Which actor played Count Dracula in the 1958 film "Horror of Dracula"?

Christopher Lee played Count Dracula in the 1958 film Horror of Dracula. The British Hammer production was released in the United Kingdom as Dracula, but American distributors used the title Horror of Dracula to distinguish it from the 1931 Universal film starring Bela Lugosi.

Lee’s performance became one of the defining screen versions of the character. Unlike Lugosi’s restrained, hypnotic interpretation, Lee’s Dracula was physically imposing, visibly ferocious, and strongly associated with blood, fangs, and erotic menace. The film’s vivid Technicolor photography amplified that striking new image.

Peter Cushing played Dracula’s principal opponent, Doctor Van Helsing. Their pairing became central to Hammer’s vampire cycle, and Lee returned as Dracula in six of the film’s sequels. A common mix-up is to choose Bela Lugosi, whose performance made Dracula famous in the 1931 film, or Peter Cushing, who played Van Helsing in the 1958 production. Horror of Dracula was directed by Terence Fisher and adapted from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.