James Dean died less than a month before the release of this 1955 film, so most of the legends and iconic moments related to this coming-of-age drama have centered on him. And with good reason, because Dean, like Marlon Brando at about the same time, affected future actors as obviously and immediately as Frank Sinatra had influenced singers. But as coming-of-age stories go, look, also, at co-star Natalie Wood. She was a child star in Hollywood who pivoted to more mature roles with this prominent part as Judy – which Wood played when she was only 16.