James Byron Dean » Feb. 8, 1931 - Sept. 30, 1955
Jimmy dealt in a very special and spiritual way with people. He was in touch with himself and he reached out to anyone who would ever see his work. And it’s there for the life of the film. You never thought he was acting. Whether you were awkward or graceful, he made you feel good about being yourself. That’s what Jimmy was above all - himself. And that’s what an actor’s job really is: to be able to do publicly what everyone else does privately. James Dean was able to do that better than anyone else.
-Martin Sheen