LONDON (AP) — Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87.

His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online.

The London-born Stamp started his film career with 1962’s seafaring “Billy Budd,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination.

Stamp’s six decades in the business were peppered with highlights, including his touching portrayal of the transsexual Bernadette in 1994's “The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." Stamp also was widely praised for his lead in director Steven Soderbergh’s 1999 crime drama “The Limey.”

But it will be his portrayal of the bearded Zod in 1978's “Superman” and its sequel “Superman II” two years later that most people associate with Stamp. As the Kryptonian arch enemy to Christopher Reeve's Man of Steel, Stamp introduced a darker and charming — more human — element to the franchise, one that's been replicated in countless superhero movies ever since.