The acting biography of James Dean was interrupted at the very takeoff - the charismatic favorite of directors and the public died in a car accident at the age of 24. The last film with the participation of the young star - "Giant" - was released after Dean's death, for playing the role of an oil tycoon, the deceased actor was included in the list of Oscar nominees.
Childhood: the beginning of the biography and the first successes
James Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in the small town of Marion, Indiana. The boy's father was a farmer, later he left agriculture and became a dentist. The family moved to California, to the city of Santa Monica.
James did not get along well with his father, but he loved his mother very much, Mildred. However, she died of cancer when her son was only 9 years old. The father gave the child to be raised by a family of Quaker relatives who lived on a farm in Fairmount. At the new place of residence, the boy became friends with the local priest James Dee Wyrd. He told Dean a lot about acting, bullfighting, auto racing - things that will interest James throughout his life and, ultimately, affect his fate.
Despite his acting as a bully and a bad guy at school, Dean behaved quite roughly. He enrolled in the drama club, but did not achieve much success and did not shine in the main roles. But he enthusiastically played basketball and baseball, studied well and finished school safely.
After receiving his diploma, James returned to California and at the insistence of his father entered law college. The study went well, but caused an irresistible boredom in the young man. Dean increasingly thought about the acting career, which attracted him since childhood. After painful deliberation, James dropped out and seriously took up the study of acting. The father was furious and completely stopped funding his son. But such trifles could no longer stop him - James was focused on success and was sure that he would come very soon.
Career takeoff
Dean owes his first screen appearance to a Pepsi-Cola commercial. A tiny video was noticed, the young actor got a role in the Easter show, and then was invited to episodic roles in minor films. Dean's name is not in their credits.
In 1952, the actor finally got a role with words in the film Beware, Sailor. James Dean played a boxing trainer and fit perfectly into the brilliant duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
During the pauses between filming, Dean had to make a living, taking on any job. Sometimes random places brought unexpected and very rewarding acquaintances. After getting a job as a valet at a media holding, Dean met Rogers Brackett, a talented advertiser who later helped the aspiring actor a lot. James learned a lot of important things about career growth, features of promotion, opportunities for achieving success in cinema.
In search of interesting offers, Dean moved to New York and at first starred exclusively in game TV shows. Then he was lucky to get into the acting workshop under the direction of Lee Strasberg. The next stage was rating shows and invitations to Hollywood, where the young actor played 3 iconic roles in a row that turned him into a teen idol.
The first victory was an invitation to the painting "East of Paradise". The role of Cal Traske was supposed to go to Marlon Brando, but the director insisted on Dean's candidacy and did not lose - the film was a tremendous success.
After the first triumph, a new proposal followed - James brilliantly played Jimmy Stark in the drama Rebel Without a Cause. The role of a teenage rebel perfectly matched Dean's character and forever made him a cult figure in the world of big cinema.
Jett Rink's last starring role was in The Giant. Dean played along with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, absolutely not getting lost against the background of venerable stars. For this role, he received an Oscar nomination. However, a brilliant career was interrupted at the very zenith - soon after filming, the actor died tragically.
Personal life
Dean's intimate life is still full of mysteries. Some biographers believe that the actor was homosexual and attribute numerous connections to him. Among the potential partners of James are the names of producer Rogers Brackett, screenwriter Paul Osborne, personal biographer William Bast, as well as little-known young actors. However, many journalists and authors believe that such rumors are just a talented PR move that created the necessary scandalous fame for the young actor. The reason for the rumors could be Dean's refusal to serve in the army due to homosexuality - in those days, such a deviation was considered a serious illness incompatible with life in the barracks.
James was considered by many to be a femme fatale with numerous connections to Hollywood starlets. However, today this information is considered controversial. The only serious romance that the public knew about was the connection with the spectacular Italian Pierre Angeli. The young people met on the set, they were often seen together, there were rumors that Angeli and Dean were thinking about an engagement. However, the girl's mother was against such a husband for her daughter, believing that Pierre should only be married to a real Catholic. The couple was forced to leave, later Pierre actually married her compatriot of the Catholic faith.
The death of James Dean was ridiculous and instant. His luxury sports Porsche crashed into a Ford at a California road junction. A student at the wheel of a Ford received moderate injuries, Dean's companion escaped with bruises, and the actor himself died on the way to the hospital without regaining consciousness. James is buried in Fairmount, in a small cemetery. Films with the actor's participation are still shown on big screens, and his life, shrouded in legends, speculation and rumors, inspires writers, screenwriters and journalists. There is his personal star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the name of James Dean is forever included in the list of the greatest actors according to the American Film Institute.
