These rising actors stayed gold in the eyes of Hollywood following their star-making turns.
Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
On March 25, 1983,Francis Ford Coppolas highly anticipated adaptation ofS.E.
Hintons beloved 1967 coming-of-age novelThe Outsidershit theaters.
‘The Outsiders’ cast, then and now.Credit:Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty
It also happened to launch much of its young cast to stardom.
Nearly everyone Coppola cast was just starting out but would go on to have long, successful careers.
From todays perspective, this is a star-studded cast, and the film itself remains a touchstone.
C. Thomas Howell, then and now.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty
(1982) under his belt, 15-year-old C. Thomas Howellwon the lead role ofThe Outsiders.
Ponyboy is one of the few characters who yearns for a way out.
The breakthrough role has stuck with Howell throughout his career.
Matt Dillon, then and now.Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty; Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
I see so many Stay Gold tattoos, hetold EW in 2021.
It’s still a very important part of my life.
The up-and-coming actor maintained a steady workload in subsequent years.
Ralph Macchio, then and now.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
He recently appeared in a bit part onTaylor Sheridans1923(2025).
Howell and his wife, Brandi, have been married since 2023.
He has three kids with his ex-wife, Sylvie Anderson.
Rob Lowe, then and now.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Michael Tullberg/Gett
Its a startling conclusion to the film and a tricky part to pull off.
I knew he would make a great Dallas,she toldUS Weekly.
Francis decided he was perfect.
Emilio Estevez, then and now.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Jason Mendez/Getty
He will next be seen in Claire DenisThe Cry of the Guards.
Johnny, like Ponyboy, sees the world differently than most greasers and desperately wishes for a way out.
Unfortunately, when he saves Ponyboy by killing a Soc, he brings the rivalry to a boiling point.
Patrick Swayze in ‘The Outsiders’.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic
That one holds a special place, he said onThe Drew Barrymore Show.
Its cool to be a greaser, it just is.
It wasThe Outsidersthat helped Macchio win the part of Daniel LaRusso inThe Karate Kid(1984).
Diane Lane, then and now.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Araya Doheny/Getty
The film was a massive hit and made him a household name.
The series was a huge hit,recently ending its run after six seasons.
Macchiomarried Phyllis Fierro in 1987and the couple havetwo childrentogether.
Tom Cruise, then and now.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; JC Olivera/Getty
His screen career really took off with the era-defining hitsSt.
Elmos Fire(1985) andAbout Last Night(1986).
Since then, however, Lowe has become one of the most successful TV stars of recent generations.
Leif Garrett, then and now.Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Lowe and his wife Sheryl Berkoffhave been married since 1991and have two sons.
Lowe currently hosts the Fox game showThe Floorand his popular podcastLiterally!
Estevez played Two-Bit, a greaser who often tries to steer Ponyboy away from trouble.
Estevez went on to star inRepo Man(1984),The Breakfast Club(1985), andSt.
Elmos Fire(1985).
He has helmed a handful of big-screen features since, including the star-studdedBobby(2006).
Estevez was married to pop starPaula Abdulfor two years.
He has two children from a relationship with model Carey Salley.
Still, it was only his second film role at the time.
Now thats a string of movies, right there.
Julie Newmar(1995) andDonnie Darko(2002).
Swayze also spent timeon stage, starring inChicagoon Broadway in 2003 andGuys and Dollson the West End in 2006.
In 2008, Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
He shot the entire season while sick.
It wound up being his final role.
Swayze died 20 months after his diagnosis on September 14, 2009.
He and his wife Lisa Niemihad been married for 34 years.
Thats the whole reason they go after Ponyboy and Johnny on that fateful night when everything goes wrong.
Shes not even brave enough to acknowledge Ponyboy in public.
Lane, who was just 17 at the time, had it.
The Swans(2024).
Lane hasone daughterwith ex-husband Christopher Lambert.
She was also married toJosh Brolinfrom 2004 to 2013.
Its a small role, something weve rarely seen from Cruise since.
Cruise was just 19 during filming and still very much a newcomer by the March 1983 premiere.
That all changed quickly.
Since then, he’s consistently been one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
The man never stops.
In addition to Kidman, with whom he shares two children, Cruise was previously married toMimi RogersandKatie Holmes.
He and Holmes have one daughter together.
I really wanted to be Ponyboy, because thats the role, he toldEW in 2021.
I wasnt right for it.
Im not that greasy.
I was a cocky teen idol at the time.
Its a choice Bob ends up regretting; in the ensuing melee, he winds up dead.
Garretts not in the film for long, but his condescending character certainly makes an impact.
He was a recording star as well; by 1976, he had afive-record deal.
Personal and legal issues, however, derailed his promising career.
To this day, Garrett countsThe Outsidersas one of his best accomplishments.
There are two things that Im very proud of in my life.
One is being inducted into the cowboy hall of fame for a movie-of-the-week I did, he said.
The other isThe Outsiders.
