Ranking The 30 Best Actors of All-Time

16. James Dean

Image Source: GQ

James Dean cemented his place in cinema history with just three films before his death in 1955: East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). The latter two films earned him Oscar nominations, and today he remains one of the screen’s most famous personifications of troubled adolescent and raw emotional power. With his brooding, boyish good looks, he dazzled audiences — projecting the same sensitive masculinity pioneered on screen by Marlon Brando. Decades after his death, Dean continues to make appearances in pop culture. Perpetually young and handsome in our memory, Dean finds his way into songs, movies, and more.