Feb. 8, 2012
Dear Mr. Dean,
In my life I have been in situations where I’ve seen many actors--"cattle-calls" with hundreds of promising young men and women, hoping for that big break. Now and then--and it’s rare--an actor shows up who has “it.” When they walk into a room, all eyes turn and look at them. When they audition, they do it with ease, as if they were born to do it. I read that while at UCLA you were picked out of a pool of 350 actors to play the role of Malcolm in Macbeth. From the start, Mr. Dean, it was apparent that you were one of those rare actors who had “it.”
Having been one of the youngest actors accepted to the prestigious “Actors Studio,” where you studied method acting under Lee Strasberg. In 1955 you were cast as the emotionally complex character of Cal Trask in Steinbeck’s “East of Eden.” Next was “Rebel Without a Cause” and then “Giant.” Shortly after the filming of “Giant” was completed, you were killed in a car accident while driving your Porsche 550 Spyder in Cholame, California.
Oh, how I wish I had been alive when you walked the earth, Mr. Dean! You are one of those actors I would’ve sought out and made every attempt to see in person. Just to be in the same place as you, would have been the thrill!
In your life you only made a total of seven films. On screen, you have been one of those actors who I can’t take my eyes off of. Sure, there are other actors on the screen, but they practically disappear. In whatever role you have played, I could feel your emotion…sad, happy, lonely, angry…whatever.
In still pictures, you were perfection. No matter the pose, it was flawless.
Mr. Dean, it is hard to believe that today you would have celebrated your 81’st birthday. However, you left us too soon. You will be eternally 24.
Happy Birthday to a legend!
Regards, Mrs Love
No comments:
Post a Comment