James Dean
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Notes
There is an official Web site at www.jamesdean.com
"An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer. In fact, he must seek out more of life than life puts at his feet. In the short span of his lifetime, an actor must learn all there is to know, experience all there is to experience, or approach that state as closely as possible. He must be superhuman in his efforts to store away in the core of his subconscious everything that he might be called upon to use in the expression of his art." --James Dean
Biography
One of the most iconic figures in American cinematic history, James Dean remains forever etched as a brooding, romantic figure, the quintessential 1950s teenager thanks primarily to his roles in "East of Eden" (1955) and "Rebel Without a Cause" (1956). Intelligent and projecting a sexual charisma that appealed to men and women, Dean may be best recalled for his three major movie roles, but behind that small output was a serious-minded, disciplined and trained actor.
James Byron Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana to a dental technician and his wife. Dean's father relocated the family to California in 1935 but following his mother's untimely death from cancer in 1940, young Jimmy was sent back to Indiana to live with relatives. A star athlete in high school, he also excelled in theatrics and was encouraged by the school's drama teacher Adeline Nall. After graduation, Dean landed his first professional gig, a 1950 TV commercial for Pepsi Cola and then headed West to attend college, but he soon dropped out in favor of pursuing an acting career. After making his TV debut as the Apostle John in "Hill Number One" and landing bit roles in films like "Sailor Beware" (both 1951), he began studying acting with James Whitmore who encouraged the talented neophyte to move to Manhattan and work with famed teacher/coach Lee Strasberg. Heeding Whitmore's advice, Dean landed in the Big Apple in the fall of 1951 and worked odd jobs (including pre-testing the stunts on TV's "Beat the Clock") until he gained a berth at the Actors Studio. He soon was landing roles on stage ("See the Jaguar," "The Immoralist") and in many of the live television dramas of the day.
By 1954, Dean was put under contract by Warner Bros. to star in Elia Kazan's film version of "East of Eden" (1955). As Cal Trask, the troubled son of a wealthy businessman, he perfectly captured the neurosis and jealousies of the character. While Dean did have a tendency toward over-emoting, the cumulative effect of his performance ultimate proves rewarding to viewers and was recognized by the Academy with a posthumous Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
One can only speculate on what heights (or what depths) Dean may have hit had he not been killed in a car accident on the night of September 30, 1955, Combining the sensitivity of a Montgomery Clift with the incoherent, explosive anger and sexuality of a Marlon Brando, James Dean came to epitomize the phrase "rebel without a cause." His hypnotic, angst-ridden turn in the 1955 film of that name (released less than a month after his death) struck a chord with teenagers the world over and solidified his reputation as the voice of his generation. Dean's early death forever froze him as that surly but sensitive teenager and made him the epitome of all that was "cool." His third and last film, "Giant" (1956), was a sweeping generational epic and his strong turn as the lonely tortured Jett (which netted a second Best Actor Academy Award nomination) helped raise the material above its soap opera-ish qualities.
While critics were divided over Dean's work in his own time (Bosley Crowther in The New York Times called him a "mass of histrionic gingerbread" in "East of Eden" but praised his "stylized spookiness" in "Giant"), history has upheld his popularity and seen dozens upon dozens of emerging actors hailed as "the new James Dean." A virtual cottage industry for the literary set with over a dozen biographies, Dean and his life also have been plumbed by filmmakers ranging from Robert Altman (the 1957 documentary "The James Dean Story") to Mark Rydell (2001's TV biopic "James Dean"). Not since Valentino had a film actor attracted such legions of fans in life and in death.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cinematography (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Misc. Crew (Special)
Life Events
1935
Family moved from Indiana to L.A.
1940
Sent to live with aunt and uncle in Indiana after mother's death
1949
Returned to California following high school graduation
1950
Appeared in TV commercial for Pepsi Cola; also featured was Nick Adams
1951
TV acting debut as John the Apostle in "Hill Number One"; aired on April 1
1951
Screen debut (as extra) in "Fixed Bayonets"; also appeared as an extra in "Sailor Beware"
1951
Moved to NYC (September)
1951
Hired to pre-test the stunts for the TV series "Beat the Clock"
1952
Delivered first on screen line ("Hey Gramps, I'll have a choc malt, heavy on the choc, plenty of milk, four spoons of malt, two scoops of vanilla ice cream, one mixed and one floating") in "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?"
1952
Appeared on Broadway in "See the Jaguar"
1953
Acted in numerous TV productions including "Kate Smith Hour: Hound of Heaven" (NBC), "You Are There!: The Capture of Jesse James" (CBS), and "Studio One Summer Theatre: Sentence of Death" (CBS)
1953
Appeared in NYC production of "The Scarecrow"
1954
Final Broadway appearance in "The Immoralist" portraying an Arab boy
1954
Signed contract with Warner Bros. (April)
1954
Co-starred with Mildred Dunnock in the TV presentation "Padlocks" (an episode of CBS' "Danger")
1954
Portrayed a killer who runs afoul of a country doctor (Ronald Reagan) in "General Electric Theatre: The Dark, Dark Hours"
1954
Starred opposite Natalie Wood and Eddie Albert in the TV production "I'm a Fool"
1955
Final TV acting appearance in the "Schlitz Playhouse" presentation of "The Unlighted Road"
1955
Achieved star status in "East of Eden"; earned posthumous Best Actor Oscar nomination
1955
Killed when his Porsche Spyder sports car collided with another car; he had received a speeding ticket earlier in the day and a few days before had appeared in a safe-driving commercial for the National Highway Committee (September 30)
1957
Profiled in the documentary "The James Dean Story"
1961
Received posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1975
Subject of British made documentary "James Dean, the First American Teenager"
1976
"James Dean", an NBC biopic with Stephen McHattie as the actor, aired
1988
"Forever James Dean", a documentary screened as part of Cinemax's "Crazy About the Movies"
1995
Disney Channel aired the documentary "James Dean: A Portrait"
1996
Honored by US Postal Service with a commemorative stamp
1997
Casper Van Dien portrayed Dean in the feature film "James Dean: Race with Destiny"
2001
"James Dean", starring James Franco and directed by Mark Rydell, aired on TNT
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
There is an official Web site at www.jamesdean.com
"An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer. In fact, he must seek out more of life than life puts at his feet. In the short span of his lifetime, an actor must learn all there is to know, experience all there is to experience, or approach that state as closely as possible. He must be superhuman in his efforts to store away in the core of his subconscious everything that he might be called upon to use in the expression of his art." --James Dean
"Being a good actor isn't easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I'm done." -- James Dean GQ September 2002
