James Dean Quotes & Sayings

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

Dream as if you will live forever; Live as if you will die today. — James Dean

Remember: Life is short, break the rules — James Dean

I can't let in the light.It will destroy my performance like light destroys film — James Dean

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

I have a fairly adequate knowledge of Satanic forces. — James Dean

Am I in love? Absolutely. I'm in love with ancient philosophers, foreign painters, classic authors, and musicians who have died long ago. I'm a passionate lover. I fawn over these people. I have given them my heart and my soul. The trouble is, I'm unable to love anyone tangible. I have sacrificed a physical bond, for a metaphysical relationship. I am the ultimate idealistic lover. — James Dean

Racing is the only time I feel whole. — James Dean

If a man can bridge the gap between life and death,if he can live after he's died, then maybe he was a great man. Immortality is the only true success. — James Dean

Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse. — James Dean

At times there seems to be a million ideas worth painting. However, there are days when it's a challenge to pull any idea together. On these days I go to my studio, leaf through an art history book, and tell myself that I am part of this great tradition. — James Dean

My purpose in life does not include a hankering to charm society. — James Dean

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

Only the gentle men are ever really strong — 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

You're tearing me apart! — James Dean

The only greatness for man is immortality. — 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

Reality doesn't have any preconceived ideas. You've got to learn how to smoke the cigarette, not act smoking the cigarette. You need to drink the drink, not act drinking the drink. You've got to do things and not show them. — James Dean

I don't have to explain anything to anybody. — James Dean

How can you measure acting in inches?!? — James Dean

I am trying to find the courage to be tender in my life. I know violence is weakness. Only the gentle are ever really strong. — James Dean

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

I didn't know what to do. How do you tell an eight-year-old boy his mother's going to die? I tried. In my own stumbling way I tried to prepare Jim for it. Nowadays, he lives in a world we don't understand too well, the actor's world. We don't see too much of him. But he's a good boy, my Jim. A good boy, and I'm very proud of him. Not easy to understand, no sir. He's not easy to understand. But he's all man, and he'll make his mark. Mind you, my boy will make his mark. — James Dean

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

I have made great strides in my craft. After months of auditioning, I am very proud to announce that I am a member of the Actors Studio. The greatest school of the theater. It houses great people like Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, Arthur Kennedy, Mildred DunnockVery few get into it, and it is absolutely free. It is the best thing that can happen to an actor. I am one of the youngest to belong. If I can keep this up and nothing interferes with my progress, one of these days I might be able to contribute something to the world. — James Dean

Forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably. — James Dean

I wouldn't like me, if I had to be around me. — James Dean

If zombies were made of bacon, I would only need a couple of fried eggs and a gallon of coffee, and the problem would basically solve itself. — James Dean

What do we need all that for?If a picture is psychologically motivated, if there is truth in the relationship in it, then I think that picture will do good. I firmly believe Rebel Without A Cause is such a picture. — James Dean

An hour or two of learning from the masters is usually enough to recharge my artistic batteries. — James Dean

I think the prime reason for existence, for living in this world, is discovery. — James Dean

There is no way to be truly great in this world. We are impaled on the crook of conditioning. A fish that is in the water has no choice that he is. Genius would have it that we swim in sand. We are fish and we drown. — James Dean

Dream like you'll live forever, live like you'll die today. — James Dean

I'm not going to go through life with one arm tied behind my back. — James Dean

An actual right is something that governments need merely to secure, not to implement. — 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

Whatever's inside making me what I am, it's like film. Film only works in the dark. Tear it all open and let in the light and you kill it. — James Dean

My fun days are over. — James Dean

I'd rather have people hiss than yawn. — James Dean

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

What better way to die? It's fast and clean and you go out in a blaze of glory. — James Dean

If you're not afraid, if you take everything you are, everything worthwhile in you and direct it at one goal, one ultimate mark, you've got to get there. — 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

I think there is only one form of greatness for man. If a man can bridge the gap between life and death. I mean, if he can live on after he has died, then maybe he was a great man. To me the only success, the only greatness, is immortality. — James Dean

If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused, and didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything ... if I felt that I belonged someplace, you know then ... — 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