James Dean: Our Favorite Rebel

Website: Deaners

James Byron Dean, rebel extraordinaire, was born at home on February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana. Named after the town physician (James) and the famous poet (Byron), it was a small and simple family that he was born into. After a few years the family moved to nearby Fairmont, and then when James was five the family followed the father to Los Angeles, where he worked as a dental technician with a veteran's hospital.

Dean's mother, Mildred, urged him to take part in the arts, and he was fond of poetry, music and dance as a child. She was ever trying to make his use his imagination, and went so far as to build a makeshift theater, where the family would produce plays with dolls. Dean was quiet close with his mother, and loved her deeply.

In 1940, Mildred Dean began to suffer from stomach pains, and it was revealed through. X-rays that she had cancer. After her prognosis was confirmed, her health quickly began to deteriorate, and in July 1940 she passed away with her husband and son at her side. She was only 29 years old. At the time of her passing, he promised his mother that she would be remembered because him. As we all know, he eventually made good on his promise. After his wife's death, Winton Dean felt he could not adequately take care of his young son, and so Jimmy moved back to Indiana to live with his Aunt Ortense and Uncle Marcus Winslow on their farm in Fairmount.

Dean eventually attended Fairmount High School when he wasn't working on his uncle's farm. He continued his interest in the arts, and played a role in several high school productions, including Mooncalf Medford, The Monkey's Paw and An Apple from Coles County. Broadway, it ain't. Either way, it satisfied his longing for the stage, and in 1949 he graduated from Fairmount High School--after excelling in not only theater, but sports as well.

After graduation, Dean immediately moved to California to begin classes at Santa Monica City College. He later attended UCLA and majored in theatre arts--it was official--Dean wanted to be a professional actor. While at UCLA, Dean was cast as Malcolm in Macbeth--definitely a step up from Coles County. His first paying gig came in the form of a Pepsi commercial--he was paid $30. Soon, he started getting small films roles, playing bit parts behind such notables as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis John Wayne and Rock Hudson. But the big roles weren't coming--he felt he was being treated as background materials, and so Dean decided to make the change that would start Dean toward his destiny as an American icon: James Dean moved to New York.

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