C. Thomas Howell
Acting
🎂 1966-12-07
Christopher Thomas Howell, 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(211)
The Reaper / George Foyet
2005
Earl Fagen
2013
Roy
2010
Hilltop Resident
2010
Louis Degner
2015
John Campbell
2009
Alex Polanski
2010
Martin Cordova
2010
Barry Landes
2001
Agent Frank Eagan
2008
Weston Steward
2011
Ash Spenser
2017
Camden Driggs
2006
Vasil
2016
Vincent Jansen
1994
Carson Wolf
2017
Anders
2022
Jack's Father
2012
Ray Stewart
2012
SAC Mick Granger
2013
Waiter (uncredited)
1985
Capt. Miles Davidow
1995
Warden Sturgill Hardly
2023
Phil Sherman
1998
Self
2009
Self
2003
Sam Spinster
2019
The Gentleman
2006
Tyler
1982
Peyton Robinson
2010
Hagerty
2023
Chris Gunner
2000
Gerald
1983
Major Bowen
2018
Alumnus Guy #2
2009
Officer Dewey Dudek
2009
2009
Ponyboy Curtis
1983
Eli Aquino
2011
Professor Eobard 'Zoom' Thawne / Reverse-Flash (voice)
2013
2000
Daniel Stinger
2015
Robert
1984
(Special Appearance)
1991
1999
Bounty Hunter
2012
Preston Webb
2004
Kyle Bale
2004
2018
Ed Cameron
2023
Jim Halsey
1986
Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom (voice)
2018
Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
1993
Dr. Will Magnus (voice)
2015
George 'Shorty' White
2015
Michael Ryan
1985
Caspar Weinberger
2024
Self
Billy
1984
Det. Frank Kohanek
1996
Doctor Ballard
2005
Mark Watson
1986
Captain Miles Browning
2019
Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
2003
Nathan Detrick
2013
George Herbert
2008
Jim Lomax
1995
Rick
1992
Paul Stevens
1993
Cat Thomas
1990
Mr. Witherspoon
2015
Ray
2012
Gene Michaels
1992
Oscar Bonsetter
1995
Walter Jenkins
2017
Jake
2011
2009
The Stranger
2018
Sheriff Wade Messer
2002
Keith
2015
Sanchez Boon
1997
Michael Archer
2006
Jim Craft
2018
Concierge
2001
Delbert Furgeson
2013
Hedion
2004
Michael Jardine
1997
Jenner Brading
1989
Frost Michaels
2009
Breen Nash
2020
Capt. Baskin
2005
Rad
2014
John Hawkins
2024
Raoul
1989
Kenneth Bianchi
2004
Arturo Toscanini
1988
Dr. Alex Kennedy
1999
Charlie DuPuis
2014
Horn
2008
Jenkins
2018
George Herbert
2005
Mitch Fielding
2013
Sheriff Beaumont
2011
Sully
2008
Valentino
2000
Peter
2022
Micky Stewert
1993
Self
2019
Tim Pearson
1984
Zeke
2014
Bubber Drumm
1988
John Danielson
2017
Officer Roberts
2000
Jed
2008
Egan
1992
Jenner Brading
1989
J.B. Gaines
1999
LIttle Joe
2008
Bernard Sprat
1993
Robert Crawford
2017
Captain Williams
2007
Jim Halsey
2003
Thomas
2008
Self
2005
Tom Holly
1999
Jack Stone
1992
Addison Terrill
2004
Officer Roberts
2016
Dean
1999
David Settles
2006
Sheriff Quentin
2015
Sheriff Lyndon Harris
2002
Russ
2012
Dean Riley
2001
Sergeant Lee Teffler
1993
Tripp Wilson
1987
Mike
1995
Blaise Rybeck
1997
Dr. Eric Peselowe
2021
Himself
1990
Professor Grimes
2010
Ben Braden / Alex Connelly
1994
Tucker
1997
Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox
1999
Johnie Dean
1996
Dan Jericho
1995
Clayton Connelly
2006
Double
2012
Monroe Clark
1990
Chief Grasso
2010
Curtis
2005
K.C. Corcoran
2007
Stanley Dixon
Michael D'Angelo
1998
Tom Worthy
2015
Frank
2022
Jack Carter
2015
Adam Vance
2003
Joss Mckinley
2001
Detective Mick Cullen
1998
Kaine
2017
Blake
2018
Jack Carter
2014
Baby Face Nelson
1996
Josh Myron
2008
David
2010
Jack
1999
Rex Everhart
2013
Ted
2018
Tom Milton
2001
Kuratha
2005
Evan
1998
Kid
1990
Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
1997
Stanley Dixon
Boris Dakota
1998
Coach Fielding
2005
Mark Goddard
1996
Seth Delray
2009
Paul Jordan
2012
Stone
2008
Mr. Sapp
2024
Nat Wolff
2002
2008
John Youngstown
2011
Jack
2015
Carter
2018
Geoffrey Liddy
2001
2017
Luke
2009
Ryan
2016
Nathan Shapiro
2016
Nathan Devine
2001
Ben Wilkins
2016
2003
Jim Powell
2005
Tony
2014
Self
2012
Jack
2013
Dakota
1999
2014
Zack
2004
Nathan
Patrick Cole
2012
Carl
1994
John Reed
1999
Silent Cal
2015
Evan Marino
1997
Aaron
1997
Control (voice)
2019
Narrator
2018
