An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer. In fact, he must seek out more of life than life puts at his feet.
James Dean

Being a good actor isn't easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I'm done.
James Dean

Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world. You are all alone with your concentration and imagination, and that's all you have.
James Dean

But you can't show some far off idyllic conception of behavior if you want the kids to come and see the picture. You've got to show what it's really like, and try to reach them on their own grounds.
James Dean

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
James Dean

I also became close to nature, and am now able to appreciate the beauty with which this world is endowed.
James Dean

I think the one thing this picture shows that's new is the psychological disproportion of the kids' demands on the parents. Parents are often at fault, but the kids have some work to do, too.
James Dean

I want to be a Texan 24 hours a day.
James Dean

If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man.
James Dean

Only the gentle are ever really strong.
James Dean


Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn't hiss or boo me.
James Dean

The gratification comes in the doing, not in the results.
James Dean

The only greatness for man is immortality.
James Dean

There is no way to be truly great in this world. We are all impaled on the crook of conditioning.
James Dean

To grasp the full significance of life is the actor's duty; to interpret it his problem; and to express it his dedication.
James Dean

To me, acting is the most logical way for people's neuroses to manifest themselves, in this great need we all have to express ourselves.
James Dean

To my way of thinking, an actor's course is set even before he's out of the cradle.
James Dean

Trust and belief are two prime considerations. You must not allow yourself to be opinionated.
James Dean

When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn't acting. It's following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that.
James Dean