British actor, born in the East End of London (Bow, later Plaistow). He died on August 17th 2025, aged 87.
Stamp grew up working-class in east London. His grandmother, Granny Kate, lived in Barking Road, E13. He was left-handed. He recalled sitting at the age of three with his mother in the one-and-ninepenny seats at the Old Grand cinema, watching Gary Cooper in "Beau Geste"—an experience that convinced him cinema was magic.
Stamp's breakthrough came with "Billy Budd" (1962), which earned him an Oscar nomination at the age of 24. The film's lighting designer was Robert Krasker, who had also lit "The Third Man". Directors he worked with included William Wyler, John Schlesinger, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Federico Fellini, who chose him as his leading man in 1968.
His major films included: - "The Collector" (a psychopathic butterfly collector) - "Modesty Blaise" (a Cockney sidekick) - "Far From the Madding Crowd" (Sergeant Troy) - "Poor Cow" (a bank robber) - "Teorema" (1968, directed by Pasolini, in which he played a divine stranger with no lines) - The Superman films, in which he played the arch-villain General Zod. "Superman II" (1980) revived his career. - "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (1994), playing trans Bernadette - "The Limey" (1999), playing a vengeful father
His girlfriends included Jean Shrimpton and Julie Christie. He was photographed by David Bailey. He became one of the icons of the 1960s, known for his wide eyes, good cheekbones and confident Cockney accent.
In 1968 Stamp met Jiddu Krishnamurti in Rome, an encounter that deepened his interest in presence and consciousness as an acting method. In 1970, with fewer roles coming his way, he spent seven years at an ashram in Poona, India, where he took up yoga, meditation and a macrobiotic diet, and picked up breathing advice from Sufis. He maintained these practices for the rest of his life, and credited them with his ability to achieve what he called "cognisant emptiness" between "Action!" and "Cut!"
Stamp was mad about clothes from childhood. In later life he favoured black homburgs and pink linen suits and lived in the Albany in London. He kept his Cockney accent throughout his career.
Whistler's Law: You never know who is right, but you always know who is in charge.