- The James Dean Memorial Gallery is moving from the his hometown of Fairmount to an area near I-69 in hopes of attracting more visitors. (February 18, 2004)
- Was planning to ditch his glittering acting career, when his life was cut tragically short in a 1955 car accident - He told close pal Dennis Hopper that he wanted to become a film director, as he couldn't stand being treated like a puppet. (June 23, 2003)
- In little more than a year's time and after appearing in only 3 feature films he became one of the most admired screen stars of all time, achieving cult status and becoming an icon of American culture.
- He was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history. (1995)
- Ranked #33 in Empire (UK) magazine's The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list. (October 1997)
- Is a trademark of the James Dean Foundation. Licensed by CMG Worldwide, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana 46202.
- The famous Failure Analysis Associates, from Menlo Park, California, re-constructed and re-created all details of the accident at the same approximate time on September 30th, and have concluded that James Dean was travelling 55 to 56 m.p.h. when the fateful accident occured, thereby proving he had not been speeding, as rumor had it.
- One of only five actors to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his first screen appearance.
- Reportedly, Dean was very much in love with Pier Angeli and they planned to marry, but her mother blocked the union because Dean wasn't Catholic, and helped arrange Pier's marriage to Vic Damone. Before she committed suicide, Pier wrote that Dean was the only man she had ever really loved.
- The Eagles penned a lyric about him that went: Too fast to live, too young to die.
- He was the first actor to receive an Academy Award nomination posthumously (for his role in EAST OF EDEN (1955))-- however, he did not win)
- He was immortalized in 1974 by the song 'Rock On' sung by David Essex.
- He is the only actor in history to receive more than one Oscar nomination posthumously.
- Brand new footage of a then-unknown James Dean has been discovered - almost half a century after it was screened.
- The Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News has admitted that it erred when it doctored a photograph of James Dean to remove an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.
- James Dean-Natalie Wood classic, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955), was banned in Britain and Spain upon its release, for fear that young people would become violent after seeing the film.
- For the knife fight in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) between Jim (James Dean) and Buzz (Corey Allen), the actors used real switchblades and protected themselves by wearing chainmail under their vests.
- He broke his knuckle during the police station scene where he physically vents his rage on a precinct desk (REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE ).
- Was originally cast to play Steven Holte in THE COBWEB (1955)
- Was a stunt tester for BEAT THE CLOCK in the early 50s before he got the role of Cal Trask in EAST OF EDEN.
- He appeared in 7 movies, although 4 of them were only bit parts.
- When Jimmy was living in New York, he was involved with Dizzy Sheridan, who is best known for her role in playing Jerry Seinfeld's mother on the T.V show. They rented a house together and when James got his role in EAST OF EDEN they drifted apart. They had a thing where they say 'suuuure' to each other all the time, and in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE when Jim says 'suuuuure' it was a gift to her.
- His mother died when he was only 9, and then his father sent him to Fairmount Indiana to live with his cousins
- His father Winto Dean may not have been his actual father, his mother told Winto shortly before she died that there was a chance that Winton was not James's father
- After his death, police decided that he would be blamed for the car accident. Even though Donald Turnupseed (the man who swerved into and stoped in JD's lane), caused it and was obviously at fault, they pinned the blame of Jimmy because he had been speeding somewhat.
- His favorite book was Antoine de Saint Exupery's 'The Little Prince'
- He loved to sculpt, paint and take pictures
- Nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at Academy Awards for GIANT (1957)
- Nominated for Best Foreign Actor at BAFTA Awards for REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1957)
- Nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for EAST OF EDEN (1956)
- Nominated for Best Foreign Actor at BAFTA Awards for EAST OF EDEN (1955)
Quotes- "Only the gentle are ever really strong."
- "Gratification comes in the doing, not in the results."
- "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
- "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. I also became close to nature, and am now able to appreciate the beauty with which this world is endowed."
- When told he was too short to be an actor: "How can you measure acting in inches?"
- "When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn't acting. It's following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that. So the director's task is just that ^Ö to direct, to point the way. Then the actor takes over. And he must be allowed the space, the freedom to express himself in the role. Without that space, an actor is no more than an unthinking robot with a chest-full of push-buttons."
Awards- Golden Globe: World Film Favorite - Male (1957)
- Golden Globe Awards: World Film Favorites (1956)
- Golden Globe Awards: Special Achievement - Posthumous Award For Outstanding Dramatic Actor, EAST OF EDEN (1955)
- Golden Globe: Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama (1956)
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