Let's make this birthday one to remember.

79 years old (Born on January 26, 1946)

Happy birthday, Christopher Hampton! May your day be filled with as much drama and elegance (but far less tragedy) than Anna Karenina's life choices. You've deftly adapted literary masterpieces like Pride & Prejudice and Atonement for the big screen, giving us timeless stories—and proving you're the only person capable of making nineteenth-century misunderstandings look incredibly appealing.

Here's to celebrating another year of masterful storytelling without causing tragic trainwrecks or awkward ballroom encounters—at least off-screen. Keep inspiring us all by effortlessly turning classic novels into cinematic gold: Your adaptations remind everyone that life's greatest moments deserve a perfect script.