Editing C. Thomas Howell (section)

===1980s===
In 1982, Howell made his film debut as Tyler in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screencrush.com/et-the-extra-terrestrial-then-and-now/|title=See the Cast of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' Then and Now|first=Britt |last=Hayes|website=ScreenCrush|date=21 May 2014 }}</ref>

At the age of 15 in 1981, Howell was cast in [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[The Outsiders (film)|The Outsiders]]'' (1983).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.looper.com/602999/whatever-happened-to-the-cast-of-the-outsiders/|title=Whatever Happened To The Cast Of The Outsiders?|first=Duncan|last=Carson|date=September 13, 2021|website=Looper.com}}</ref> 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."<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1251920/whoa-ponyboy-the-cast-of-the-outsiders-then-and-now-will-blow-your-mind|title=Whoa, Ponyboy: The Cast of The Outsiders Then and Now Will Blow Your Mind|date=March 25, 2021|website=E! Online}}</ref> Based on S.E. Hinton's bestselling [[The Outsiders (novel)|1967 novel of the same name]],<ref name="auto"/> the coming-of-age film<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-outsiders-biggest-differences-movie-book/|title=The Outsiders: 15 Big Differences Between The Movie And The Book|date=October 5, 2020|website=ScreenRant}}</ref> went on to become a cult classic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tulsapeople.com/about-town/coming-soon-the-outsiders-looking-better-than-weve-seen-it-before/article_3b6cd5d2-05ad-11ec-b3a6-2bf56e8b444b.html|title=Coming soon: 'The Outsiders' looking better than we've seen it before|first=Tim|last=Landes|website=TulsaPeople Magazine|date=25 August 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.top10films.co.uk/67926-win-francis-ford-coppolas-seminal-classic-the-outsiders-on-blu-ray/|title=WIN Francis Ford Coppola's Seminal Classic "The Outsiders" On Blu-Ray|website=top10films.co.uk|date=November 2, 2021|access-date=May 24, 2022|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108084313/https://www.top10films.co.uk/67926-win-francis-ford-coppolas-seminal-classic-the-outsiders-on-blu-ray/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy was his breakthrough role,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2010/05/02/in-need-of-more-mayhem/28940088007/|title=In need of more mayhem|first=George |last=Meyer|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|date=May 2, 2010}}</ref> and it earned him a Young Artist Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/the-outsiders-cast-where-are-they-now/|title='The Outsiders' Cast: Where Are They Now?|website=USMagazine.com|date=May 12, 2022}}</ref>

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 (film)|Tank]]''. In 1985, he starred in ''[[Secret Admirer (film)|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cthowell.net/Articles/Two_Marriages/two_marriages.html|date=2008|title=Two Marriages|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509212533/http://www.cthowell.net/Articles/Two_Marriages/two_marriages.html|archivedate=2008-05-09|website=cthowell.net}}</ref>{{better source|date=May 2025}} 

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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/the-lost-roles-of-back-to-the-future.html|title = The Lost Roles of 'Back to the Future'|website=Vulture.com|date = 20 September 2012}}</ref> In 1986, Howell was a hitchhiker's target in the horror film ''[[The Hitcher (1986 film)|The Hitcher]].'' He also starred in the 2003 sequel ''[[The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting]]''.<ref>{{cite web|website=[[/Film]]|title='The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting' Is The Kind Of Direct-To-Video Sequel That Can Really Ruin Your Day|author=Hunter, Rob|date=March 23, 2018|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/556887/the-hitcher-ii-dtv-descent/}}</ref> In 1986, Howell starred in the satire ''[[Soul Man (film)|Soul Man]]'', a controversial film in which Howell appears in [[blackface]].<ref name="orlandosentinel"/>  The film was widely condemned and while it was a box office success, it did not help Howell's career.   Howell then played the young [[Arturo Toscanini]] in [[Franco Zeffirelli]]'s 1988 film ''[[Young Toscanini]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malcolm |first1=Derek |title=Soap opera with a capital O |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/260343750/?terms=zeffirelli%20toscanini%20taylor&match=1 |access-date=20 January 2023 |work=[[The Guardian]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |date=8 Sep 1988 |page=22 |language=en}}</ref>