C. Thomas Howell
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Criminal Minds
The Reaper / George Foyet
2005
Series
The Blacklist
Earl Fagen
2013
Series
Castle
John Campbell
2009
Series
Hawaii Five-0
Martin Cordova
2010
Series
24
Barry Landes
2001
Series
Blue Bloods
Alex Polanski
2010
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
Series
The Outer Limits
Capt. Miles Davidow
1995
Series
The Walking Dead
Roy
2010
Series
The Walking Dead
Hilltop Resident
2010
Series
Grimm
Weston Steward
2011
Series
SEAL Team
Ash Spenser
2017
Series
Sons of Anarchy
Agent Frank Eagan
2008
Series
ER
Vincent Jansen
1994
Series
Marvel's The Punisher
Carson Wolf
2017
Series
Psych
Camden Driggs
2006
Series
Bosch
Louis Degner
2015
Series
MacGyver
Vasil
2016
Series
V.I.P.
Phil Sherman
1998
Series
Longmire
Ray Stewart
2012
Series
Sleepy Hollow
SAC Mick Granger
2013
Series
Will Trent
Warden Sturgill Hardly
2023
Series
Moonlighting
Waiter (uncredited)
1985
Series
The District
Chris Gunner
2000
Series
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self
2009
Series
Torchwood
The Gentleman
2006
Series
The Hitchhiker
Gerald
1983
Series
1923
Anders
2022
Film
The Amazing Spider-Man
Jack's Father
2012
Series
Southland
Officer Dewey Dudek
2009
Series
The Glades
Peyton Robinson
2010
Series
Creepshow
Sam Spinster
2019
Series
Twice in a Lifetime
Tony Tremaine / Phil Barlow
1999
Series
The Terror
Major Bowen
2018
Series
Alphas
Eli Aquino
2011
Series
Stitchers
Daniel Stinger
2015
Series
Revolution
Bounty Hunter
2012
Series
Obliterated
Hagerty
2023
Series
Son of the Beach
2000
Series
Summerland
Kyle Bale
2004
Film
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Tyler
1982
Series
The Good Cop
Businessman
2018
Film
The Outsiders
Ponyboy Curtis
1983
Film
The Hitcher
Jim Halsey
1986
Film
One Mile: Chapter One
Stanley Dixon
2026
Film
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
Alumnus Guy #2
2009
Film
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Professor Zoom / Thawne (voice)
2013
Film
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Zoom (voice)
2018
Film
Red Dawn
Robert
1984
Series
Kindred: The Embraced
Det. Frank Kohanek
1996
Film
Hidalgo
Preston Webb
2004
Film
Old Dads
Ed Cameron
2023
Film
Justice League: Gods and Monsters
Dr. Will Magnus (voice)
2015
Film
One Mile: Chapter Two
Stanley Dixon
2026
Film
Gods and Generals
Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain
2003
Series
Ties That Bind
Mr. Witherspoon
2015
Series
Amazon
Dr. Alex Kennedy
1999
Film
Secret Admirer
Michael Ryan
1985
Film
Gettysburg
Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain
1993
Film
Reagan
Caspar Weinberger
2024
Film
Grandview, U.S.A.
Tim Pearson
1984
Film
A Question of Faith
John Danielson
2017
Film
The Poseidon Adventure
Doctor Ballard
2005
Series
Nightmare Classics
Jenner Brading
1989
Film
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
Jim Halsey
2003
Film
Dauntless: The Battle of Midway
Captain Miles Browning
2019
Film
Soul Man
Mark Watson
1986
Film
Woodlawn
George 'Shorty' White
2015
Film
Urban Country
Jim Craft
2018
Film
Tank
Billy
1984
Film
The Return of the Musketeers
Raoul
1989
Film
War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave
George Herbert
2008
Film
LBJ
Walter Jenkins
2017
Film
The Land That Time Forgot
Frost Michaels
2009
Film
I Am Patrick Swayze
Self
2019
Film
H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds
George Herbert
2005
The Horseman
Film
Attack of the Killer Donuts
Officer Roberts
2016
Film
That Night
Rick
1992
Film
Where the Wind Blows
Nathan
2025
Film
The 'E.T.' Journals
Self
2012
Film
Camel Spiders
Sheriff Beaumont
2011
Series
Celebracadabra
2008
Film
A Gunfighter's Pledge
Horn
2008
Film
The Million Dollar Kid
Valentino
2000
Film
Dirty Dealing
Carter
2018
Film
Payback
Oscar Bonsetter
1995
Film
Toxic
LIttle Joe
2008
Film
The Day the Earth Stopped
Josh Myron
2008
Film
Killer Bees
Sheriff Lyndon Harris
2002
Film
Rich Boy, Rich Girl
Blake
2018
Film
Nickel & Dime
Jack Stone
1992
Film
An Amish Murder
Nathan Detrick
2013
Film
Baby Face Nelson
Baby Face Nelson
1996
Film
Ordinary Miracles
Jim Powell
2005
Film
Hot Boyz
Officer Roberts
2000
Film
Night of the Wolf
Sheriff Wade Messer
2002
Film
Shifting Gears
Jenkins
2018
Film
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Mike
1995
Film
The Prince and the Surfer
Dean
1999
Film
Escape
Paul Jordan
2012
Film
Confessions of a Womanizer
Tony
2014
Film
Restitution
John Youngstown
2011
Film
Deadman Standing
The Stranger
2018
Film
Category 5
Charlie DuPuis
2014
Film
Dangerous Indiscretion
Jim Lomax
1995
Film
Spirit Riders
Keith
2015
Film
The Da Vinci Treasure
Michael Archer
2006
Film
Big Game
Sully
2008
Film
Christmas Belle
Rex Everhart
2013
Film
Dreadtown: The Steel Pulse Story
Self
Film
A Tiger's Tale
Bubber Drumm
1988
Film
Teresa's Tattoo
Carl
1994
Film
Burning Down the House
Concierge
2001
Film
The Thirst: Blood War
Jed
2008
Film
Kid
Kid
1990
Film
The Sweeper
Mark Goddard
1996
Film
Cross
Jake
2011
Film
Don't Pass Me By
Jack
2013
Film
Sealed with a Kiss
Detective Mick Cullen
1998
Film
Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood!
David
2010
Film
A Killer Within
Addison Terrill
2004
Film
My B.F.F.
Ben Wilkins
2016
Film
Storm Rider
Mitch Fielding
2013
Film
A Christmas Eve Miracle
Jack Carter
2015
Film
Chilly Christmas
Patrick Cole
2012
Film
The Sin Seer
Detective Riggers
2015
Film
The Lost Angel
Kuratha
2005
Film
To Protect and Serve
Egan
1992
Film
Secret at Arrow Lake
2009
Film
The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made?
2003
Film
Side Out
Monroe Clark
1990
Film
The Eyes of the Panther
Jenner Brading
1989
Film
Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders'
Self
2005
Film
Magic Hour
Tom Worthy
2015
Film
Lost on Purpose
Delbert Furgeson
2013
Film
Beast Mode
Breen Nash
2020
Film
The Shepherd
Boris Dakota
1998
Film
Rescuing Madison
Rad
2014
Film
The Terror Experiment
Chief Grasso
2010
Film
Hoboken Hollow
Clayton Connelly
2006
Borrowed Moments
Jack
2015
Film
Glass Trap
Curtis
2005
Film
The Hillside Strangler
Kenneth Bianchi
2004
Film
Far Out Man
C. Thomas Howell
1990
Film
XCU: Extreme Close Up
Geoffrey Liddy
2001
Film
Acting on Impulse
Paul Stevens
1993
Film
Curiosity Kills
Cat Thomas
1990
Film
Into the Homeland
Tripp Wilson
1987
Film
The Jailhouse
Seth Delray
2009
Film
MoniKa
Double
2012
Film
Lazarus Rising
Silent Cal
2015
Film
Jailbait
Sergeant Lee Teffler
1993
Film
Natural Selection
Ben Braden / Alex Connelly
1994
Film
The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam
Coach Fielding
2005
Film
Red Team
J.B. Gaines
1999
Film
House of Fallen
Thomas
2008
Film
Ride
John Hawkins
2024
Film
Home Invasion
Ray
2012
Film
Crimson Force
Capt. Baskin
2005
The Greatest Actress in the World
Film
Suspect Device
Dan Jericho
1995
Film
Rivers 9
Sheriff Quentin
2015
Film
The Grind
Luke
2009
Film
Dilemma
Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan
1997
Film
A Magic Christmas
Jack Carter
2014
Film
The Open Door
Mr. Sapp
2024
Film
Dead Fire
Tucker
1997
Film
Breaking the Rules
Gene Michaels
1992
Film
Enemy Action
John Reed
1999
Film
The Big Fall
Blaise Rybeck
1997
Film
Pure Danger
Johnie Dean
1996
Film
Hitman's Run
Tom Holly
1999
Film
Nursie
Zack
2004
Film
Net Games
Adam Vance
2003
Film
The Haunting of Marsten Manor
Captain Williams
2007
Xenophobia
Stone
2008
Film
Escape from Alaska
Jack
1999
Film
Separate Ways
Tom Milton
2001
Film
Matter of Trust
Michael D'Angelo
1998
Film
Hourglass
Michael Jardine
1997
Film
Cupid's Arrow
Professor Grimes
2010
Film
Fighting Words
David Settles
2006
Film
Treacherous
Micky Stewert
1993
Film
Mac Daddy's Vegas Adventure
2017
Film
Young Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
1988
Film
Laws of Deception
Evan Marino
1997
Film
Sleeping Dogs
Sanchez Boon
1997
Film
Because We're Family
Peter
2022
Film
Advance & Retreat
Nathan Shapiro
2016
Film
Wedding Day
Russ
2012
Film
Blood Lust
Ryan
2016
Film
Fatal Affair
Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox
1999
Film
Disconnected
Robert Crawford
2017
Film
WillFull
Nat Wolff
2002
Film
Askari
Joss Mckinley
2001
Film
Detroit Under S.T.R.E.S.S.
Narrator
2018
Film
Crimson Point
Frank
2022
Film
The Shadow People
Kaine
2017
Film
Cold Ones
K.C. Corcoran
2007
Film
The Wrong Path
Dr. Eric Peselowe
2021
Film
Last Lives
Aaron
1997
Film
Zolar
Hedion
2004
Film
Cybermaster: Shepherd II
Dakota
1999
Film
Bigfoot Wars
Zeke
2014
Film
Charades
Evan
1998
Film
Asylum Days
Nathan Devine
2001
Film
Tattle Tale
Bernard Sprat
1993
Film
Lawless: Dead Evidence
Dean Riley
2001
Film
The Rack Pack
Ted
2018
Film
Fruits De Mer
2014
Film
Control
Control (voice)
2019
Film
The Glass Jar
Lanois
1999