British actor Christopher Lee was born on this day in 1922. Lee rose to fame appearing in Hammer Productions horror films of the 50s, 60s and 70s, most notably for his portrayal of Count Dracula in a series of films.

He also played Bond villain Scaramanga in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (1974). His distinguished career includes roles in the Star Wars prequel trilogy as well as The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies.

He received a knighthood in 2009 for his services to drama and charity. Sir Christopher Lee passed away in 2015 aged 93.