20 Heartthrobs from the Golden Age of Hollywood

James Dean’s bad boy persona has had a lasting legacy

Another teen idol of his time, actor James Dean was known for his bad boy persona and, fittingly, his role in 1955’s “Rebel Without A Cause.”

Dean only made three movies in his lifetime, as the budding actor died in a car accident at the age of 24 in 1955.

His premature death left him etched into American pop culture as a forever young, t-shirt-and-jeans-clad icon. The New York Times described the enduring James Dean image as “clear, remaining strong, instantly recognizable, American as Coca-Cola.”