Who's James Dean
⚡ ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
Who's James Dean
Browse
Search
Entertainment & Pop Culture
Geography & Travel
Health & Medicine
Lifestyles & Social Issues
Literature
Philosophy & Religion
Politics, Law & Government
Science
Sports & Recreation
Technology
Visual Arts
World History
On This Day in History
Quizzes
Podcasts
Dictionary
Biographies
Summaries
Top Questions
Week In Review
Infographics
Demystified
Lists
#WTFact
Companions
Image Galleries
Spotlight
The Forum
One Good Fact
Entertainment & Pop Culture
Geography & Travel
Health & Medicine
Lifestyles & Social Issues
Literature
Philosophy & Religion
Politics, Law & Government
Science
Sports & Recreation
Technology
Visual Arts
World History
Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.
Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.
This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.
Buying Guide Expert buying advice. From tech to household and wellness products.
Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.
COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.
100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.
Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning. Go ahead. Ask. We won’t mind.
Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them!
SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!
Canadian-American actor, director, and producer
American actor, director, and writer
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Feedback Type
Select a type (Required)
Factual Correction
Spelling/Grammar Correction
Link Correction
Additional Information
Other
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Feedback Type
Select a type (Required)
Factual Correction
Spelling/Grammar Correction
Link Correction
Additional Information
Other
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
By
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
•
Edit History
Born:
February 8, 1931
Marion
Indiana
... (Show more)
Died:
September 30, 1955 (aged 24)
California
... (Show more)
You may be familiar with Sean Connery in this iconic role, but has actor Roger Moore also played the character of "Bond, James Bond?" See if your knowledge is neither shaken nor stirred in this study of actors.
Julie Harris and James Dean in East of Eden (1955), directed by Elia Kazan.
Lois Smith and James Dean in East of Eden (1955), directed by Elia Kazan.
Nicholas Ray (right) with Natalie Wood and James Dean on the set of Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
(Clockwise from left) Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood, and James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray.
James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray.
Scientists believe fossilized skulls of elephant relatives found by ancient Greeks were the basis for the mythological Cyclops.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
James Dean , in full James Byron Dean , (born February 8, 1931, Marion , Indiana, U.S.—died September 30, 1955, near Paso Robles, California), American film actor who was enshrined as a symbol of the confused, restless, and idealistic youth of the 1950s. Although he made few films before his death in a car accident at age 24, his performances, perhaps most notably in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), have proved enduring.
Dean’s family moved from Indiana to California when he was five. Following the death of his mother four years later, Dean returned to Indiana where he was reared on a farm by an aunt and uncle. He moved back to California after high school to study theatre for two years at the University of California at Los Angeles. His first professional acting assignment was for a soft drink commercial, which led to a speaking role as John the Baptist in the television Easter special Hill Number One (1951). He played bit parts in three Hollywood films— Fixed Bayonets (1951), Sailor Beware (1952), and Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952)—before moving to New York City on the advice of actor James Whitmore, with whom he had briefly studied. After a series of short-term jobs, including a brief period as a “stunt tester” for the CBS game show Beat the Clock , he was cast in a key role in the Broadway flop See the Jaguar (1952). More successful was his sly, insinuating performance as a blackmailing homosexual houseboy in another Broadway production, The Immoralist (1954), a stage adaptation of André Gide ’s book.
The Immoralist brought Dean to the attention of film director Elia Kazan , who cast the 23-year-old actor in the leading role of troubled teenager Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955), the screen adaptation of John Steinbeck ’s novel . On the set, Dean perpetuated his reputation for constantly changing his character interpretation and line readings and for deliberately baiting and challenging his fellow actors, including Julie Harris , Raymond Massey , and Burl Ives. When East of Eden premiered, however, Dean was seen as a movie star of the first magnitude and was nominated for an Academy Award ; it was the first acting nomination to be granted posthumously.
Dean’s second starring film appearance, as sensitive high-school misfit Jim Stark in director Nicholas Ray ’s Rebel Without a Cause (1955), made him into the embodiment of his generation. His character defiantly rejects the values of his elders while desperately aching to “belong” and attempting to find a purpose in life. Dean’s performance spoke eloquently on behalf of disenchanted, disenfranchised teenagers and gave them a hero they could respect and admire. The classic drama also featured Natalie Wood , Sal Mineo, and Dennis Hopper .
Dean was next cast in producer-director George Stevens ’s Giant (1956), a drama set on a Texas ranch that also starred Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor . Shortly after completing the film, the restless Dean drove off in his silver Porsche to compete in a sports car rally in Salinas , California. Speeding down the highway, he crashed headlong into a Ford sedan and was killed instantly. Almost immediately an intensely loyal cult was established, and within days of his death he became a film icon. Both Rebel Without a Cause and Giant were released posthumously, and he received an Oscar nomination for the latter film. The James Dean mystique continued to flourish into the 21st century.
The 10-second read: A fascinating nugget of information, delivered to your inbox.
All Titles TV Episodes Celebs Companies Keywords Advanced Search
Fully supported English (United States) Partially supported Français (Canada) Français (France) Deutsch (Deutschland) हिंदी (भारत) Italiano (Italia) Português (Brasil) Español (España) Español (México)
Jump to:
Overview (5) |
Mini Bio (1) |
Family (2) |
Trade Mark (6) |
Trivia (145) |
Personal Quotes (26) |
Salary (3)
Known for playing well-meaning but deeply troubled characters
The red jacket, white T-shirt and blue jeans from Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
He was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#42) (1995).
In October 1997, he was ranked #33 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
The famous Failure Analysis Associates, from Menlo Park, California, reconstructed and recreated all details of the accident at the same approximate time on September 30 and have concluded that James Dean was travelling 55 to 56 mph when the fateful accident occurred, thereby proving he had not been speeding, as rumor had it.
Most of his so-called affairs with various starlets were made up by the Warner Brothers public relations. He did have love affairs with Pier Angeli and Liz Sheridan .
He also worked as a "stunt tester" on the game show Beat the Clock (1950), testing the safety of the stunts that some of the studio audience members would later perform. However, he proved so agile at completing the stunts that his results could not be used to set time limits for contestants to complete them. So he was reluctantly released.
Following his untimely death, he was interred at Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana, which is nearly 2,300 miles from where he perished in his fatal car crash on the intersection leading to Cholame, California.
Reportedly, Dean was very much in love with Pier Angeli and they planned to marry, but her mother blocked the union because Dean was not Catholic and she helped arrange Pier's marriage to Vic Damone . Before she committed suicide, Pier wrote that Dean was the only man she had ever really loved.
He briefly studied dance with Katherine Dunham .
He won the Bloom Award as "Best Newcomer" for early Broadway work in "The Immoralist".
He was issued a speeding ticket only two hours and fifteen minutes before his fatal accident.
He is the subject of the songs "James Dean" by Eagles and "Mr. James Dean" by Hilary Duff . He is mentioned in the lyrics of many other songs, including "Rock On" by David Essex , "Electrolite" by R.E.M. , "Jack and Diane" by John Mellencamp , "Vogue" by Madonna , "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel , "Forever" by Skid Row , "American Pie" by Don McLean , "Speechless" by Lady Gaga , "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed , "Rather Die Young" by Beyoncé , "Choke On This" by Senses Fail , "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey , "Style" by Taylor Swift and "Ghost Town" by Adam Lambert .
He was the first actor to receive an Academy Award nomination posthumously, for his role in East of Eden (1955). However, he did not win.
He was the grandson of Charles Dean and Emma Dean .
He was the nephew of Ortense Winslow (sister of his father) and Marcus Winslow .
He was the cousin of Marcus Winslow Jr. .
He is the only actor in history to receive more than one Oscar nomination posthumously.
He was pictured on a 32¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, originally issued on Monday, June 24, 1996.
He pledged Sigma Nu fraternity but dropped out of college before being initiated.
As promotion for Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Dean filmed an interview with actor Gig Young for the "Behind the Camera" segment of the ABC series "Warner Bros. Presents" in July 1955. Dean told Young, "I used to fly around quite a bit, you know, I took a lot of unnecessary chances on the highway.... Now when I drive on the highway, I'm extra cautious." When asked if he had advice for young drivers, Dean concluded the interview, "Take it easy driving. The life you might save might be mine." Dean died soon afterward and the interview was never aired.
Donald Turnupseed, the driver of the other car involved in Dean's accident, died of cancer in 1995. Turnupseed could not swerve out of the way of Dean's Porsche Spyder, but he successfully swerved journalists who frequently pestered him for interviews about the accident.
He is one of several famous and tragic figures from history to be featured on the sleeve artwork of the album "Clutching at Straws" by rock band Marillion (released in 1987).
East of Eden (1955) was the only one of the three movies in which he had major roles to be released while he was alive.
He is one of only six male actors to be posthumously nominated for an Academy Award as best actor in a leading role. The others were Spencer Tracy , Peter Finch , Massimo Troisi , Heath Ledger and Chadwick Boseman .
Contrary to popular belief, Dean's middle name was not taken from Lord Byron , but from a relative, "Byron" Dean.
During the filming of Giant (1956), he and Rock Hudson did not get along. This tension heightened their onscreen clashes. However, according to Hudson's ex-wife Phyllis Gates , he cried after hearing the news of Dean's untimely death. Gates wrote, "Rock couldn't be reached. He was overcome by guilt and shame, almost as though he himself had killed James Dean.".
At the time of his untimely death, James Dean did not leave behind a will, so most of his possessions went to his father, Winton Dean, whose relationship with him was distant at best.
In her book "Dizzy and Jimmy", Liz Sheridan claims she and Dean were engaged.
Dean's acting breakthrough came on Broadway in the drama "See the Jaguar", despite its run of only four days.
He was voted the 22nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
He attended and graduated from Santa Monica College, a California junior college that boasts its elite drama program. Went on to UCLA but left after appearing in one stage production, as Malcolm in "Macbeth", as he was anxious to get his acting career started.
According to "The Mutant King", David Dalton 's 1974 biography of James Dean, the rumor that Dean was a masochist who liked to have cigarettes stubbed out on his naked body can be traced to a pencil sketch of his called "The Human Ashtray". The sketch featured a human body, in the guise of an ashtray, with many cigarette stubs in it. Dalton speculates that the sketch has nothing to do with Dean's sexual proclivities but much to do with the fact that he was a heavy smoker.
Marlon Brando , in his 1994 autobiography "Songs My Mother Taught Me", says that Dean, who idolized him, based his acting on him and his lifestyle on what he thought Brando's lifestyle was.
Elia Kazan , in his 1988 autobiography "A Life", says that during the production of East of Eden (1955), he had to have Dean move into a bungalow near his on the Warner Brothers lot to keep an eye on him, so wild was his nightlife.
Director Elia Kazan did not believe that Dean would have been able to sustain the momentum of his career. He felt that Dean's career, had he lived, would have sputtered out, as he was not well-trained and relied too much on his instincts, as opposed to his idol Marlon Brando , who, contrary to what people believed, had been very well-trained by his acting teacher Stella Adler and relied on that training to create his characters.
His favorite book was "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry . James Franco - who played Dean in the biopic James Dean (2001), voiced The Fox in the animated film adaptation of the book, The Little Prince (2015).
He was voted the 30th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine.
He was named #18 greatest actor on the 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute.
He loved playing practical jokes on friends and reading.
He had a fondness for auto racing and had purchased the 1955 Porsche Spyder sports car, one of only 90 made of that year model, planning to participate in the upcoming races in Salinas, California on October 1, 1955.
He was descended largely from early British settlers to America.
He received posthumous Oscar nominations for his his first and last ever screen performances: East of Eden (1955) and Giant (1956).
Imitating Marlon Brando , he also bought a Triumph motorcycle. Instead of Brando's 650cc 6T Thunderbird model, which he used in the film The Wild One (1953), he bought the smaller 500cc TR5 Trophy model. This Triumph featured in a famous series of photographs by Phil Stern , the motorcycle itself being recovered, restored and currently displayed at the "James Dean Museum" in Fairmount, Indiana.
He lost his two front teeth in a motorcycle accident in his youth.
President Ronald Reagan referred to Dean as "America's Rebel".
His tastes in music were eclectic. He liked African Tribal music and Afro-Cuban music, as well as classical ( Béla Bartók , Igor Stravinsky ); jazz/blues ( Billie Holiday ) and pop ( Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra ). His favourite song was Holiday's "When Your Lover Has Gone" and his favourite album was Sinatra's "Songs for Young Lovers".
Dean's first filmed appearance was in a commercial for Pepsi-Cola in 1950. He is the character who puts money in the piano/jukebox.
His final screen test for East of Eden (1955) was shot with Paul Newman , who also was in the final running for one of the roles. Originally, director Elia Kazan had considered casting Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift in the roles of the two brothers, but they were too old to play teenagers as they were both in the their 30s in 1954. Newman's age, 29, also put him at a disa
Colby Keller Art
Jacuzzi Masturbation
Close Up Pussylicking