Brandon Flynn has been cast as James Dean in an upcoming biopic that sheds light on the Hollywood legend’s private life, including a same-sex relationship he kept secret from the public eye.
Flynn, known for roles in 13 Reasons Why and True Detective, will take on the iconic role in Willie and Jimmy Dean, written and directed by Guy Guido. The film is based on the 2006 memoir Surviving James Dean by William Bast, who was Dean’s roommate, close friend, and—according to his memoir—his lover.
Bast met Dean while they were both studying theatre at UCLA. Their intimate relationship was kept hidden to protect Dean’s career, though Bast never gave up hope that they might openly be together one day. Dean tragically died in a car accident in 1955 at age 24, just before the release of his final two films, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant.
Dean’s sexuality has long been a topic of speculation, with figures like Elizabeth Taylor and director Nicholas Ray referring to him as gay, while others have suggested he may have been bisexual.
Willie and Jimmy Dean explores the emotional and romantic journey between Dean and Bast, set against the societal pressures of the 1950s. Guido describes the film as “not a traditional biopic” but rather a “tender and sometimes tragic story” of love and identity.
“Brandon Flynn brings both the fire and vulnerability this role demands. I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect,” Guido told The Hollywood Reporter.
Flynn, who married playwright Jordan Tannahill last year, expressed his enthusiasm for the role. “James Dean is like the known unknown,” he said. “His short life left behind just three films, a mountain of photographs and a cultural mythology we keep trying to decode.”
“The script is a beautiful attempt at truthfully understanding who he really was — not just the icon, but the man,” Flynn added. “This story dares to present James Dean as a man with real, complex relationships, and I think there’s power in that truth.”
