Ammon News - Terence Stamp, the English actor who played the arch-villain General Zod in the original Superman films, has died at the age of 87.

In a career that spanned six decades, the Oscar-nominated actor starred in films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Far From the Madding Crowd and Valkyrie.

Stamp died on Sunday morning, his family said in a statement to Reuters news agency.

"He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work, both as an actor and a writer that will continue to touch people for years to come," they said.

Bafta said it was "saddened" to hear of Stamp's death and highlighted his two Bafta nominations in 1963 and 1995.

His Superman co-star Sarah Douglas described him as "beyond gorgeous and talented".

"So saddened to learn that Terence has left us," she wrote on Instagram.

Born in Stepney, east London, to working-class parents on 22 July 1938, Stamp attended grammar school before pursuing a career in advertising.

After securing a scholarship for drama school, he shot to fame in the 1960s, making his debut playing the titular role in Billy Budd, a 1962 film about a naive young seaman in the 18th century.

His performance earnt him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and a Golden Globe for best newcomer.

He went on to make a name for himself as a villain, with stand-out performances in Superman and Superman II as General Zod, kidnapper Freddie Clegg in The Collector, and Sergeant Troy in Far From the Madding Crowd. BBC