Terence Stamp was one of the most recognizable faces of 1960s British cinema. Born in Stepney, London on July 22, 1939, Stamp made his film debut in 1962 as the martyred hero in Peter Ustinov's adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd. He turned in a star-making performance that earned him an Oscar nomination and established him as part of a new wave of talent in British cinema. Stamp next made his mark in William Wyler's The Collector (1965), winning a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of a warped recluse who kidnaps an art student he has lusted after from afar. Stamp then journeyed to Italy to star in Federico Fellini’s Toby Dammit, a 50-minute portion of the adaptation of the work of Edgar Allen Poe, Spirits Of the Dead. He made Italy his home for several years, during which time his film work included Pier Palo Pasolini’s Teorema, opposite Silvana Mangano. Stamp began his fourth decade as an actor with The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of the Desert, wearing some of the choicest of Lizzy Gardiner’s Academy Award-winning costumes. He was also seen in Frank Oz’s Bowfinger with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. He starred in Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey, which was shown at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim. In addition to his acting career, Stamp is an accomplished writer and author. He has published three volumes of his memoirs, including Stamp Album (written in tribute to his late mother), a novel and a cookbook. The cookbook was written, with Elizabeth Buxton, to provide viable alternatives to those who are wheat- or dairy-intolerant.
