Priscilla, Queen of the Desert star Terence Stamp dies aged 87
Terence Stamp spent the last months of his life filming the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert sequel (Getty)
Terence Stamp spent the last months of his life filming the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert sequel (Getty)
Terence Stamp, an Oscar-nominated actor best known for his role in queer classic Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, has died at the age of 87.
The actor, who played trans woman and performer Bernadette Bassenger in Guy Pearce’s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, was confirmed to have passed away by his family Sunday morning (17 August).
“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,” they said in a statement.
Though Stamp’s most high-profile role was his turn as Superman villain General Zod in the 1978 film and its 1980 sequel, he is best remembered by the queer community for portraying bereaved Bernadette in Australian queer classic film Priscilla, in 1994.
He received a Golden Globe, BAFTA and AACTA nominations for the role. Stamp also received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the title role of Billy Budd, his film debut.
Terence Stamp has been remembered by Priscilla co-star Guy Pearce in a moving statement on X.
“Fairwell dear Tel,” Pearce wrote. “You were a true inspiration, both in & out of heels. We’ll always have Kings Canyon, Kings road & F’ing ABBA. Wishing you well on your way ‘Ralph’.”
The film sees Stamp and Pearce, alongside Hugo Weaving, as three drag queens who take their performances on the road across Australia in a bus named Priscilla. It was directed by Stephen Elliot.
The film recently had its sequel confirmed by Elliot. He confirmed to Deadline that the film was real and would feature “one helluva journey” in 2024.
“The original cast is on board, I’ve got a script that everybody likes, we’re still working out deals … It’s happening.”
“People have been screaming for me to do this for 30 years,” Elliot said, heartbreakingly added: “And suddenly, I had the realisation that we’re getting old. We’re losing people.”
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