Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''

Red Dawn ''Red Dawn'' is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius with a screenplay by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. The film depicts a fictional World War III centering on a land invasion of the continental United States by an alliance ...

'', ''

Secret Admirer A secret admirer is an individual who feels adoration, fondness or love for another person without disclosing their identity to that person, and who might send gifts or love letters to their crush. Grade school The goal of a secret admirer is ...

'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gettysburg'' and '' Gods and Generals'' as Thomas Chamberlain, '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'', '' Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox'' and '' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay''.

Early life

Howell was born in the Van Nuys neighborhood of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to Christopher N. and Candice Howell. He has three siblings, sisters Stacy and Candy, and brother John.aboutct
. Cthomashowell.net; retrieved 2011-12-03. His father worked as a stunt coordinator and rodeo performer. He played the role of the Red Knight in

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

’s ''

The Fisher King ''The Fisher King'' is a 1991 American fantasy comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter in supporting role ...

''. 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.

Career

Acting

Howell made his show business debut in ''

The Brian Keith Show ''The Brian Keith Show'' (titled ''The Little People'' during its first season) is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1972 to March 1974. The series stars Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares. Synopsis Keith plays Dr. Sean Jamison, ...

''. When he got older, he acted in commercials.

1980s

In 1982, Howell made his film debut as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. At the age of 15, 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 1950s-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 Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

, reunited for '' Grandview, U.S.A.'' and ''

''. Howell also had a pivotal role in ''

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...

'' (1984). In 1985, he starred in ''

''. After filming ''The Outsiders'', Howell co-starred in his own television series, ''

Two Marriages ''Two Marriages'' is an American dramatic television series that aired on ABC from August 23, 1983, until April 26, 1984. Premise The Armstrongs and Daleys, two married couples with very different marriages but a close friendship live next-door ...

'', 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 Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the ''Back to the Future'' franchise. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Michael J. Fox in all three films. McFly also appears in the animated series, where he was voice ...

in ''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...

'' (1985); the other was Eric Stoltz. Ultimately,

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...

was cast as Marty after Stoltz was deemed wrong for the part. In 1986, Howell played a hitchhiker's target in the film '' The Hitcher''. The

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, in which he also starred, was released in 2003. Howell starred as a white student who pretends to be black to receive a scholarship in '' Soul Man'' (1986). The film was commercially successful, but was condemned by the NAACP, other African-American advocacy groups, and director

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

. It received mostly negative reviews from professional critics, and holds an aggregated score of 14% at

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

. Howell has since stated that he does not regret the role, and that ''Soul Man'' was "an important part of islife" and "an important film" for racial relations in the United States. In 1988, Howell played the young Arturo Toscanini in the story of the world-renowned conductors debut in

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...

's '' Giovane Toscanini'' with

Irma Capece Minutolo Irma Capece Minutolo (6 August 1935 – 7 June 2023) was an Italian opera singer who was one of the last companions of King Farouk I of Egypt. In later years, she claimed she was the king's last wife and used the name ''Irma Capece Minutolo Faro ...

and Elizabeth Taylor. The film was never released domestically.

1990s

In 1993, Howell starred with

Linda Fiorentino Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958 or 1960) is an American former actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with a lead role in the ac ...

and Nancy Allen in the campy thriller '' Acting on Impulse''. Howell achieved success in the film '' Gettysburg'', which was popular with history buffs and history classrooms. He starred as Mike, a motorcycle courier in '' Mad Dogs and Englishmen'' (U.S. title: ''Shameless'') with

Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in ''Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in ''Bedazzled (2000 ...

. Howell starred in ''

Payback Payback may refer to: * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Payback may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...

'' and played gangster

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...

in a film of the same name. He went on to direct and star in the 1996 direct-to-video release, ''Pure Danger'', featuring alongside Teri Ann Linn and prop comic, Carrot Top.

2000s

In 2000, Howell played a doctor stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash in the television show ''Amazon''. In 2004, he played

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

Kenneth Bianchi Kenneth Alessio Bianchi (born May 22, 1951) is an American serial killer, kidnapper, and rapist. He is known for the Hillside Strangler murders committed with his cousin Angelo Buono Jr. in Los Angeles, California, as well as for murdering two m ...

in '' The Hillside Strangler''. In 2005, he starred in '' H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds'', one of three 2005 adaptations of the novel ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave'' in 2008. Also in 2005, he reunited with his ''Secret Admirer'' co-star Lori Loughlin when he had a recurring role on her television show '' Summerland'' as Zac Efron's father. Howell appeared as a doctor in '' The Poseidon Adventure'', an adaptation of the 1972 film of the same name. His father's first (uncredited) stunt co-ordination was for the original film. In 2006, Howell starred in ''Hoboken Hollow''. He also became a supporter of the production company

The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film company and distributor that focuses on producing low-budget, direct-to-video films. It is notorious for producing titles that capitalize on productions by major studios, often using film titles and sc ...

, which produced his straight-to-DVD films. In 2008, Howell directed and starred in '' The Day the Earth Stopped'', a

mockbuster A mockbuster (also known as knockbuster or a drafting opportunity) is a film created to exploit the publicity of another major motion picture with a similar title or subject. Mockbusters are often made with a low budget and quick production to max ...

intended to capitalize on ''

The Day the Earth Stood Still ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Re ...

''. Beginning in 2009, Howell guest starred in ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

as serial killer George Foyet (The Boston Reaper), a recurring villain based on

The Boston Strangler The Boston Strangler is the name given to the murderer of 13 women in the Boston, Massachusetts, area during the early 1960s. The crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo based on his confession, details revealed in court during a separate case, ...

. Also beginning in 2009, he played the role of Officer Bill 'Dewey' Dudek, a police officer recovering from

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

, in the L.A. police drama ''

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

''.

2010s

In 2011, Howell guest starred as an inmate on '' The Glades'' and in '' Torchwood: Miracle Day''. Howell appeared in the 2012 film ''

''. Starting in 2015, Howell has had a recurring role as Dr. Daniel Stinger in the Freeform show ''

Stitchers ''Stitchers'' is an American science fiction crime drama television series created by Jeffrey Alan Schechter. The show was picked up to series on September 29, 2014, and premiered on June 2, 2015, on ABC Family (now Freeform). In an October 201 ...

''. In 2017, he had a recurring role as Ash Spenser, a retired Navy SEAL, in the CBS show '' SEAL Team''. In 2016 and 2018, Howell had a recurring guest-star role as Paul Belmont, a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

, in Seasons 1 and 3 of ''Animal Kingdom''.

Off-screen

Howell has worked with Francis Ford Coppola many times and in other areas of making motion pictures including writing, producing, and directing. In 1995, he wrote and directed ''Hourglass'', in which he starred with

Sofia Shinas Sofia Shinas (born January 17, 1968) is a Greek Canadian singer, songwriter, actress and director."Dream comes true for Shinas". ''Windsor Star'', May 28, 1994. Shinas entered the entertainment industry as a recording artist and later pursued a ...

. The following year, he helped produce '' The Big Fall'' and ''Pure Danger''. Howell did not write or direct another film until 2004. He and his father co-wrote the made-for-television film ''Hope Ranch'', which Howell produced. 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 the 1980s, Howell dated actress

Kyle Richards Kyle Richards Umansky (: born January 11, 1969) is an American actress, socialite, and television personality. Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'', and as of 2022, is the last remaining ...

. He married actress

Rae Dawn Chong Rae Dawn Chong (born February 28, 1961) is a Canadian-American actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1978 musical drama film '' Stony Island'', and in 1981 starred in the fantasy film '' Quest for Fire'', for which she received ...

, whom he met while co-starring with her in the 1986 film '' Soul Man'', in 1989. They divorced the following year in 1990. Howell married his second wife, Sylvie Anderson, in 1992. Together, the couple had three children. In 2016, Anderson filed for divorce. In November 2001, Howell was acquitted of five misdemeanor charges arising out of a confrontation with a skateboarder in southern California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Discography

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Howell, C. Thomas 1966 births Male actors from Los Angeles American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors People from Van Nuys, Los Angeles