11 Emmy Nominations for JAMES DEAN!

This riveting--some would say haunting--portrayal of the legendary film icon earned James Franco an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries. According to Academy Award-Nominated director Mark Rydell, casting the role of James Dean was no easy task and took the production to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities before settling on Franco. "He is an excellent actor who has the right combination of charisma, vulnerability and intelligence to take on the demanding role of Hollywood's most tragic and enduring icon" Mr. Rydell commented. The multiple awards and nominations that followed Mr. Franco's performance in JAMES DEAN bore out Mr. Rydell's assessment.

The film, which aired on TNT in 2001, follows James Dean through his troubled childhood--including the tragic loss of his mother at a young age and a difficult relationship with his father -- to his meteoric rise in Hollywood and, ultimately, to his untimely death at the young age of 24 in a car accident. Set against the backdrop of the golden age of film in the 1950s, JAMES DEAN goes beneath the surface and unravels the mystery of the man behind the enduring legend. And it shows us why his status as a brilliant young actor--and cultural icon--has never faded.

Supporting roles were played by Michael Moriarity, Edward Hermann, Valentina Cervi and Enrico Colantoni. Directed by Mark Rydell (ON GOLDEN POND; THE ROSE) and written by Israel Horowitz, JAMES DEAN was a TNT/Splendid Medien/Five Mile River Films co-production.