Hollywood star Johnny Depp reveals that Fifties legend James Dean inspired him to enter the acting profession.
Speaking to BBC Radio 2 for a documentary that can be heard this week, Depp says that he has been a fan of James Dean since he was a young musician in Los Angeles.
Rebel Without A Cause – The James Dean Story can be heard this Tuesday 27 September at 8.30pm.
Johnny Depp presents the programme that marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Dean, who died aged 24 on 30 September 1955.
“I started out as a guitarist in the early Eighties,” explains Depp.
“I was very influenced by the rockabilly revival scene at the time, including bands like the Rockats and the Stray Cats. The Fifties stuff was very cool and we all wore ‘big hair’, jeans and biker jackets.
“I hooked up with a guy who idolized James Dean and he gave me a copy of the Dean biography, The Mutant King, which I thought was really interesting – BBC.co.uk.
