Actor and Director Corey Allen Dies At 75

Actor and Director Corey Allen best known for his role in 'Rebel Without A Cause,' died Sunday only three days away from his 76th birthday, in Hollywood. (Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images)

Actor and Director Corey Allen, known for his role in “Rebel Without A Cause,” died Sunday in Hollywood. He would have been 76 on June 29.

Allen starred along side the legendary rebel and critically acclaimed actor James Dean in the 1955 film “Rebel Without A Cause.” Allen passed away from natural causes, reported PopEater.com.

In his breakthrough role, Allen played Dean’s enemy driver in a fatal chicken car match. The character Buzz Gunderson was typical 1950’s greaser with something to prove. In the climatic scene where Buzz Gunderson dies, James Dean jumps from his vehicle during the chicken match before impact. Gunderson dies while Dean’s character, Jim Stark, lives. The role lead to Allen’s career as a director for various television shows.

Allen’s directing career included episodes of popular television series such as Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, and Magnum, P.I.

The actor turned director was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He studied theater at UCLA where he won the school’s award for Best Actor. Directly out of theater school in 1954, he performed in live theater then moved to the silver screen. Allen started out as a director in 1962. He won an Emmy in 1984 for directing an episode “Hill Street Blues.”