Bela Lugosi was born in Hungary in 1882 and everyone who watches a black and white Dracula film is very likely to be watching him as this was the role that made and controlled his career..

He was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in and understood that if there was something that worked in life then it will be best to stick with it. He was a member of the Hungarian actors union and this made him so unpopular that he had to leave – he could have left the union but as he believed in what they did, he could not do that. Later on in his career he was finding it difficult to get new roles he was always happy to make another Dracula film.

He could teach us to play to our strengths and if there is something about us that is popular then make the most of it. His strong accent stopped him getting some of the roles in non-horror films, but he accepted this and kept on playing the evil character.

We can learn that it is as easy to get hooked on prescribed drugs. He got relief from his sciatica with opiates and before long he was using them as a crutch for the downfall of his career as well as his pain.

Sometimes saying what we want when we don’t really believe things will change does sometimes work. In an interview Lugosi said that he would like to be offered a comedy role and out of the blue he was on TV albeit in a short lived and not be successful comedy routine. Sometimes if you put yourself out there you can get the break you need.

… modern equivalent of the old Bela Lugosi Dracula movies. You can drive a …

Bela Lugosi’s private life was one of marriage, divorce, marriage divorce, etc. but it is a prime example of not giving up on something if it does not work out but trying again and seeing if this is the right decision. After a couple of divorces it would be easy to decide not to bother again, but he carried on until the fifth time he got it right.

It may seem strange to look at an actor from so long ago and hope to get inspiration but when seeing how he lived his life and carried on when the odds seemed to be against him, there clearly are plenty of lessons to be learned.

Christopher Lee and Béla Lugosi dressed as Dracula