John Russell is a journalist and critic whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Slate, People, Billboard, and Out. In addition to his work for History.com, he covers politics and entertainment for LGBTQ Nation and writes about film, TV, and pop culture in his free newsletter Johnny Writes...
James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo embodied youthful defiance on screen—and left behind some of Hollywood’s most tragic legacies.