The Outsiders’ Cast and Character Guide (And What They’re Doing Now)

The Outsiders (1983) is a crime-drama movie, directed by a master filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola, who made the legendary The Godfather trilogy The movie was based on a 1967 novel of the same name, written by S.E. Hinton. The screenplay of the movie was co-written by Coppola and Hinton. The music was composed by Carmine Coppola, father of Francis Coppola. The movie Released in March of 1983, the movie was a box office success, collecting over $33 million for a budget of $10 million. As the time went by, the movie gained a cult status among the public.

The movie stars various up-coming actors, and needless to say, have given a tremendous performance. Most of these actors are from the Brat Pack, a group of young performers who frequently appeared in coming-of-age teen movies in the 80s.

In this article, we are going to look into the cast of the movie The Outsiders and going to look at their present situation.

The Cast and Characters of The Outsiders (1983)

• C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis
• Patrick Swayze as Darrel Curtis
• Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis
• Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade
• Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston
• Emilio Estevez as Keith Mathews
• Tom Cruise as Steve Randle

1. C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis

C. Thomas Howell is an American actor who portrayed the role of Ponyboy Curtis in the movie. Ponyboy is a fourteen-year-old boy, playing the protagonist role in the movie. He is very intelligent in terms of academics but lacks to have common sense. However, Ponyboy is reliable and very observant. As his parents died in a car accident, he lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop.

C. Thomas Howell earned the Young Artist Award for his portrayal of Ponyboy. This gave him a breakthrough, and he pursued acting as his career. Later on, he appeared in numerous roles in many movies and television, including Soul Man, The Hitcher, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Amazing Spiderman, Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, and many more.

2. Patrick Swayze as Darrel Curtis

Patrick Swayze was an American actor, singer, and songwriter, who played the role of Darrel ‘Darry’ Curtis. Darry is the elder of the Curtis brothers and had to take care of his two brothers after their parent’s death. Strong and athletic, Darry quit school and worked two jobs at a time to feed his family. He is an unofficial leader of their group, the Greasers.

Patrick Swayze continued his acting career until he died in 2009. He starred in numerous films, including Article Review and others. He received three Golden Globe Nominations for his performance in Dirty Dancing (1987), Ghost (1990), and To Wong Foo (1991). His last appearance was in Powder Blue (2009), and he died in September 2009 due to Pancreatic cancer.

3. Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis

Rob Lowe an actor and filmmaker, played the role of Sodapop Curtis, the middle boy of the Curtis brothers. Sodapop was a happy boy, known for his looks and charm. He plans to marry his girlfriend, Sandy, another greaser.

Rob Lowe continued his acting career and appeared in numerous movies and series, including The West Wing, Killing Kennedy, Square Dance, and others. He was nominated five times for the Golden Globe Award for his performance in various television series. He is currently playing the lead role in 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020-), an American drama series.

4. Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade

Ralph Macchio is an American Actor, who portrayed the role of Johnny Cade in the movie. Coming from an abusive family, Johnny is a little nervous. He is the best friend of Ponyboy Curtis. Johnny kills a ‘soc’, which eventually jump-starts the events in the film.

Ralph Macchio is famous for his role as The Karate Kid (1984), which became a global phenomenon and led to two sequels. His career was a bit down in the early 2000s. He appeared in numerous film series as a guest, however, he began his second career with Cobra Kai (2018-), playing the adult version of Daniel LaRusso.

5. Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston

Matt Dillon played the role of Dallas Winston, the toughest boy in the Greasers group. Dallas was mean and always looked for fights. He is street-smart and knows how to behave and react in difficult situations. He cares none except Johnny.

Matt Dillon continued his acting career and became a phenomenon actor. He acted in various movies, including The Saint of Fort Washington (1993), Beautiful Girls (1996), Wild Things (1993), Crash (2004), and many more. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Crash (2004). His latest appearance was in Asteroid City (2023), playing the role of Walter Geronimo.

6. Emilio Estevez as Keith Mathews

Emilio is an American actor, one of the main members of Brat Pack, who played the role of Keith Mathews. Known as “Two-Bit” Mathews, was wicked and wisecracking. He flirts with his girlfriend Soc, and this leads to hostilities between Soc and the Greasers.

Emilio Estevez continued his acting career, with notable performances in films including, The Breakfast Club (1985), Wisdom (1986), Free Jack (1992), Mission: Impossible (1996), and many others. He wrote and directed Bobby (2006), The Way (2010), and The Public (2018). His last appearance was in the series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers as Gordon Bombay.

7. Tom Cruise as Steve Randle

Tom Cruise, an American actor and Producer, played the role of Steve Randle. Steve is the best friend of Sodapop Curtis. He works with Sodapop in a gas station. Steve is a bit salty about Ponyboy and sometimes doesn’t want to have him around.

Tom Cruise continued his acting career and at present, he is one of the highest-paying actors in the world. His movies include Top Gun (1986), The Color of Money (1986), and Born the Fourth of July (1989). Later, he starred in many sci-fi movies, including the action franchise Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise received various accolades, including Honorary Palme d’Or, three Golden Globes, and four Academy Award nominations for his incredible performance.

Plot of The Outsiders (1983)

The movie opens with Ponyboy writing a book, thus narrating the story from his perspective. One evening, Ponyboy, Dallas, and Keith go for a movie. There they meet Cherry and Marcia from rival gang Socs. Post the movie, as Jhonny, Keith, and Ponyboy move to their homes with Cherry and Marcia, they are discovered by Bob and Randy, the boyfriends of the girls. Out of rage, Bob challenges the Greasers to a fight, however, he is calmed down by Cherry.

Later that night, Ponyboy runs from home as Darry abuses him for the late-night adventures. Ponyboy meets Johnny and starts to walk at the playground, where they come across the Socs. Things heat up between them, and Johnny stabs Bob and saves Ponyboy from drowning.

Ponyboy and Johnny run to Dallas for advice. Dallas tells them to run off to a nearby town. Following the instructions, they set up a camp near an abandoned church. Dallas eventually meets them and gives a letter to Ponyboy from Sodapop. Returning from lunch, they learn that the church is on fire, and tries to rescue the kids. Dallas and Ponyboy save a few, however, Johnny is left with severe burns.

Returning to home, they are welcomed as Heroes, and Ponyboy joins his brothers. Meanwhile, the Socs set up a fight and eventually the Greasers win. They return to say about the winning to Johnny, however, Johnny says that violence won’t solve anything and eventually dies.

Angered by the death of Johnny, Dallas runs away. He holds up a gun against a store clerk and police will pursue him despite the urges of the Greasers. The movie ends with Ponyboy reading a letter from Johnny, where he urges that, despite all the violence, there exists good in this world and Ponyboy should encourage people to ‘stay gold‘.