James Dean

There is no way to be truly great in this world. We are all impaled on the crook of conditioning. ↗

— James Dean

#crook #great #truly #way #world

Being a good actor isn't easy. Being a man is even harder. I want to be both before I'm done. ↗

— James Dean

#before #being #being a man #both #done

The only greatness for man is immortality. ↗

— James Dean

#immortality #man #only

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

#come #conception #far #got #grounds

When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn't acting. It's following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that. ↗

— James Dean

#actor #anyone #director #exactly #following

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

#disproportion #fault #i #i think #kids

To grasp the full significance of life is the actor's duty; to interpret it his problem; and to express it his dedication. ↗

— James Dean

#dedication #duty #express #full #grasp

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

#express #great #great need #logical #logical way

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

— James Dean

#before #course #cradle #even #out

If a man can bridge the gap between life and death, if he can live on after he's dead, then maybe he was a great man. ↗

— James Dean

#between #bridge #dead #death #gap