serious feelings about being a performing artist,” the late actor shared.
Stamp Thought More Kids Would Relate to General Zod Than Superman
One hilarious reason Stamp gave for playing General Zod in a 1994 interview with take2markTV was that he thought kids would relate to his character.
“Every kid in the world is going to see this, and by the time the film comes out, more than half the kids are going to identify with General Zod than Superman,” he said.
He added, “And that’s proved to be the case.” Stamp continued with a cheeky look, “Grown-ups now, they look at me and say, ‘Hey, you’re that General Zod!’ I say, ‘Smile when you say that, fella.’”
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