James Dean - ©Theda Bara

The actor I highlight in this post is James Dean, who even today (2023) is remembered, almost seven decades after his death, as an icon of adolescent disillusionment and social distancing, expressed in the title of his most famous film: “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), in which he played a troubled teenager.

James Dean acted in three films in Hollywood, in just over a year of his career, as he died in a car accident at the age of 24. His first movie was: “East of Eden” (1955), character: “Cal Trask”; “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), character: “Jim Stark” and the Western “Gian” (1956), character: “Jett Rink”.

Dean never won a Hollywood statuette, but he became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and remains the only actor to have two posthumous Academy Award nominations.

James Dean has his star on the Los Angeles Walk of Fame, at 1719 Vine Street, in the Cinema category.

James Dean, born: James Byron Dean, in the city of Marion, Indiana, United States, on February 8, 1931, and as mentioned earlier, died very young, in an automobile accident in the city of Cholame, California, United States, in September 30, 1955, at the height of his success, aged 24. Burial took place on October 8, 1955, at Park Cemetery, Fairmount, Indiana, United States.

James Dean dated Italian actress Pier Angeli, born Anna Maria Pierangeli (1932-1971), with whom he fell in love and was already planning to marry. However, the romance between the young couple in love (she at 21 and he at 22), bothered the mother of the actress and her manager, Enrica Pierangeli (1908-1990). And as has already been said, Dean would die in a car accident at the age of 24, when he crashed his Porsche number 130, definitively separating the couple. But it should be clarified that the myth of the actor having committed suicide (due to speeding) after arguing with his girlfriend's mother is false, as reported by many sensationalist tabloids at the time.