The Times, August 18, 2025: Devilishly handsome British actor, an emblematic face of the Swinging Sixties who consorted with its most beautiful women before ‘dropping out’, dies aged 87
Terence Stamp was meditating in an ashram in India in 1976 when he received a telegram addressed to “Clarence Stamp” offering him the role of the villainous General Zod in the first Superman movie.
Having thought that he would never act again, he took the next plane out. The role led to the revival of his career after he had earlier starred in films such as Billy Budd and Far from the Madding Crowd, and earned the sobriquet “the world’s best-looking man” as he consorted with some of the era’s most beautiful women, including Julie Christie, Jean Shrimpton and Brigitte Bardot.
With his dark tousled hair styled by Vidal Sassoon, piercing blue eyes, designer suits and hand-crafted shoes, Stamp was an emblematic figure of the Swinging Sixties. […]
While working with the director Federico Fellini in Italy in the late 1960s Stamp had been introduced to the Indian mystic Jiddu Krishnamurti, a meeting which he said “changed my life”. He became a vegetarian, took up yoga and transcendental meditation, studied Sufism and — leading a nomadic hippy existence off the beaten track with only a rucksack (albeit a Gucci one) and a sleeping bag — he experimented with fasting, celibacy and whirling with dervishes, and ended up in India studying under Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
Superman returned him to the mainstream but on his own terms. “During that time away from the screen, I had transmuted myself,” he declared. “I no longer saw myself as a leading man. I just decided I was a character actor now and I can do anything.” […]
Read full article (paywall): thetimes.com
Posts on Osho News
- Terence Stamp Today – There’s been a flurry of articles about Terence Stamp in the English press over the last few weeks coinciding with a scheduled BFI (British Film Industry) retrospective of his movies throughout May – by Bhagawati (May 15, 2013)
- Osho initiates Terence Stamp into sannyas – Terence Stamp took Sannyas on 16 November 1976. The following is his darshan with Osho (May 15, 2013)
More links
- Interview with Veeten (Terence Stamp) – In a conversation with Veeten (formerly Terence Stamp), Maneesha asked him how he came to know of Osho.
- Rare Stamps – from the actor’s website
- The Ocean Fell into the Drop by Terence Stamp – amazon.co.uk
- Sw Deva Veeten – sannyas.wiki
Further obits
- bhaskarenglish.in
- dailymail.co.uk
- bbc.co.uk
- thetimes.com (paywall)
- nytimes.com (paywall)
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