Ramon Novarro was an actor best known for his role as Judah Ben-Hur in the 1925 silent film adaptation of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. He was born in Durango, Mexico in 1899 and immigrated to the United States in 1913. Novarro had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in over 50 films throughout his lifetime. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929 for his performance in The Pagan. Novarro died in 1968 at the age of 69.