C. Thomas Howell
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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.
Known for
Credits
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
as Jack's Father
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
as Tyler
One Mile: Chapter One (2026)
as Stanley Dixon
The Outsiders (1983)
as Ponyboy Curtis
One Mile: Chapter Two (2026)
as Stanley Dixon
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009)
as Alumnus Guy #2
Hidalgo (2004)
as Preston Webb
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
as Professor Zoom / Thawne (voice)
Red Dawn (1984)
as Robert
The Hitcher (1986)
as Jim Halsey
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
as Zoom (voice)
Gettysburg (1993)
as Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
Reagan (2024)
as Caspar Weinberger
The Poseidon Adventure (2005)
as Doctor Ballard
Where the Wind Blows (2025)
as Nathan
Tank (1984)
as Billy
Secret Admirer (1985)
as Michael Ryan
Old Dads (2023)
as Ed Cameron
Storm Rider (2013)
as Mitch Fielding
Gods and Generals (2003)
as Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
Dangerous Indiscretion (1995)
as Jim Lomax
Grandview, U.S.A. (1984)
as Tim Pearson
Ordinary Miracles (2005)
as Jim Powell
Payback (1995)
as Oscar Bonsetter
Restitution (2011)
as John Youngstown
Urban Country (2018)
as Jim Craft
A Question of Faith (2017)
as John Danielson
LBJ (2017)
as Walter Jenkins
Secret at Arrow Lake (2009)
Actor
Borrowed Moments (2015)
as Jack
Kid (1990)
as Kid
The Land That Time Forgot (2009)
as Frost Michaels
A Gunfighter's Pledge (2008)
as Horn
Soul Man (1986)
as Mark Watson
House of Fallen (2008)
as Thomas
Cross (2011)
as Jake
Woodlawn (2015)
as George 'Shorty' White
A Killer Within (2004)
as Addison Terrill
Magic Hour (2015)
as Tom Worthy
The Da Vinci Treasure (2006)
as Michael Archer
Nickel & Dime (1992)
as Jack Stone
Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
as Dr. Will Magnus (voice)
Toxic (2008)
as LIttle Joe
The Lost Angel (2005)
as Kuratha
Into the Homeland (1987)
as Tripp Wilson
Camel Spiders (2011)
as Sheriff Beaumont
That Night (1992)
as Rick
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave (2008)
as George Herbert
H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds (2005)
as George Herbert
The Open Door (2024)
as Mr. Sapp
The Terror Experiment (2010)
as Chief Grasso
Hot Boyz (2000)
as Officer Roberts
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting (2003)
as Jim Halsey
Chilly Christmas (2012)
as Patrick Cole
Side Out (1990)
as Monroe Clark
Dauntless: The Battle of Midway (2019)
as Captain Miles Browning
The Hillside Strangler (2004)
as Kenneth Bianchi
MoniKa (2012)
as Double
An Amish Murder (2013)
as Nathan Detrick
Dirty Dealing (2018)
as Carter
Net Games (2003)
as Adam Vance
Baby Face Nelson (1996)
as Baby Face Nelson
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1995)
as Mike
Escape (2012)
as Paul Jordan
Ride (2024)
as John Hawkins
I Am Patrick Swayze (2019)
as Self
Teresa's Tattoo (1994)
as Carl
WillFull (2002)
as Nat Wolff
The Day the Earth Stopped (2008)
as Josh Myron
The Grind (2009)
as Luke
The Horseman (—)
Actor
Big Game (2008)
as Sully
Burning Down the House (2001)
as Concierge
Young Toscanini (1988)
as Arturo Toscanini
The Greatest Actress in the World (—)
Actor
Crimson Force (2005)
as Capt. Baskin
Dilemma (1997)
as Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
Hoboken Hollow (2006)
as Clayton Connelly
The Prince and the Surfer (1999)
as Dean
XCU: Extreme Close Up (2001)
as Geoffrey Liddy
The Return of the Musketeers (1989)
as Raoul
Breaking the Rules (1992)
as Gene Michaels
Home Invasion (2012)
as Ray
A Christmas Eve Miracle (2015)
as Jack Carter
Beast Mode (2020)
as Breen Nash
Escape from Alaska (1999)
as Jack
The Sweeper (1996)
as Mark Goddard
Killer Bees (2002)
as Sheriff Lyndon Harris
The Shepherd (1998)
as Boris Dakota
Dead Fire (1997)
as Tucker
Christmas Belle (2013)
as Rex Everhart
Treacherous (1993)
as Micky Stewert
Sleeping Dogs (1997)
as Sanchez Boon
Hitman's Run (1999)
as Tom Holly
Natural Selection (1994)
as Ben Braden / Alex Connelly
Jailbait (1993)
as Sergeant Lee Teffler
Rich Boy, Rich Girl (2018)
as Blake
A Tiger's Tale (1988)
as Bubber Drumm
The Million Dollar Kid (2000)
as Valentino
Deadman Standing (2018)
as The Stranger
Separate Ways (2001)
as Tom Milton
Fatal Affair (1999)
as Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox
Far Out Man (1990)
as Himself
Curiosity Kills (1990)
as Cat Thomas
The Jailhouse (2009)
as Seth Delray
Night of the Wolf (2002)
as Sheriff Wade Messer
The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005)
as Coach Fielding
Acting on Impulse (1993)
as Paul Stevens
Cupid's Arrow (2010)
as Professor Grimes
To Protect and Serve (1992)
as Egan
Advance & Retreat (2016)
as Nathan Shapiro
Don't Pass Me By (2013)
as Jack
Attack of the Killer Donuts (2016)
as Officer Roberts
Lazarus Rising (2015)
as Silent Cal
Rescuing Madison (2014)
as Rad
The Eyes of the Panther (1989)
as Jenner Brading
Glass Trap (2005)
as Curtis
The 'E.T.' Journals (2012)
as Self
Spirit Riders (2015)
as Keith
The Thirst: Blood War (2008)
as Jed
Hourglass (1997)
as Michael Jardine
The Shadow People (2017)
as Kaine
Matter of Trust (1998)
as Michael D'Angelo
Lost on Purpose (2013)
as Delbert Furgeson
Askari (2001)
as Joss Mckinley
Category 5 (2014)
as Charlie DuPuis
A Magic Christmas (2014)
as Jack Carter
Suspect Device (1995)
as Dan Jericho
Cybermaster: Shepherd II (1999)
as Dakota
Shifting Gears (2018)
as Jenkins
Fighting Words (2006)
as David Settles
Dreadtown: The Steel Pulse Story (—)
as Self
The Haunting of Marsten Manor (2007)
as Captain Williams
Pure Danger (1996)
as Johnie Dean
Confessions of a Womanizer (2014)
as Tony
The Big Fall (1997)
as Blaise Rybeck
Disconnected (2017)
as Robert Crawford
The Rack Pack (2018)
as Ted
Laws of Deception (1997)
as Evan Marino
Enemy Action (1999)
as John Reed
Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood! (2010)
as David
Because We're Family (2022)
as Peter
Charades (1998)
as Evan
Blood Lust (2016)
as Ryan
Last Lives (1997)
as Aaron
My B.F.F. (2016)
as Ben Wilkins
Wedding Day (2012)
as Russ
Rivers 9 (2015)
as Sheriff Quentin
Lawless: Dead Evidence (2001)
as Dean Riley
Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders' (2005)
as Self
Cold Ones (2007)
as K.C. Corcoran
Asylum Days (2001)
as Nathan Devine
Bigfoot Wars (2014)
as Zeke
Nursie (2004)
as Zack
The Wrong Path (2021)
as Dr. Eric Peselowe
Crimson Point (2022)
as Frank
Fruits De Mer (2014)
Actor
Red Team (1999)
as J.B. Gaines
Sealed with a Kiss (1998)
as Detective Mick Cullen
Zolar (2004)
as Hedion
Mac Daddy's Vegas Adventure (2017)
Actor
Xenophobia (2008)
as Stone
Tattle Tale (1993)
as Bernard Sprat
Detroit Under S.T.R.E.S.S. (2018)
as Narrator
The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made? (2003)
Actor
Control (2019)
as Control (voice)