10 Great Posthumous Performances

2) James Dean In Rebel Without A Cause

Amazingly, James Dean never even saw Rebel Without A Cause, the film that shot him to superstardom (along with Giant, another film that Dean would never get to watch).

Here was an actor unlike any other, who became a heartthrob, megastar and awards darling all when he was already cold in the ground. Before his two biggest movies were even released, putting him on the path to icon status, Dean was killed in a car accident.

There’s a reason Dean became an icon, though. His performance in Rebel Without A Cause was unprecedented, and still rings true as a recognizable (if distinctly melodramatic) depiction of teenage growing pains.

It’s why posters of him are still hanging up on walls today and why actors still try to imitate him: Dean was one of the true Hollywood originals, and he left us way too early.