The Heartthrobs Of The Outsiders, 32 Years Later!

Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon in The Outsiders (1983)

Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Leif Garrett was already a well-known teen star when he played a Soc named Bob Sheldon. In the film, he dies at the hands of Ralph Macchio’s character Johnny.

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Leif Garrett—Now

Now: Life after The Outsiders was a mixed bag for Garrett. He still found some work, but he fell hard into a life of drugs and alcohol. In 2010, he appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, but other than that he’s largely faded from the public eye.

Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade in The Outsiders (1983)

Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: At only 12-years-old, Ralph Macchio played the damaged Johnny Cade, the youngest Greaser, who everybody treated like a little brother. Too bad Johnny’s father abused him and his mother acknowledged his presence with either yelling or complete indifference. The actor’s character creates the movie’s major drama when he murders a Soc, the Greaser’s rival gang.

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Ralph Macchio—Now

Now: Macchio’s career took off quickly, but then flamed out just as fast. He became immensely popular thanks to 1984’s The Karate Kid, and he milked his role as Daniel-Son for its sequels that came out in ‘86 and ’89. He also got some attention thanks to My Cousin Vinny in 1992, but it’s been pretty slim pickings for Macchio since.

Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston in The Outsiders (1983)

Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Nobody messed with Dallas Winston, the street-smart Greaser, who won his cred in the film from running with gangs in New York City. Matt Dillon was just 19 at the time, and he played the doomed-to-die Dallas with enough swagger and attitude to earn him the title of heartthrob and land him a spot on teenage girls’ walls for years.

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Matt Dillon—Now

Now: Dillon has acted in an impressive array of movies since The Outsiders. Some fans appreciate him for his comedic talent like in the 1998 hit There’s Something About Mary, while others gravitate toward his dramatic pictures like Crash, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Whatever the case may be, Dillon has become well known—with good reason—for his acting range.

C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: In The Outsiders, C. Thomas Howell played the main character Ponyboy Curtis, a longhaired teen who ran around with a gang of friends called “Greasers.” “I was so young that I probably didn’t appreciate how big the opportunity was,” he now admits.

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C. Thomas Howell—Now

Now: Howell has been steadily employed in smaller roles over the three decades since The Outsiders was released in theaters. He appeared in hit movies like Red Dawn in 1984 and The Hitcher two years later, but Howell never really took off as a leading man. Since 2009, the actor has played officer Dewey Dudek on TNT’s cop show Southland which was sadly canceled in 2013. But he says The Outsiders continues to have a profound effect on his career—and his fan base. “I’d say probably 70 percent of my Twitter followers are 13, 14, 15-year-old girls who have just discovered The Outsiders and have fallen in love with Ponyboy,” jokes Howell.

Diane Lane as Cherry Valance in The Outsiders (1983)

Diane Lane as Cherry Valance in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Diane Lane was 18 when she appeared in The Outsiders as Cherry Valance. Cherry was a member of the Greasers' rivals, but that didn’t stop her from striking up a friendship with Ponyboy.

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Diane Lane—Now

Now: Through the years, Lane has kept busy starring in movies, some more memorable than others. More recent hits have included Under the Tuscan Sun and Unfaithful, and audiences will see her reprise her role as Martha Kent in the Batman vs. Superman movie.

Tom Cruise as Steve Randle in The Outsiders (1983)

Tom Cruise as Steve Randle in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Tom Cruise first tasted fame in the movie as the Greaser Steve Randle. His part wasn’t big but there was much more in store for the future superstar.

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Tom Cruise—Now

Now: Cruise became the cast’s most successful star almost immediately after The Outsiders. That same year, the underwear-and-socks-clad actor broke out in Risky Business, and he didn’t seem to make any major missteps in his career for a very long time. Top Gun, Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry McGuire…his list of hits kept growing. Cruise’s talent has become somewhat overshadowed by his private life—he has a leadership role in Scientology and his romantic life.

Emilio Estevez as Two-Bit Matthews in The Outsiders (1983)

Emilio Estevez as Two-Bit Matthews in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Emilio Estevez was Keith “Two-Bit” Matthews, the Greaser’s talkative joker. Too bad the police don’t think he’s so funny with his jeers and reputation for stealing and fighting.

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Emilio Estevez—Now

Now: Estevez was the ultimate Brat Pack actor, appearing in The Outsiders and later The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire. In the ‘90s he began dabbling in directing, including his movie Men at Work, and in the 2000s he’s only appeared in bit parts on shows like his brother Charlie Sheen’s former show Two and a Half Men.

Patrick Swayze as Darrell Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

Patrick Swayze as Darrell Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Patrick Swayze may have seemed like an odd choice when he was cast as the part of Darrel “Darry” Curtis, Ponyboy’s eldest brother. Swayze had been working as a professional dancer, and The Outsiders was his first big acting gig. Still, Swayze nailed his portrayal as the tough cool kid Darrel.

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Patrick Swayze—Now

Now: Swayze immediately reunited with his The Outsiders co-star, C. Thomas Howell, when the two starred in Red Dawn together the following year. Swayze continued on to make iconic movies over his career, including Dirty Dancing, Point Break and Ghost. Sadly, the actor was stricken with pancreatic cancer and passed away at just 57-years-old in September 2009.

Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders (1983)

Then: Rob Lowe got fans and Hollywood’s attention as Sodapop, the middle Curtis brother, who is as popular as he is handsome.

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Rob Lowe—Now

Now: Lowe went on to appear in St. Elmo’s Fire in 1985, cementing his place in the “Brat Pack” of young ‘80s actors. But Lowe also became as famous for his mishaps as much as his movies. He was a sex tape scandal pioneer and he did a stint in rehab to battle his addictions to sex and alcohol. Today the actor has largely become a TV star. His seven-year run on the popular The West Wing ended in 2006 and he was recently in the cast of the popular TV series Parks and Recreation.