10 Outstanding Final Film Performances

The death of James Dean in 1955 is possibly Hollywood's greatest tragedy. At just 25 years old, the actor looked destined to become an icon of cinema after a bright start to his acting career. Prior to the car accident that took his life, Dean had only three film credits to his name, yet all three of performances would be lauded by audiences and critics.

Following the successes of East of Eden (1955) and his hugely culturally significant performance in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Dean would star in George Stevens' epic Western drama, Giant.

Starring alongside further Hollywood royalty in Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, it was Dean's memorable performance as the determined Jett Rink that stole the headlines. Rink's rags to riches story is more complex than it initially appears to be, with the role allowing Dean to fully express his acting prowess and range. Without spoiling too much of the story, the film also features Dean playing a much older version of Rink, at a stage of life that sadly we were never able to see the actor reach.

In 1957, Dean would receive his second consecutive posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Giant. Sharing a similar career trajectory to that of Hollywood legends Marlon Brando and Paul Newman, Dean ended his short career with one of the greatest films of all time and more than 65 years after his death, his legacy as one of Hollywood's greatest ever talents lives on.