James Dean

James Dean, "Giant" (1956)

Dean's legend has only grown over time, reinventing the man's life so much that perhaps the truth of who he was will never fully be known. But what we can deduce from "Giant" -- his final screen work before dying in a car wreck on Sept. 30, 1955 ... more-- is that, even at the age of 24, Dean was looking to stretch out beyond his trademark role as a disillusioned, rebellious youth. His journey as Jett Rink in "Giant," from handyman to hollowed-out Texas oil baron, opened up a whole new range of possibilities for him, which, tragically, would never be explored. (Lux/Retna UK)