James Dean - Biography

Last Editor: babekay720				James Dean Biography -   Name : James Dean Date of birth : 8 February 1931 Place of birth : Marion, Indiana, USA Date of death : 30 September 1955 Place of death : Cholame, California, USA. (road accident) Birth name : James Byron Dean Nickname : Jimmy Dean Height : 5' 8

James Dean Trivia -

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#42). [1995] Ranked #33 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] The famous Failure Analysis Associates, from Menlo Park, California, re-constructed and re-created all details of the accident at the same approximate time on September 30th, and have concluded that James Dean was travelling 55 to 56 m.p.h. when the fateful accident occured, thereby proving he had not been speeding, as rumor had it. His so called affairs with various starlets were made up by the Warner Brothers PR. 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. Interred at Park Cemetery, Fairmount, Indiana, USA. One of only five actors to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance. (The other four are: Lawrence Tibbett, Orson Welles, Paul Muni and Montgomery Clift) Reportedly, Dean was very much in love with Pier Angeli and they planned to marry, but her mother blocked the union because Dean wasn't Catholic, and 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. Briefly studied dance with Katherine Dunham. 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. The Eagles penned a lyric about him that went: "Too fast to live, too young to die." Was the first actor to receive an Academy Award nomination posthumously (for his role in East of Eden (1955)), however, he did not win. Fraternal grandson of Charles Dean and Emma Dean. Nephew of Ortense Winslow (sister of his father) and Marcus Winslow. Cousin of Marcus Winslow Jr. Immortalized in 1974 by the song "Rock On" sung by David Essex. Only actor in history to receive more than one Oscar nomination posthumously. Pictured on a 32¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, issued 24 June 1996. Pledged Sigma Nu fraternity but dropped out of college before being initiated. Ironically, he filmed a highway safety commercial with actor Gig Young on the set of Giant (1956) in July 1955. Dean told Young, "I used to fly around quite a bit, took a lot of unnecessary chances on the highway....Now when I drive on the highway, I'm extra cautious." Donald Turnupseed, the driver of the other car involved in Dean's accident, died of cancer in 1995. Turnupseed couldn't 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 front and back sleeves of rock band Marillion's "Clutching at Straws" album (released 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. One of only four male actors to be posthumously nominated for an Oscar as best actor in a leading role. The others were Spencer Tracy, Peter Finch and Massimo Troisi. 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 on-screen clashes. However, according to Hudson's ex-wife Phyllis Gates, he cried after hearing the news of Dean's 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 death, Dean did not leave behind a will, so most of his possessions went to his father, Winton, whose relationship with him was distant at best. Was engaged to Liz Sheridan, who wrote a book about their love called "Dizzy and Jimmy". Dean's acting breakthrough came on Broadway in the drama "See the Jaguar", despite its run of less than a week (only 4 days). Along with Martin Sheen and Steve McQueen, is mentioned in R.E.M.'s song "Electrolite". Referenced by name in the John Mellencamp song "Jack and Diane." He was voted the 22nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Was a graduate from Santa Monica College, a California junior college that boasts its elite drama program. 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 Ash Tray." The sketch featured a human body, in the guise of an ash tray, 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. Dated Ursula Andress when she was a starlet in Hollywood in the mid-1950s, as did his idol, Marlon Brando. 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 Bros. 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-Exupery' . He was voted the 30th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine. Was named #18 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute. Loved playing practical jokes on friends and reading. Is portrayed by James Franco in James Dean (2001) (TV), by Nick Carpenter in The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) (TV), by Stephen McHattie in James Dean (1976) (TV) and by Casper Van Dien in James Dean: Race with Destiny (1997). Hilary Duff's 2004 self-titled album includes the song "Mr. James Dean", which is all about him. Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna's song "Vogue" 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, CA on Oct 1, 1955. He was descended largely from early British settlers to America. One of the many personalities mentioned in Billy Joel's song "We didn't start the fire" (1989) Received Oscar nominations for his his first and last ever screen performances (East of Eden (1955) and Giant (1956)) Aping Brando, he also bought a Triumph motorcycle. Instead of Brando's 650cc 6T Thunderbird model (which he used in the film, The Wild One), 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. Lost his two front teeth in a motorcycle accident in his youth.

James Dean Detailed Biography -

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 - September 30, 1955) was an American actor, born in Marion, Indiana and raised in Fairmount, Indiana. Dean began his career on the New York stage, and did several episodes of such early-1950s episodic television progams such as Kraft Television Theater, Danger, and General Electric Theater. His rave reviews in Andre Gide's The Immoralist led to his being called to Hollywood and film stardom. He appeared in several uncredited bit roles in such forgettable films as Sailor Beware, but finally gained recognition and success in 1955 in his first starring role, that of Cal Trask in East of Eden, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. He followed this up in rapid succession with two more starring roles, in Rebel Without a Cause, also in 1955, and in the 1956 production of Giant, for which he was also nominated for an Academy Award. Dean died in a road accident in a Porsche Spyder 356, before Giant was released. He is buried in Park Cemetery in his home town of Fairmount. He is one of only five people to be nominated for Best Actor for his first feature role, and the only person to be nominated twice after his death. Dean epitomized the rebellion of 1950s teens, especially in his role in Rebel Without a Cause. Many teenagers of the time modeled themselves after him, and his death cast a pall on many members of his generation. His very brief career, violent death and highly publicized funeral transformed James Dean into a cult object of apparently timeless fascination. James Dean is interred in the Park Cemetery, Fairmount, Indiana.