C. Thomas Howell
After making his film debut in Steven Spielberg's E.T., Howell was chosen by Coppola to star in this adaptation of the popular young adult novel, The Outsiders, which made him a teen idol in the 1980s. He would go on to star in the films The Hitcher, Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, and Soulman. He has continued to work with Francis Ford Coppola in various capacities, as a screenwriter, producer, and director. Howell grew up in Hollywood, and he secured his part as Ponyboy after believably smoking a cigarette in front of the audition panel.
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe was an unknown when he was cast, but would go on to become a star following The Outsiders. Previously, he had only been in a TV film called Thursday's Child, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Later he would star in the popular teen film St. Elmo's Fire with Emilio Estevez, and the two would be known as prominent members of the "Brat Pack." While he also acted in theater and with more serious work, as a young man Rob Lowe was a teen idol, idolized for his good looks and his roles in movies such as Oxford Blues and About Last Night.... Later in his career, he has found success as a television actor, with roles on The West Wing, Brothers and Sisters, Parks and Recreation, and Code Black.
Patrick Swayze
Like Lowe, Patrick Swayze was also a teen idol, and his role in The Outsiders was his breakout performance. Having already starred as a replacement for the role of Danny Zuko in the Broadway revival of Grease, Swayze was skilled at playing a good-hearted greaser. Following The Outsiders, Swayze starred in Red Dawn, Uncommon Valor, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and Donnie Darko. He was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991. In 2009 he died of pancreatic cancer.
Ralph Macchio
Having already appeared in numerous commercials and a few film roles, Ralph Macchio made his big break, like so many of his co-stars, with The Outsiders. Later, he would garner further acclaim in the Karate Kid franchise, as well as with roles in Crossroads and My Cousin Vinny. His role in The Karate Kid is his most iconic.
Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon made his film debut in 1978 in Over the Edge, in which he also played a wayward teen. He would play several other teen roles before landing the roll of Dally in The Outsiders. After The Outsiders he also took a role in Rumble Fish, another adaptation of an S.E. Hinton novel directed by Coppola. Later he would act in Drugstore Cowboy, Singles, In & Out, To Die For, There's Something About Mary, Wild Things, City of Ghosts (which he also directed), Crash, and Factotum. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his work in Crash.
Diane Lane
Like many of her co-stars, Diane Lane's role in The Outsiders was her breakout performance. Having made her debut in A Little Romance and graced the cover of Time, Lane was beautiful and poised, perfect for the role of conflicted but good-hearted Cherry Valance. Later she would star in A Walk on the Moon, The Perfect Storm, Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun, Cinema Verite, and Trumbo. For her performance in Unfaithful, she was also nominated for the Golden Globe and the Academy Award. She is also an accomplished stage actress.
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett, like his co-stars, was a teen idol, working as both an actor and a recording artist. Most of his songs were covers of traditional rock songs from the 50s and 60s. While having great success as a teen star, Garrett also suffered from a number of addictions and legal problems throughout his career.
Emilio Estevez
Along with Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez was a frequent member of the "Brat Pack," acting in the iconic teen films St. Elmo's Fire and The Breakfast Club. He is the son of Hollywood star Martin Sheen, and the brother of troubled teen icon Charlie Sheen. In addition to his acting work in the 80s, Estevez also starred in the films Maximum Overdrive, The Mighty Ducks, Bobby (which he also directed and wrote), and Young Guns.
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise has only a small role in The Outsiders, but he would go on to become perhaps the movie's most famous cast member, becoming an international movie star and noted follower of the religion of Scientology. His first roles were in the films Endless Love and Taps before The Outsiders. In that same year, he would star in All the Right Moves and the sex comedy Risky Business. His role as the pilot "Maverick" in Top Gun would catapult him to stardom. He went on to star in such notable films as The Color of Money, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), Far and Away, Interview with a Vampire, Mission: Impossible (which he also produced), Jerry Maguire (which won him a Golden Globe and was his second Academy Award nomination), Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Vanilla Sky, Minority Report, Oblivion, and most recently, the reboot of The Mummy series. He is a passionate advocate for the Church of Scientology.
Tom Waits
Tom Waits has acted in a few films, but is most widely known as an experimental musician, having won Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is known for his distinctive gravelly voice, his atmospheric music, evocative songwriting, and often grotesque and vaudevillian aesthetic.
Darren Dalton
Darren Dalton made his film debut in The Outsiders and went on to reunite with Patrick Swayze and C. Thomas Howell in the movie Red Dawn.
