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James Dean
Life Time
8 February 1931 - 30 September 1955
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James Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. Six years later, the family moved to Santa Monica. At the age of nine, James lost his beloved mother, who died of cancer. The father gave the boy to his sister for upbringing. Dean showed good athletic ability early on. He was interested in bullfighting, auto racing and theater. In the school drama club, he was considered a mediocre actor, but, nevertheless, interest in the study of acting did not fade. In 1949, after graduating from high
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James Dean was born on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. Six years later, the family moved to Santa Monica. At the age of nine, James lost his beloved mother, who died of cancer. The father gave the boy to his sister for upbringing. Dean showed good athletic ability early on. He was interested in bullfighting, auto racing and theater. In the school drama club, he was considered a mediocre actor, but, nevertheless, interest in the study of acting did not fade. In 1949, after graduating from high school, James went to California to live with his father. There he enrolled in Santa Monica College, where he studied law, but soon transferred to the University of California to devote himself fully to acting. While still at university, Dean landed the role of Malcolm in the production of Macbeth in the James Whitmore troupe, beating 350 candidates. In 1951, Dean left the University of California.
James first appeared on the screen in a commercial for Pepsi-Cola. Then he starred in small roles in the films “Join the bayonets!”, “Has anyone seen my girl?” and “Beware, sailor”. In 1951, Dean moved to New York. There, he began working on the game show “Beat The Clock”, working along the way in other shows. His performances allowed him to become a full member of the Acting Studio of Lee Strasberg.
The rave reviews of critics about the role of Bagheer in the 1954 play “The Immoralist” lit the green light for Dean in Hollywood.
On September 30, 1955, James Dean died in a car accident. He was only 26 years old. He managed to star in only three serious films - Nicholas Ray's film "Rebel Without a Cause", Elia Kazan's "East of Paradise" (screen adaptation of the novel by John Steinbeck) and in his latest film
Giant George Stevens, who came out after Dean died.