Bill Hader was a production assistant on this film before he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1975). He told Jimmy Kimmel his job was to bring James Franco cigarettes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and Red Bull, and that James would thank him in the character of James Dean.
James Franco became so immersed in playing James Dean that he went from being a non smoker to smoking two packs a day (he has since quit), as well as playing the guitar, the bongos, and learned to ride a motorcycle.
Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt were previously considered for the role of James Dean when the film was in early development.
The beach house in this movie is the same one used in "Beaches"