Like many from my generation, my first encounter with Terence Stamp came in his brief appearance in 1978’s Superman as the powerful General Zod. In less than five minutes, he managed to terrify me right to the core. Each glare, each proud shrug of the shoulders, the way he would straighten an already vertical, iron-clad back when his name was mentioned, his thunderous assertions of dominance seconds before his imprisonment in the Phantom Zone — it was all amazing. No one will ever portray this character with as much intimidation, confidence, anger, and authority as he did.
As I got older, discovering Stamp’s chameleon-like genius in such a rich, tonally varied array of motion pictures was an obvious delight. From his Academy Award–nominated work in the emotionally gut-wrenching swashbuckler Billy Budd from 1962 to his single-minded, ferociously feral magnificence in 1999’s The Limey, there’s nothing he couldn’t do.
Comedy? Check him out in Bowfinger, also from 1999, where he stands toe-to-toe with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. Drama? His Sergeant Troy in 1967’s Far from the Madding Crowd is an eviscerating tour de force. Something esoteric or off the beaten path? From The Collector, Modesty Blaise, and Teorama in the 1960s to A Season in Hell and The Divine Nymph in the 1970s to The Hit, The Company of Wolves, and Link in the 1980s, he was up for every challenge.
Then came Stephan Elliott’s Aussie cult comedy classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994. Full disclosure: This was my second year at the University of Washington, and it was a disaster. I was falling apart, utterly unable to deal with my gender identity issues. I started cutting myself off from my friends and family. I also stopped studying. I flunked out of school.
I won’t say The Adventures of Priscilla changed my life, but it certainly helped me put things into a healthier perspective. The primary reason for that was Stamp’s spellbinding performance as fiftysomething drag queen Bernadette. I was flabbergasted.
Not because Stamp couldn’t do big, broad comedy or portray a proudly Queer character with such confident authenticity. It was more how he so effortlessly seemed to tap into something primal and intimate, and yet still so hauntingly universal. He helped me see my own life and where it was heading in a different light. While I didn’t make any immediate changes, Bernadette’s determination to be her true self and damn the outside world’s reactions convinced me to at least reach out for help. To find a therapist. To refocus on writing. To give the UW a second try.
This is the magic of cinema. It holds a mirror up to the world and shows you things in an unexpected light. It is also a perfect example of the mark a truly transcendent performance can leave on the cultural landscape. As great as Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce were in the film, Stamp’s Bernadette is the character we’re still talking about with hushed reverence three decades later. Not only did she have the best lines (“Why don't you just light your tampon and blow your box apart?” “That's just what this country needs: a cock in a frock on a rock.” “I can only fight because I've learnt to. Being a man one day and a woman the next isn't an easy thing to do.”), her journey is the one filled with the most pathos, pain, joy, and, most importantly, love.
Stamp continued to give incredible performances after this one, most recently as the Silver-Haired Gentleman in Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho. Personally, I’m particularly fond of his twinkly-eyed nimbleness in 2011’s The Adjustment Bureau and his determinedly tragic stoicism in 2008’s Valkyrie. But he’s great in everything, even the crummy stuff, and it’s no small thing to be able to bring one’s A game even when the material is undeniably subpar.
But nothing Stamp did means as much to me as Bernadette. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has withstood the test of time. Not only is it a key member of the Queer cinematic canon, it also remains a powerful testament to found families, gender and cultural diversity, and the universal importance of empathy, understanding, and love.
Stamp allowed Bernadette to powerfully give voice to the type of person we sadly do not hear from in as big, broad, and boisterous a way as we should. We need her now more than ever.
This is Terence Stamp’s legacy. This is what makes him and his giant catalog of remarkable performances immortal.
Support the Seattle Gay News: Celebrate 51 Years with Us!
As the third-oldest LGBTQIA+ newspaper in the United States, the Seattle Gay News (SGN) has been a vital independent source of news and entertainment for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest since 1974.
As we celebrate our 51st year, we need your support to continue our mission.
A monthly contribution will ensure that SGN remains a beacon of truth and a virtual gathering place for community dialogue.
Help us keep printing and providing a platform for LGBTQIA+ voices.
How you can donate!
Using this link: givebutter.com/6lZnDB
Text “SGN” to 53-555
Or Scan the QR code below!
