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Actor
C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell’s screen credits include Tyler in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jack's Father in The Amazing Spider-Man.
Born December 7, 1966 Los Angeles, California, USA2 movies on MoviHero
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THE PERSON BEHIND THE ROLES
About 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. …
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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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MOVIHERO CREDITS
Movies and roles
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- 2026One Mile: Chapter TwoStanley Dixon
- 2026One Mile: Chapter OneStanley Dixon
- 2025Where the Wind BlowsNathan
- 2024ReaganCaspar Weinberger
- 2024RideJohn Hawkins
- 2024The Open DoorMr. Sapp
- 2023Old DadsEd Cameron
- 2022Crimson PointFrank
- 2022Because We're FamilyPeter
- 2021The Wrong PathDr. Eric Peselowe
- 2020Beast ModeBreen Nash
- 2019Dauntless: The Battle of MidwayCaptain Miles Browning
- 2019ControlControl (voice)
- 2019I Am Patrick SwayzeSelf
- 2018Urban CountryJim Craft
- 2018Detroit Under S.T.R.E.S.S.Narrator
- 2018Dirty DealingCarter
- 2018The Rack PackTed
- 2018Rich Boy, Rich GirlBlake
- 2018Deadman StandingThe Stranger
- 2018Shifting GearsJenkins
- 2018Suicide Squad: Hell to PayZoom (voice)
- 2017LBJWalter Jenkins
- 2017A Question of FaithJohn Danielson
- 2017Mac Daddy's Vegas AdventureActor
- 2017DisconnectedRobert Crawford
- 2017The Shadow PeopleKaine
- 2016My B.F.F.Ben Wilkins
- 2016Advance & RetreatNathan Shapiro
- 2016Attack of the Killer DonutsOfficer Roberts
- 2016Blood LustRyan
- 2015Magic HourTom Worthy
- 2015A Christmas Eve MiracleProducer · Jack Carter
- 2015WoodlawnGeorge 'Shorty' White
- 2015The Sin SeerDetective Riggers
- 2015Lazarus RisingSilent Cal
- 2015Rivers 9Sheriff Quentin
- 2015Justice League: Gods and MonstersDr. Will Magnus (voice)
- 2015Spirit RidersKeith
- 2015Borrowed MomentsJack
- 2014A Magic ChristmasProducer · Jack Carter
- 2014Fruits De MerActor
- 2014Confessions of a WomanizerTony
- 2014Rescuing MadisonRad
- 2014Category 5Charlie DuPuis
- 2014Bigfoot WarsZeke
- 2013Christmas BelleRex Everhart
- 2013Storm RiderMitch Fielding
- 2013Lost on PurposeDelbert Furgeson
- 2013Justice League: The Flashpoint ParadoxProfessor Zoom / Thawne (voice)
- 2013Don't Pass Me ByJack
- 2013An Amish MurderNathan Detrick
- 2012MoniKaDouble
- 2012Chilly ChristmasPatrick Cole
- 2012The 'E.T.' JournalsSelf
- 2012Home InvasionRay
- 2012Wedding DayRuss
- 2012EscapePaul Jordan
- 2011RestitutionJohn Youngstown
- 2011CrossJake
- 2011Camel SpidersSheriff Beaumont
- 2010The Genesis CodeDirector
- 2010Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood!David
- 2010The Terror ExperimentChief Grasso
- 2010Cupid's ArrowProfessor Grimes
- 2009American Pie Presents: The Book of LoveAlumnus Guy #2
- 2009The GrindLuke
- 2009The Land That Time ForgotDirector · Frost Michaels
- 2009The JailhouseSeth Delray
- 2009Secret at Arrow LakeActor
- 2008The Day the Earth StoppedDirector · Josh Myron
- 2008A Gunfighter's PledgeHorn
- 2008Big GameSully
- 2008House of FallenThomas
- 2008ToxicLIttle Joe
- 2008War of the Worlds 2: The Next WaveDirector · George Herbert
- 2008The Thirst: Blood WarJed
- 2008XenophobiaStone
- 2007The Haunting of Marsten ManorCaptain Williams
- 2007Cold OnesK.C. Corcoran
- 2006Fighting WordsDavid Settles
- 2006The Da Vinci TreasureMichael Archer
- 2006Hoboken HollowClayton Connelly
- 2005The Poseidon AdventureDoctor Ballard
- 2005Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders'Self
- 2005Glass TrapCurtis
- 2005H.G. Wells' War of the WorldsGeorge Herbert
- 2005The Keeper: The Legend of Omar KhayyamCoach Fielding
- 2005Crimson ForceCapt. Baskin
- 2005The Lost AngelKuratha
- 2005Blind InjusticeWriter · Producer
- 2005Ordinary MiraclesJim Powell
- 2004The Hillside StranglerKenneth Bianchi
- 2004A Killer WithinAddison Terrill
- 2004ZolarHedion
- 2004NursieZack
- 2004HidalgoPreston Webb
- 2003The Hitcher II: I've Been WaitingJim Halsey
- 2003The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made?Actor
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Shared credits
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Writer
Alvin Sargent
1 shared film on MoviHeroActor
Andrew Garfield
1 shared film on MoviHeroProducer
Avi Arad
1 shared film on MoviHeroActor