Photo: via thefamouspeople.com
There are precious little when it comes to irreplaceable famous actors, much like the iconic Paul Newman, the Godfather himself Marlon Brando, and, of course, the rebel of all rebels, Mr. James Dean. With movies like Cool Hand Luke turning 50 this year and Superman going on 40, it got us thinking about just how long James Dean has been gone (1955 is a long time).
While the man didn’t have the most prolific career, he did have one of the most impressive ones considering how young he was when he split and how little he actually acted. Of the three movies he did make, the first two he garnered Best Actor nominations, and the third became one of the most iconic movies of its time that still gets plenty of references today. Dean made a name for himself with street racing outside of acting, despite Hollywood’s strict hand. Even his car, the “little bastard” was a rebel of its own kind, a rare Porsche 550 he cherished and eventually drove to his end.
Join us while we celebrate the movies, life and rebel ways of one of the most irreplaceable actors of human history as we celebrate the brief but brilliant times of James Dean,
The Brief But Brilliantly Irreplaceable Life of James Dean
For More Classic Actors: Remembering Paul Newman’s Greatness as ‘Cool Hand Luke’ Turns 50
James Dean
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James Dean Only Starred in 3 Movies
He was the first actor to win an posthumous Oscar nomination. It was for Best Actor for his role in East of Eden. Then he was nominated again posthumous for his role in Giant. Imagine what he might've become, getting back-to-back nominations for his first two films.
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He Was the First Real Rebel of Hollywood
Photo: REX
By 1954, before any of his feature films came out, James had gotten serious about a racing career. When studios put restrictions on his racing, he basically blew them off and did it anyway. He got a speeding ticket two hours before his death, too.
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As a Child, He Took Tap-Dancing Lessons
Photo: Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos
And violin, too. Here you can see him fully amused during some ballet where the teacher fixes his pose.
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He Idolized Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando was blowing up around the time Dean took acting on seriously, as movies like A Street Car Named Desire (1951) and The Wild One (1953) came out.
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He Got His Quirks From Billy the Kid
James often read the book The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, picking up some of his outlandish outlaw habits along the way. Dean wanted to play Billy in a movie. People said he was sort of an unpredictable character, up and then down, popping in at weird hours and somewhat uncomfortable alone.
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In New York, He Worked As a Stunt Tester
He tested out portions of a game show for Beat the Clock, but was let go because he performed his tasks too quickly.
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He Dated Jerry Seinfeld's Mom
Back in his day, Dean dated Liz Sheridan, the actress who would grow up to play Jerry Seinfeld's mom on Seinfeld.
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He Was a Good Student But Had Trouble Reading
But more importantly, he was popular and good with the ladies. His trouble reading could be attributed to his intense near-sightedness. He quit college to pursue acting full time. When he wasn't doing that, Dean was quite into magic tricks.
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He Was Only 24 When He Died
Photo: Pinterest
He T-boned a car going about 85 mph less than a month from the release of his biggest role, Rebel Without a Cause. It's unfortunate but almost fitting, kind of like when Heath Ledger passed right before his Oscar-winning role as the Joker.
