C. Thomas Howell
Acting
🎂 1966-12-07
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966), usually credited as C. Thomas Howell, is an American actor and film director. He starred in the films The Outsiders as Ponyboy Curtis and in The Hitcher as Jim Halsey. He has appeared in Soul Man, Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, Gettysburg, H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stopped and Gods and Generals. Howell was born in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles to Christopher N. and Candice Howell. He has three siblings. His father worked as a stunt coordinator and rodeo performer. He played the role of the Red Knight in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King. As a young boy, Howell wanted to be a stuntman and was a child stunt performer. He was also a rodeo star. When Howell was young, his parents divorced. Howell graduated from Saugus High School in 1984. In 1982, Howell made his film debut as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. At the age of 15 in 1981, Howell was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983). Howell played the lead role of Ponyboy Curtis, "the soulful tagalong greaser through whose eyes we see the events of the 1960s-set film unfold." Based on S.E. Hinton's bestselling 1967 novel of the same name,the coming-of-age film went on to become a cult classic. Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy was his breakthrough role, and it earned him a Young Artist Award. In 1984, Howell and his Outsiders co-star Patrick Swayze reunited for Grandview, U.S.A. and Red Dawn. Howell also had a pivotal role in Tank (1984). In 1985, he starred in Secret Admirer. After filming The Outsiders, Howell co-starred in his own television series Two Marriages, which ended after four episodes, but letters of support got it back on air. He later expressed disappointment in the series. Howell was one of two final actors in the running for the lead role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985); the other was Eric Stoltz. Ultimately, Michael J. Fox was cast as Marty after Stoltz was deemed wrong for the part. In 1986, Howell was a hitchhiker's target in the film The Hitcher. He also starred in the sequel, which was released in 2003. In 1986, Howell starred in Soul Man, a film in which Howell appears in Blackface. Rounding out the 1980s , Howell played the young Arturo Toscanini in Franco Zeffirelli's 1988 film Young Toscanini.
Cast credits(209)
The Reaper / George Foyet
2005
Earl Fagen
2013
John Campbell
2009
Roy
2010
Hilltop Resident
2010
Alex Polanski
2010
Martin Cordova
2010
Agent Frank Eagan
2008
Carson Wolf
2017
Camden Driggs
2006
Self
2003
Weston Steward
2011
Barry Landes
2001
Ash Spenser
2017
Vasil
2016
Anders
2022
Warden Sturgill Hardly
2023
Vincent Jansen
1994
Waiter (uncredited)
1985
SAC Mick Granger
2013
Chris Gunner
2000
Ray Stewart
2012
Capt. Miles Davidow
1995
The Gentleman
2006
2000
Peyton Robinson
2010
Hagerty
2023
1999
Major Bowen
2018
Phil Sherman
1998
Eli Aquino
2011
2009
Officer Dewey Dudek
2009
2004
2018
Det. Frank Kohanek
1996
Sam Spinster
2019
Bounty Hunter
2012
Jack's Father
2012
Gerald
1983
Mr. Witherspoon
2015
Daniel Stinger
2015
Self
2009
Tyler
1982
2008
Ponyboy Curtis
1983
Robert
1984
Alumnus Guy #2
2009
Preston Webb
2004
Professor Eobard 'Zoom' Thawne / Reverse-Flash (voice)
2013
Dr. Alex Kennedy
1999
Tucker
1997
Jim Halsey
1986
Jenner Brading
1989
Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom (voice)
2018
Dr. Will Magnus (voice)
2015
Caspar Weinberger
2024
Michael Ryan
1985
Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
1993
Ed Cameron
2023
Mark Watson
1986
Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
2003
Walter Jenkins
2017
George 'Shorty' White
2015
Kenneth Bianchi
2004
Doctor Ballard
2005
George Herbert
2005
George Herbert
2008
Billy
1984
Captain Miles Browning
2019
Oscar Bonsetter
1995
Horn
2008
Sheriff Beaumont
2011
Jim Craft
2018
Sergeant Lee Teffler
1993
John Danielson
2017
Jack
2013
Jim Halsey
2003
Charlie DuPuis
2014
Josh Myron
2008
Nathan Detrick
2013
Curtis
2005
Mark Goddard
1996
Sheriff Lyndon Harris
2002
Rex Everhart
2013
Tim Pearson
1984
Peter
2022
Joss Mckinley
2001
The Stranger
2018
Rick
1992
Officer Roberts
2016
John Hawkins
2024
Michael Archer
2006
Jake
2011
Double
2012
Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
1997
Ray
2012
Monroe Clark
1990
Sully
2008
Tom Worthy
2015
K.C. Corcoran
2007
Frost Michaels
2009
Keith
2015
Mitch Fielding
2013
Officer Roberts
2000
Geoffrey Liddy
2001
Blake
2018
Jim Lomax
1995
Raoul
1989
Kaine
2017
Russ
2012
Dan Jericho
1995
LIttle Joe
2008
Baby Face Nelson
1996
Thomas
2008
Jenkins
2018
Jack
1999
Addison Terrill
2004
Breen Nash
2020
Kid
1990
Nathan
David
2010
Gene Michaels
1992
Ted
2018
David Settles
2006
Sheriff Quentin
2015
Self
Capt. Baskin
2005
John Youngstown
2011
Evan
1998
Rad
2014
Tom Holly
1999
Tony
2014
Chief Grasso
2010
Jack Carter
2014
Self
2005
Dr. Eric Peselowe
2021
Boris Dakota
1999
Patrick Cole
2012
Nathan Shapiro
2016
Nathan Devine
2001
Self
2019
Bubber Drumm
1988
Clayton Connelly
2006
Kuratha
2005
Cat Thomas
1990
Egan
1992
Valentino
2000
Michael Jardine
1997
Sanchez Boon
1997
Blaise Rybeck
1997
Dean
1999
Paul Stevens
1993
Mike
1995
Arturo Toscanini
1988
Evan Marino
1997
Jenner Brading
1989
Micky Stewert
1993
Paul Jordan
2012
John Reed
1999
Dakota
1999
Carl
1994
Silent Cal
2015
Tripp Wilson
1987
2003
Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox
1999
Jack
2015
2009
Hedion
2004
Coach Fielding
2005
Carter
2018
Jim Powell
2005
Professor Grimes
2010
Concierge
2001
Jack Carter
2015
Sheriff Wade Messer
2002
Jed
2008
Seth Delray
2009
Mr. Sapp
2024
Himself
1990
Captain Williams
2007
Jack Stone
1992
Adam Vance
2003
Ryan
2016
Michael D'Angelo
1998
J.B. Gaines
1999
Johnie Dean
1996
Robert Crawford
2017
Stanley Dixon
Stone
2008
Dean Riley
2001
Detective Mick Cullen
1998
Luke
2009
Delbert Furgeson
2013
Ben Braden / Alex Connelly
1994
Self
2012
Bernard Sprat
1993
Frank
2022
Zeke
2014
2014
Stanley Dixon
Nat Wolff
2002
Control (voice)
2019
Ben Wilkins
2016
2017
Aaron
1997
Tom Milton
2001
Zack
2004
Narrator
2018
