Terence Stamppassed away in August 2025, and left behind a rather strange body of work. But strange in a good way. Maybe “eclectic” is the better word, sincehe was in movies of various sizes and genres, and was himself an actor with a strange screen presence. He was too accomplished to be one of those character actors people know the face of, but not the name, since he was more than capable of having starring roles in some movies, alongside more expectedvillainousand supporting turns.
Perhaps the most popular movie he appeared in wasStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but… yeah, maybe that film’s a little over-hated, but it’s not good enough to be one of his best.His actual greatest films are outlined below, and are ranked based both on how good they are, and how prominently Stamp is featured, or how much he ends up standing out.
10’The Hit' (1984)
The Hitis a pretty underrated crime movie, with the thing that jumps out most of all being the quality of the cast. Thethree leads here are played by Terrence Stamp, John Hurt, and Tim Roth(in one of his first big roles), and the story involves two hitmen having to escort another criminal to his execution, because he’s a rat. And, if you’veseen any ofThe Sopranos(or any mob-related stories, really), you’ll know that’s what’s to be expected when someone turns informant.
What’s less expected is the way various things go wrong, and a seemingly simple assignment ends up being anything but.The Hitcan perhaps be compared toIn Bruges, though it’s as comedic as that one… yet it does work as agritty, uneasy, and very well-acted crime thrillerthat deserves to be a little more well-known than it is.
9’Last Night in Soho' (2021)
The movie that ended up giving both Stamp andDiana Riggtheir final screen roles (Rigg passed away after it was filmed, but before it was released),Last Night in Sohois a bit of a change of pace forEdgar Wright. Well, not entirely. He’dmade a name for himself in comedy, but pivoted away from that genre to some extent withBaby Driver, and then had a go at making a psychological horror film withLast Night in Soho.
And what resulted isn’t perfect, but it’s got a lot to offer and is ultimately worth a watch. It’s also fitting that it features the likes of Rigg and Stamp, both of whom were big in the 1960s, as actors, given that some ofthis movie involves dreamy – and eventually frightening – sequences set in that decade. It’s ambitious, and a bit unwieldy, but it looks pretty great, and some of it succeeds in feeling unnerving, too.
8’Teorema' (1968)
While it’s not as shocking as some ofPier Paolo Pasolini’s more controversial movies, there is certainly something quietly unsettling about the slow-moving and almost otherworldlyTeorema.Terence Stamp is very well cast here as a man known only as “The Visitor,“withTeoremainvolving him introducing himself to a family, making them all obsessed with him, and then causing them great distress when he vanishes as suddenly as he arrived.
…Even ifTeoremais slow and kind of frustrating, parts of it do linger in your mind long after it’s over.
As to what it all means, or who he might’ve been? It’s up to you, and it’s that kind of film, for better or worse. But even ifTeoremais slow and kind of frustrating, parts of it do linger in your mind long after it’s over. In that sense,it works incredibly well as a psychological drama that also flirts with being a thriller(albeit a patiently-paced one), and maybe even something of a horror movie, depending on how you interpret some of what goes on here.
7’The Collector' (1965)
The Collectorwas a fairly early movie for Terence Stamp, but a later one for its director,William Wyler, who’d been an established filmmaker for several decades by 1965. Stamp stars as a troubled young man namedFreddie, who lives a fairly solitary life, but sets about trying to find himself a girlfriend or partner, believing that gaining a large sum of money might help in that regard.
But he’s not well-adjusted, and so his attempts to find a partner quickly turn horrific, and inevitably involve an abduction.That all makesThe Collectorboth a thriller and a psychological horror movie, and it’s prettyeffective at feeling intense throughout, especially for a film of its age. It’s a little lesser-known, sure, but it also mostly holds up well.
In 1968, Terence Stamp wasn’t satisfied with the idea of working with just one noteworthy Italianfilmmaker on an arthouse film(Pasolini’sTeorema), since he also worked withFederico Fellinifor the anthology movieSpirits of the Dead. Well, more specifically, Fellini directed one segment, and Stamp appeared in that one – called Toby Dammit – and it’s usuallyconsidered the best part ofSpirits of the Dead.
Like the other two segments inSpirits of the Dead, Toby Dammit is based on the work ofEdgar Allan Poe, with the story here involving a Shakespearean actor being driven mad by both his alcoholism andthe fact that he’s starting to believe that the Devil is after him. It’s Stamp going full Stamp, and he throws himself into the lead role here in a way that’s kind of frightening, because of how uncompromising it is. It’s an anthology film worth checking out for this segment alone.
5’The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' (1994)
While it wasn’t the first fairly big LGBT-themed movie,The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desertwas still a pretty early one, or at least it came out at a time when such movies either didn’t get made, or didn’t make splashes quite as big as they might now.It was bold and shook things up for its time, though there are things about it that would bedone differently (in all likelihood) if made today.
It’s about two drag queens and a transgender woman having to go on a considerable road trip through Australia to perform in a remote location. The premise allows for agood mix of comedy and drama, and the Australian setting also helps makeThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desertfeel distinctive. Also, Stamp’s very good here, and issupported by the equally compelling Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, both of whom could count this movie as one that gave them star-making roles.
4’Billy Budd' (1962)
Speaking of star-making roles, to find Terence Stamp’s breakthrough role, you naturally have to go back quite a few decades. But you’ll find it withBilly Budd, which was his on-screen debut, and also the only movie for which he received an Academy Award nomination. He plays the titular character, but was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but maybe that’s more to do withthe entire ensemble cast being important here.
Stamp’s Billy Budd is a seaman who’s accused of murdering a master-at-arms, with a good deal of the moviefeeling like a military courtroom drama, while other parts have more of an adventure feel to them. It feels its age in some regards,butBilly Buddis a vital movie within Terence Stamp’s filmography, and a good deal of it still holds up well, considering it’s more than 60 years old at this stage.
3’Superman' (1978)
A dilemma arises when it comes to talking about the twoSupermanmovies that Terence Stamp was featured in, as General Zod. The first of them is the stronger one overall,and is indeed one offlat-out the best DC movies of all time, but Terence Stamp is only in it a little, and featured right near the start, not really becoming a central villain until movie #2.
But it’s interesting to have him set up here, and also pretty confident on the part of the filmmakers, knowing that scene wouldn’t really have much by way of pay-off until the sequel. So,Stamp is in this, and he’s good for what he’s given, but the betterSupermanmovie, for present purposes (so, not overall) is, ultimately, the next one.
2’Superman II' (1980)
And that next one is, obviously,Superman II. This isn’taSpider-MantoSpider-Man 2situation, where a good movie was followed up by a great one, butit was the case that a great movie was followed up by a very good one. And, in a world where plenty of sequels end up being disappointing compared to what came before, you kind of have to take that as a win.
Zod dominates a lot of this movie, and manages to be the first true physicalthreat to Superman (Christopher Reeve), after the first movie saw him mostly concernedwith Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), who’s got the brains, but not much by way of brawn.So having Luthor team up with someone as physically powerful as Zod is great. And whileMichael Shannongave the role his all inMan of Steel, Stamp remains, at least to date, the definitive Zod.
1’The Limey' (1999)
As most of the aforementioned movies show, Terence Stamp was, more often than not, put in supporting roles, especially after the 1960s, which seemed to be the decade where most of his leading roles lied. But then 1999 came around (a generally great year for cinema), and that year’sThe Limeygave Stamp perhaps the best lead role of his entire acting career.
This is a film about an English ex-con who comes to America to avenge the death of his daughter, waging something of a one-man war against the criminals he holds responsible for said death.It’s a quiet, offbeat at times, suspenseful, and generally great crime/thriller film, feeling like one of the bestSteven Soderberghhas directed to date, and also being potentially the best showcase for Stamp’s unique skills as an actor (and, indeed, an underrated leading man).
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