4. James Dean
The phrase Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse is often attributed to James Dean, and he came to epitomise this philosophy in the course of his all-too-brief life. Deans Hollywood career was unique for its brevity, quality and impact in establishing him as an icon of modern popular culture. In 1955, Dean was cast as Cal Trask in East of Eden and delivered the type of angst-ridden, disenfranchised outsider performance for which he would forever be associated; it would also prove to be the only film released in his lifetime. He followed it up with Rebel Without a Cause and made his final appearance in Giant, rather remarkably garnering two Oscar nominations for Best Actor in his fleeting career, though both were received posthumously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU5N2SrEaZI Always a lover of fast cars, the 24-year-old met his end on September 30, 1955, when he crashed his Porsche 550 Spyder into an oncoming vehicle in California. Deans career was so short there were barely any chances for coincidences to amass, although the chickie run scene in Rebel Without a Cause does show the consequences of reckless driving. However, a matter of weeks before his fatal accident Dean filmed a television spot cautioning youngsters against the dangers of speeding. When asked if he had anything to say to young drivers, Dean responded: Take it easy driving uh, the life you save could be mine. What a pity he didnt heed his own advice.