James Dean
James Dean, stage name of James Byron (1931-55). US actor, whose moody performances and early death have made him a lasting symbol of youthful rebel-lion. Dean studied at the University of California and appeared in a few small parts before signing with Warner Brothers in 1954. His fame rests on his starring roles in three films; East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), in which he played a sensitive delinquent, and Giant (1956). He was killed in a car crash a week after completing the last of these.
