C. Thomas Howell
Born December 07, 1966 (Age: 59)
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Los Angeles, California, USA
Biography
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.
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.
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Filmography
Reagan
2024
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as Caspar Weinberger
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Age: 57
LBJ
2017
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as Walter Jenkins
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Age: 50
A Question of Faith
2017
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as John Danielson
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Age: 50
My B.F.F.
2016
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as Ben Wilkins
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Age: 50
Woodlawn
2015
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as George 'Shorty' White
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Age: 48
The 'E.T.' Journals
2012
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as Self
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Age: 45
The Amazing Spider-Man
2012
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as Jack's Father
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Age: 45
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
2009
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as Alumnus Guy #2
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Age: 42
Cold Ones
2007
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as K.C. Corcoran
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Age: 40
Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders'
2005
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as Self
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Age: 38
The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam
2005
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as Coach Fielding
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Age: 38
Zolar
2004
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as Hedion
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Age: 37
Nursie
2004
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as Zack
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Age: 37
Hidalgo
2004
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as Preston Webb
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Age: 37
Gods and Generals
2003
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as Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
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Age: 36
Killer Bees
2002
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as Sheriff Lyndon Harris
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Age: 35
WillFull
2002
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as Nat Wolff
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Age: 35
Night of the Wolf
2002
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as Sheriff Wade Messer
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Age: 35
The Million Dollar Kid
2000
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as Valentino
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Age: 33
Hot Boyz
2000
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as Officer Roberts
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Age: 33
Charades
1998
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as Evan
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Age: 32
Matter of Trust
1998
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as Michael D'Angelo
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Age: 31
The Shepherd
1998
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as Boris Dakota
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Age: 31
No Image
Sealed with a Kiss
1998
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as Detective Mick Cullen
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Age: 31
Last Lives
1997
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as Aaron
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Age: 30
The Big Fall
1997
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as Blaise Rybeck
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Age: 30
Sleeping Dogs
1997
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as Sanchez Boon
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Age: 30
Dead Fire
1997
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as Tucker
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Age: 30
Laws of Deception
1997
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as Evan Marino
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Age: 30
Hourglass
1997
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as Michael Jardine
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Age: 30
Dilemma
1997
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as Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
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Age: 30
Pure Danger
1996
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as Johnie Dean
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Age: 29
The Sweeper
1996
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as Mark Goddard
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Age: 29
Baby Face Nelson
1996
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as Baby Face Nelson
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Age: 29
Jailbait
1993
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as Sergeant Lee Teffler
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Age: 26
Gettysburg
1993
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as Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
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Age: 26
Treacherous
1993
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as Micky Stewert
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Age: 26
Tattle Tale
1993
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as Bernard Sprat
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Age: 26
Acting on Impulse
1993
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as Paul Stevens
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Age: 26
To Protect and Serve
1992
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as Egan
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Age: 25
Breaking the Rules
1992
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as Gene Michaels
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Age: 25
That Night
1992
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as Rick
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Age: 25
Nickel & Dime
1992
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as Jack Stone
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Age: 25
Kid
1990
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as Kid
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Age: 23
Curiosity Kills
1990
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as Cat Thomas
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Age: 23
Far Out Man
1990
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as Himself
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Age: 23
Side Out
1990
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as Monroe Clark
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Age: 23
The Eyes of the Panther
1989
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as Jenner Brading
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Age: 22
The Return of the Musketeers
1989
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as Raoul
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Age: 22
Young Toscanini
1988
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as Arturo Toscanini
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Age: 21
A Tiger's Tale
1988
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as Bubber Drumm
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Age: 21
Into the Homeland
1987
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as Tripp Wilson
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Age: 21
Soul Man
1986
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as Mark Watson
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Age: 19
The Hitcher
1986
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as Jim Halsey
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Age: 19
Secret Admirer
1985
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as Michael Ryan
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Age: 18
Red Dawn
1984
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as Robert
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Age: 17
Grandview, U.S.A.
1984
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as Tim Pearson
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Age: 17
Tank
1984
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as Billy
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Age: 17
The Outsiders
1983
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as Ponyboy Curtis
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Age: 16
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1982
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as Tyler
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Age: 15