A cikin samartakarsa, Dean ya nemi shawara da abokantaka na wani fasto na Methodist na gida, Rev. James DeWeerd, wanda ya bayyana ya yi tasiri a kan Dean, musamman a kan abubuwan da zai faru a nan gaba a UCLA, da tseren mota, da kuma wasan kwaikwayo. A cewar Billy J. Harbin, Dean yana da "dangantaka ta kusa da fastocinsa, wanda ya fara a shekararsa ta ƙarshe na makarantar sakandare kuma ya jimre shekaru da yawa". An ba da shawarar dangantakarsu ta jima'i a cikin littafin Paul Alexander na 1994 Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean.
James Whitmore