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Supposedly, the actor was also descended from Native Americans through his father's family.
James Dean's father could no longer look after him, and so he sent him to his aunt and uncle in Indiana. While his father served in WWII, he grew up in a Quaker household.
James Dean eventually moved back in with his father in California and attended college to study pre-law. However, he changed his course to drama after he studied at UCLA for a semester.
Dean claimed that his mother's lineage could be traced back to the original English settlers of United States who came over on the Mayflower (1620).
When the actor found his calling and changed his direction, his father could not accept it. They cut ties and became estranged from each other.
In 1951, he dropped out of college and decided to really start pursuing an acting career.
Finally, he got the lead role in Elia Kazan's production of 'East of Eden,' originally a book by John Steinbeck. The film only uses the final part of the book.
The lessons took place at the Actors Studio. Dean got to learn with the greats of the industry, such as Marlon Brando.
'East of Eden' was Dean's first role to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Dean wanted to avoid being typecast as a moody, deep actor, and so he accepted the role of Jett Rink in 'Giant.' The film is about a Texas ranching family having to adapt to changing times.
Pier Angeli was an Italian actress. She asserted that they had a passionate love affair, but his friends have found that hard to believe. In the end, she had to break it off because her mother did not approve of a non-Catholic partner.
Dean's love life was not over eventful. In New York, he dated Barbara Glenn. Their love letters sold at auction for US$36,000.
Soon after 'East of Eden,' Dean starred as a disillusioned youth in 'Rebel Without a Cause.' It inspired great sympathy among the adolescents of the United States, who felt his character captured their feelings.
Dean had a passion for racing and entered several competitions. He even won a few prizes. As his career grew, the more fast cars he bought.
The film was deemed so culturally important that the US government added it to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.
During the filming of 'Giant,' Dean was banned from racing by Warner Brother because he could have been injured.
When Dean and Angeli's relationship was on the rocks, Dean went to New York. Much to his surprise, when he returned not long after Angeli had married singer Vic Damone.
Tragically on September 30, 1955, Dean's car collided with a Ford at an intersection on the way to the race. According to evidence, death was instantaneous and the crash most likely happened because he was speeding. And so ended the short life of a great actor.
Sources: (Britannica)(James Dean, the Mutant King: A Biography)
See also: Stars who died tragically young
James Dean was nominated a second time for the Best Actor Academy Award. 'Giant' was also put on the National Film Registry because of it cultural significance.
It was in Indiana that he first became interested in extreme activities such as sports car racing and bullfighting.
On February 8, 1931, James Byron Dean was born in Indiana to Winton and Mildred Dean.
After becoming a dental technician, his father moved the family to Santa Monica for a few years before tragedy struck.
At the tender age of nine, Dean lost his mother to uterine cancer. The two were very close, and the loss left an indelible mark on him.
Elia Kazan wanted someone emotionally complex. He originally wanted Marlon Brando and did not really like Dean, but in the end he realized the younger actor suited the role better.
Dean hit the big time by being in the series 'Omnibus.' Auditions for films started pouring in.
James Dean improvised a lot in the film. The director liked how raw his emotions were, and kept many parts that were made up by the actor.
While in college, James Dean took to the stage as Malcolm in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth.' After this performance, it was not long before he took to the big screen.
But he was not making a lot of money, and so he had to work as a parking attendant at CBS studios while trying to break into Hollywood.
In New York, Dean studied method acting at the famed Lee Strasberg. Here is Strasberg himself with his students Al Pacino and Marthe Keller in the '70s.
Renowned actor James Whitmore (1921-2009) became Dean's mentor. He convinced the young actor to move to New York to seek his fortune.
However, when filming ended, he entered the Salinas Road Race. He had just bought a Porsche Spyder 550 and was driving to the event from Los Angeles.
In the ending scene of 'Giant,' Dean's character delivers a speech where he is meant to be drunk. To do the character justice, Dean actually did get drunk for the scene. However, he was so drunk that no one could understand his lines, so in the film the speech is dubbed!
There are few bad boys as well known as James Dean. Although he only appeared in three major movies, viewers were charmed by his casual rebelliousness and aloof attitude, alongside his striking looks. He acted in films which mirrored the disillusionment of the youth of the '50s, and brought new color to old tales. Sadly, he was only 24 when he passed away in a tragic car accident, putting an end to what would have been a magnificent career.
To discover the life and success of this enigmatic actor, click through this gallery.
James Dean's first television appearance was for a Pepsi-Cola ad, from then on he began to get roles in small-time television series.
The short and tragic life of James Dean
The iconic actor passed away on September 30, 1955
CELEBRITY Retrospective
There are few bad boys as well known as James Dean. Although he only appeared in three major movies, viewers were charmed by his casual rebelliousness and aloof attitude, alongside his striking looks. He acted in films which mirrored the disillusionment of the youth of the '50s, and brought new color to old tales. Sadly, he was only 24 when he passed away in a tragic car accident, putting an end to what would have been a magnificent career.
To discover the life and success of this enigmatic actor, click through this gallery.