Happy Birthday, James Dean

This Saturday marks what would have been the 83rd birthday of one of Hollywood's most iconic leading men, James Dean. And while he may have passed well before his time at age 25, his well-lived life merits a closer look —  a peek into the mystique that's cemented him as the embodiment of teenage angst and cool for generations.

Raised Quaker in Indiana by his aunt and uncle, he made his way west to UCLA as a teen, eventually dropping out to pursue acting full-time — a career move that forced him to get a job parking cars on the CBS lot between occasional TV gigs, which may or may not have fueled his subsequent passion for racing them. After a few lucky breaks, he landed leading roles in three huge features, though he'd live to see only one released in theaters.

Want more? Here are ten things you probably never knew.

1. His first paid work as an actor was for an early television commercial for Pepsi.

2. Before he hit it big, he worked as a stunt tester on the game show Beat The Clock, determining if the tasks they subjected contestants to could actually be performed. He was so adept he had to be let go, as he was too fast to set time limits by.

3. Dean was the first actor to be nominated posthumously for a Best Actor Academy Award and holds the record for most posthumous nominations for any actor, with two (for East of Eden and Giant).

4. Ironically, just a few weeks before his fatal car crash — which the authorities at the time determined was caused by reckless speed — he filmed a PSA with Warner Bros. on safe driving.

5. Before casting East of Eden (which was of course based off his novel), John Steinbeck insisted on meeting Dean for the part of Cal. And while he couldn’t stand him personally, he thought he’d be perfect for the role.

6. While his sexuality has long been speculated upon and many of the women he was romantically linked with were actually calculated by studio execs to cultivate his image, several woman have come forward to say they legitimately carried on affairs with him. Among them is actress Liz Sheridan, a.k.a. Jerry’s mother on Seinfeld.

7. Before shooting his first scene with Elizabeth Taylor in Giant, he was so nervous he allegedly unzipped his pants and peed in front of the cast and crew because he thought that if he could do that, he could do anything with Taylor in front of the camera.

8. At the time of his death he was signed on for roles in Somebody Up There Likes Me and The Left Handed Gun, both of which were ultimately given to Paul Newman, a move that’s credited with Newman's quick rise to stardom.

9. During the filming of East of Eden, director Elia Kazan made him move into a bungalow on the Warner Bros. lot to keep an eye on him, as his partying had become an issue.

10. Less than three hours before the car crash that claimed his life, he was pulled over and ticketed for speeding.

Joe McGauley is a senior editor for Supercompressor where he heads up Home coverage and red hair-having.