You might not be familiar with his name, but surely you recognize Dane DeHaan.

The 29-year-old actor has been climbing his way up the Hollywood ladder, appearing in the TV series "In Treatment" before landing roles in movies such as "A Place Beyond the Pines," "Kill Your Darlings" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ." DeHaan's performances say it all: he's an actor who's eager to challenge himself, no matter how big or small the project.

Currently, he's starring as the iconic James Dean alongside Robert Pattinson's Dennis Stock in the Anton Corbijn-helmed film "Life." The movie tells the story behind Stock's now infamous Life magazine photo shoot of Dean , which took place as the "East of Eden" actor was on the verge of superstardom in 1955. The images showcased Dean as the epitome of cool, giving his rebellious, free-spirit aura leverage. Dean tragically died in a car accident in September 1955, before two of his most beloved and celebrated films, "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant," were released. He became the first and only actor to receive two posthumous Academy Award nominations for "East of Eden" and "Giant," and rightfully became an on-screen legend.

DeHaan was unsurprisingly nervous to portray the actor, not only because of his iconic status, but because so little is known about who Dean truly was. He spoke about the role and his idea of fame in an interview with The Huffington Post.