C. Thomas Howell

Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor, director and musician. After making his film debut with a supporting role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Howell had his breakout with a lead role as Ponyboy Curtis in the coming-of-age film The Outsiders (1983).

Following his breakout, Howell had starring roles in the films Tank (1984), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), Red Dawn (1984), Secret Admirer (1985), and The Hitcher (1986). His lead role in the commercially successful yet controversial film Soul Man (1986) damaged his status as a leading man in Hollywood.

In the 1990s, Howell starred in the films Side Out (1990), That Night (1992), and Gettysburg (1993), and had main roles as Detective Frank Kohanek on the Fox horror television series Kindred: The Embraced (1996) and Dr. Alex Kennedy on the syndicated series Amazon (1999–2000). He portrayed Baby Face Nelson in the biographical film Baby Face Nelson (1995). In the 2000s, Howell starred in the film Gods and Generals (2003) and had a recurring, later main, role as Bill "Dewey" Dudek on the NBC and TNT crime drama series Southland (2009–2013). He had a supporting role in the film Hidalgo (2004).

In the 2010s, Howell starred in the films Woodlawn (2015) and A Question of Faith (2017), and had a supporting role in the superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). He had voice roles in the superhero animated films Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015), and Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018). Howell also portrayed Walter Jenkins in the political drama film LBJ (2016). In the 2020s, Howell had a main role as Hagerty on the Netflix series Obliterated (2023) and portrayed Caspar Weinberger in the biographical film Reagan (2024).

In addition to his acting career, Howell began pursuing music professionally in the 2020s under the name Tommy Howell. He released his debut single, "Rose Hill," in 2022, followed by "Whiskey Demon," and later issued his first full-length album American Storyteller in 2023.