C. Thomas Howell
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
- 2024 · Reagan as Caspar Weinberger
- 2023 · Obliterated as Hagerty
- 2023 · Old Dads as Ed Cameron
- 2023 · Will Trent as Warden Sturgill Hardly
- 2022 · 1923 as Anders
- 2020 · Beast Mode as Breen Nash
- 2019 · Creepshow as Sam Spinster
- 2018 · The Good Cop as
- 2018 · Urban Country as Jim Craft
- 2018 · The Rack Pack as Ted
- 2018 · The Terror as Major Bowen
- 2018 · Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay as Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom (voice)
- 2017 · Marvel's The Punisher as Carson Wolf
- 2017 · LBJ as Walter Jenkins
- 2017 · SEAL Team as Ash Spenser
- 2017 · Disconnected as Robert Crawford
- 2016 · MacGyver as Vasil
- 2015 · A Christmas Eve Miracle as Jack Carter
- 2015 · Woodlawn as George 'Shorty' White
- 2015 · Lazarus Rising as Silent Cal
- 2015 · Justice League: Gods and Monsters as Dr. Will Magnus (voice)
- 2015 · Stitchers as Daniel Stinger
- 2015 · Spirit Riders as Keith
- 2015 · Bosch as Louis Degner
- 2013 · Storm Rider as Mitch Fielding
- 2013 · Lost on Purpose as Delbert Furgeson
- 2013 · The Blacklist as Earl Fagen
- 2013 · Sleepy Hollow as SAC Mick Granger
- 2013 · Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox as Professor Eobard 'Zoom' Thawne / Reverse-Flash (voice)
- 2013 · An Amish Murder as Nathan Detrick
- 2012 · Revolution as Bounty Hunter
- 2012 · Home Invasion as Ray
- 2012 · The Amazing Spider-Man as Jack's Father
- 2012 · Longmire as Ray Stewart
- 2011 · Grimm as Weston Steward
- 2011 · Alphas as Eli Aquino
- 2011 · Cross as Jake
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Roy
- 2010 · The Walking Dead as Hilltop Resident
- 2010 · Blue Bloods as Alex Polanski
- 2010 · Hawaii Five-0 as Martin Cordova
- 2010 · The Glades as Peyton Robinson
- 2010 · The Terror Experiment as Chief Grasso
- 2010 · Cupid's Arrow as Professor Grimes
- 2009 · American Pie Presents: The Book of Love as Alumnus Guy #2
- 2009 · Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
- 2009 · Southland as
- 2009 · Southland as Officer Dewey Dudek
- 2009 · Castle as John Campbell
- 2009 · Secret at Arrow Lake as
- 2008 · The Day the Earth Stopped as Josh Myron
- 2008 · A Gunfighter's Pledge as Horn
- 2008 · Sons of Anarchy as Agent Frank Eagan
- 2008 · War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave as George Herbert
- 2008 · The Thirst: Blood War as Jed
- 2008 · Xenophobia as Stone
- 2006 · Fighting Words as David Settles
- 2006 · Torchwood as The Gentleman
- 2006 · Psych as Camden Driggs
- 2006 · The Da Vinci Treasure as Michael Archer
- 2005 · The Poseidon Adventure as Doctor Ballard
- 2005 · Criminal Minds as The Reaper / George Foyet
- 2005 · H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds as George Herbert
- 2004 · The Hillside Strangler as Kenneth Bianchi
- 2004 · Summerland as Kyle Bale
- 2004 · Hidalgo as Preston Webb
- 2003 · Gods and Generals as Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
- 2003 · Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- 2002 · Killer Bees as Sheriff Lyndon Harris
- 2001 · Askari as Joss Mckinley
- 2001 · 24 as Barry Landes
- 2001 · Lawless: Dead Evidence as Dean Riley
- 2000 · The District as Chris Gunner
- 2000 · Son of the Beach as
- 1999 · Twice in a Lifetime as
- 1998 · V.I.P. as Phil Sherman
- 1998 · The Shepherd as Boris Dakota
- 1997 · The Big Fall as Blaise Rybeck
- 1997 · Sleeping Dogs as Sanchez Boon
- 1997 · Dead Fire as Tucker
- 1997 · Laws of Deception as Evan Marino
- 1997 · Hourglass as Michael Jardine
- 1997 · Dilemma as Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
- 1996 · The Sweeper as Mark Goddard
- 1996 · Kindred: The Embraced as Det. Frank Kohanek
- 1995 · Mad Dogs and Englishmen as Mike
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Capt. Miles Davidow
- 1995 · Payback as Oscar Bonsetter
- 1994 · ER as Vincent Jansen
- 1993 · Gettysburg as Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
- 1993 · Tattle Tale as Bernard Sprat
- 1992 · To Protect and Serve as Egan
- 1992 · Breaking the Rules as Gene Michaels
- 1992 · That Night as Rick
- 1990 · Far Out Man as Himself
- 1990 · Side Out as Monroe Clark
- 1988 · A Tiger's Tale as Bubber Drumm
- 1986 · Soul Man as Mark Watson
- 1986 · The Hitcher as Jim Halsey
- 1985 · Secret Admirer as Michael Ryan
- 1985 · Moonlighting as Waiter (uncredited)
- 1984 · Red Dawn as Robert
- 1983 · The Hitchhiker as Gerald
- 1983 · The Outsiders as Ponyboy Curtis
- 1982 · E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as Tyler
- Future · One Mile as Stanley Dixon
- 2024 · Ride as John Hawkins
- 2024 · The Open Door as Mr. Sapp
- 2022 · Crimson Point as Frank
- 2022 · Because We're Family as Peter
- 2021 · The Wrong Path as Dr. Eric Peselowe
- 2019 · Dauntless: The Battle of Midway as Captain Miles Browning
- 2019 · Control as Control (voice)
- 2019 · I Am Patrick Swayze as Self
- 2018 · Detroit Under S.T.R.E.S.S. as Narrator
- 2018 · Dirty Dealing as Carter
- 2018 · Rich Boy, Rich Girl as Blake
- 2018 · Deadman Standing as The Stranger
- 2018 · Shifting Gears as Jenkins
- 2017 · A Question of Faith as John Danielson
- 2017 · Mac Daddy's Vegas Adventure as
- 2017 · The Shadow People as Kaine
- 2016 · My B.F.F. as Ben Wilkins
- 2016 · Advance & Retreat as Nathan Shapiro
- 2016 · Attack of the Killer Donuts as Officer Roberts
- 2016 · Blood Lust as Ryan
- 2015 · Magic Hour as Tom Worthy
- 2015 · Ties That Bind as Mr. Witherspoon
- 2015 · Rivers 9 as Sheriff Quentin
- 2015 · Borrowed Moments as Jack
- 2014 · A Magic Christmas as Jack Carter
- 2014 · Fruits De Mer as
- 2014 · Confessions of a Womanizer as Tony
- 2014 · Rescuing Madison as Rad
- 2014 · Category 5 as Charlie DuPuis
- 2014 · Bigfoot Wars as Zeke
- 2013 · Christmas Belle as Rex Everhart
- 2013 · Don't Pass Me By as Jack
- 2012 · MoniKa as Double
- 2012 · Chilly Christmas as Patrick Cole
- 2012 · The 'E.T.' Journals as Self
- 2012 · Wedding Day as Russ
- 2012 · Escape as Paul Jordan
- 2011 · Restitution as John Youngstown
- 2011 · Camel Spiders as Sheriff Beaumont
- 2010 · Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood! as David
- 2009 · The Grind as Luke
- 2009 · The Land That Time Forgot as Frost Michaels
- 2009 · The Jailhouse as Seth Delray
- 2008 · Big Game as Sully
- 2008 · Celebracadabra as
- 2008 · House of Fallen as Thomas
- 2008 · Toxic as LIttle Joe
- 2007 · The Haunting of Marsten Manor as Captain Williams
- 2007 · Cold Ones as K.C. Corcoran
- 2006 · Hoboken Hollow as Clayton Connelly
- 2005 · Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders' as Self
- 2005 · Glass Trap as Curtis
- 2005 · The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam as Coach Fielding
- 2005 · Crimson Force as Capt. Baskin
- 2005 · The Lost Angel as Kuratha
- 2005 · Ordinary Miracles as Jim Powell
- 2004 · A Killer Within as Addison Terrill
- 2004 · Zolar as Hedion
- 2004 · Nursie as Zack
- 2003 · The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting as Jim Halsey
- 2003 · The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made? as
- 2003 · Net Games as Adam Vance
- 2002 · WillFull as Nat Wolff
- 2002 · Night of the Wolf as Sheriff Wade Messer
- 2001 · Asylum Days as Nathan Devine
- 2001 · XCU: Extreme Close Up as Geoffrey Liddy
- 2001 · Separate Ways as Tom Milton
- 2001 · Burning Down the House as Concierge
- 2000 · The Million Dollar Kid as Valentino
- 2000 · Hot Boyz as Officer Roberts
- 1999 · The Prince and the Surfer as Dean
- 1999 · Amazon as Dr. Alex Kennedy
- 1999 · Escape from Alaska as Jack
- 1999 · Fatal Affair as Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox
- 1999 · Red Team as J.B. Gaines
- 1999 · Enemy Action as John Reed
- 1999 · Hitman's Run as Tom Holly
- 1999 · Cybermaster: Shepherd II as Dakota
- 1998 · Charades as Evan
- 1998 · Matter of Trust as Michael D'Angelo
- 1998 · Sealed with a Kiss as Detective Mick Cullen
- 1997 · Last Lives as Aaron
- 1996 · Pure Danger as Johnie Dean
- 1996 · Baby Face Nelson as Baby Face Nelson
- 1995 · Dangerous Indiscretion as Jim Lomax
- 1995 · Suspect Device as Dan Jericho
- 1994 · Teresa's Tattoo as Carl
- 1994 · Natural Selection as Ben Braden / Alex Connelly
- 1993 · Jailbait as Sergeant Lee Teffler
- 1993 · Treacherous as Micky Stewert
- 1993 · Acting on Impulse as Paul Stevens
- 1992 · Nickel & Dime as Jack Stone
- 1990 · Kid as Kid
- 1990 · Curiosity Kills as Cat Thomas
- 1989 · The Eyes of the Panther as Jenner Brading
- 1989 · Nightmare Classics as Jenner Brading
- 1989 · The Return of the Musketeers as Raoul
- 1988 · Young Toscanini as Arturo Toscanini
- 1987 · Into the Homeland as Tripp Wilson
- 1984 · Grandview, U.S.A. as Tim Pearson
- 1984 · Tank as Billy
- Future · Where the Wind Blows as Nathan
- Future · Dreadtown: The Steel Pulse Story as Self
- Future · One More Mile as Stanley Dixon