C Thomas Howell
For the 17th century bishop, see Thomas Howell (Bishop of Bristol).
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor. He came to media attention for having a part in the film E.T.
the Extra-Terrestrial and is best known for having starred in the films The Outsiders and The Hitcher, as well as Soul Man and Red Dawn.
Howell is noted for starring in many "crime thrillers" and for his teenage handsome "pretty boy" features, which was a reason for his many lead roles in the 1980s.
Early life
Christopher Thomas Howell, nicknamed either "Tommy" or "CT", was born on December 7, 1966 in Van Nuys, California, one of four children of Christopher "Chris" and Candice Howell. He has two sisters, Stacy and Candy, and a brother, John. His father worked as a stunt coordinator ever since his son was six.
As a young boy, Howell wanted to be a stuntman and was even a child stunt player. He began acting at the age of four, when cast in the Brian Keith Show in an episode called "The Little People".
When Howell was young his parents divorced, leaving his mother with both of her sons and daughter Stacy, and his father took little Candy with him.
Howell shared his time with either parent and started his career through his father's job. While growing up, he also spent time golfing with his grandfather (where his nickname "CT" came because that's how he was recorded on screen boards).
Career
Early career
Howell's first showbiz debut was acting in the Brian Keith Show episode "The Little People" as a little boy whose ears are being checked out by a doctor.
When he got older, he tried stunt acting like his father and worked on commercials for a while. His first film appearance was in the 1977 made-for-television movie It Happened One Christmas. In 1982 he was originally a child stuntman in Steven Spielberg's E.T.
That eventually led to a small role as a bicycle rider near the end. Afterward, due to his handsome features, he was cast as the lead role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders, which earned him a Young Artist Award.
Since then, it became obvious that he would have a successful career. Following The Outsiders, he became a teen idol, appearing in teen magazines like Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine.
The magazines knew him as "Tommy" and "Tom".
1980s
After The Outsiders he and his co-star Patrick Swayze reunited for Grandview, U.S.A. Following Red Dawn, he again starred as the lead role in Secret Admirer, opposite Lori Loughlin and Kelly Preston.
Howell was one of two final actors in the running to play Marty McFly in Back to the Future the other being Eric Stoltz, who was eventually selected. Howell and Kelly Preston reunited as lovers in A Tiger's Tale.
1990s
At the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s, Howell focused on comedy in The Return of the Musketeers and Side Out.
After several straight-to-DVD features and a starring role in That Night, Howell achieved success again in the movie Gettysburg, which was popular with history buffs and history classrooms, but became one of the longest movies of all time. His made-for-television movie credits include Suspect Device, Sealed with a Kiss, Dads, and Dead Fire.
2000s
Howell returned to the theater in the 2000s in movies such as Asylum Days, the Gods and Generals sequel to Gettysburg, and The Hillside Strangler, playing a real-life serial killer.
He also became a supporter of the production company The Asylum, which produced his straight-to-DVD movies.
In 2005, he starred as a man who gets separated from his wife and child in H.G. Coincidentally, his father's first stunt coordination was for the original movie, though uncredited.
Howell later expressed disappointment in the series,but eventually found the show more satisfying.
After Two Marriages, Howell made guest appearances in shows like Moonlighting and The Hitchhiker. In 2000, Howell played a doctor stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash in Amazon.
He initially turned down a guest role in ER after missing out on a role he wanted, but his wife signed him up after yet another offer.Following ER, he guest appeared in 24.
Off-screen
Howell has briefly enjoyed making motion pictures including writing, producing, and directing. In 1995, he wrote and directed Hourglasss, which starred him and Sofia Shinas.
The film was a success and Howell went on to write and produce Blind Injustice the next year. Two years later he produced The Stolen Moments of September.
Personal life
In his single days, Howell shared a place with his friend Darren Dalton, whom he costarred with in The Outsiders and Red Dawn and who later appears in his War of the Worlds 2.
Isabelle appeared as Molly in Hope Ranch, credited as "Isabell Howell", and Dashiell played Howell's son Alex whom he's separated from in H.G. The family currently resides in Manhattan Beach, California.
In 2008, Howell was a contestant in the reality game show "Celebracadabra" opposite other celebrities such as Hal Sparks, Carnie Wilson, and his War of the Worlds 2 costar Christopher "Kid" Reid.