James Dean

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor with a career that lasted five years. He is regarded as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), in which he starred as troubled teenager Jim Stark. The other two roles that defined his stardom were loner Cal Trask in ''East of Eden'' (1955) and surly ranch hand Jett Rink in ''Giant'' (1956). All three films have since been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Dean died in a car crash in 1955 and became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in ''East of Eden''. This makes Dean the first actor in the history of the Academy Awards to be nominated posthumously.}} He received a second nomination for his role in ''Giant'' the following year, making him the only actor to receive two posthumous acting nominations. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him the 18th best male movie star of Golden Age Hollywood in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars list. Dean's film roles, fashion, and manners became celebrated in popular culture and influenced the development of rock and roll in the 1950s and 1960s. Provided by Wikipedia