Young James Dean
The consummate rebellious teenager, as a teenager.
Alex Q. Arbuckle
1931-1948
James Byron Dean was born on Feb. 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. When he was six years old, Dean and his parents Winton Dean and Mildred Wilson moved to Santa Monica, California. When Dean was nine, his mother died of uterine cancer and, unable to care for him, his father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm back in Indiana.Dean performed well in school and participated in multiple sports and activities, including drama and public speaking. By all accounts he was popular, diligent, and studious, a far cry from the brooding, outcast persona for which he would later become famous. After graduating, he moved back to California and attended Santa Monica College and UCLA before dropping out to pursue acting full-time.In 1950, at age 19, he landed his first onscreen role in a commercial for Pepsi.
To my way of thinking, an actor's course is set even before he's out of the cradle. - James Dean
Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn't hiss or boo me. - James Dean
