Stars like Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Tom Cruise prove that some gold can, in fact, stay.

Where is *The Outsiders *cast now? See the actors over 40 years after the movie made them mega-stars

Stars like Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Tom Cruise prove that some gold can, in fact, stay.

By Maggie Fremont

Maggie Fremont

Maggie Fremont is a writer at **.

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and Kevin Jacobsen

March 25, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET

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Emilio Estevez as Keith 'Two-Bit' Mathews, Rob Lowe as Sodapop 'Soda' Curtis, C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis, Patrick Swayze as Darrel 'Darry' Curtis, and Tom Cruise as Steve Randle in 'The Outsiders'. Credit:

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection

If there's anyone who deserves a retroactive Oscar for casting, it's Janet Hirshenson for the remarkable ensemble she put together for *The Outsiders*. The 1983 coming-of-age drama, based on S.E. Hinton's popular novel of the same name, featured a new generation of stars that would come to be synonymous with their era, dominating the screen for decades to come.

Following a group of scrappy youths divided by class and caught up in gang warfare, *The Outsiders* was a foundational film for stars like Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and C. Thomas Howell... which is to say nothing of Tom Cruise making a small appearance.

More than 40 years have passed since *The Outsiders* premiered, and we're checking in with the film's stacked cast to see how their careers have gone since.

C. Thomas Howell (Ponyboy Curtis)

C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis in 'The Outsiders'; C. Thomas Howell attends a screening of 'Obliterated' on Nov. 29, 2023, in Culver City, Calif.

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty

With one minor part in Steven Spielberg’s *E.T. *(1982) under his belt, 15-year-old C. Thomas Howell won the lead role of *The Outsiders*. Howell’s character, Ponyboy Curtis, is the center of the story and one of the most heralded teenage characters in film. Ponyboy finds himself in the middle of a rivalry between his gang (the greasers) and the kids from the rich side of town (the Socs) that ends in violence and tragedy.

The breakthrough role has stuck with Howell throughout his career. “I see so many Stay Gold tattoos,” he told EW in 2021 as part of an oral history of the film. “It's the most beautiful fan moment for me when I meet women who are in their 40s and I watch them turn into their 13-year-old selves when they talk about *The Outsiders*. It's still a very important part of my life.”

The up-and-coming actor maintained a steady workload in subsequent years. Coppola’s friend and collaborator John Milius hired Howell for *Red Dawn *(1984), reuniting him with his *Outsiders* big brother, Patrick Swayze. Not long afterward, he got terrorized by Rutger Hauer in *The Hitcher *(1986), which has become a cult classic.

The busy actor has a few other high-profile movies in his lengthy filmography — including *Gettysburg *(1993) and *The Amazing Spider-Man *(2012) — but in recent years has found a foothold on TV, with well-received roles on *Criminal Minds*, *Southland*, and Taylor Sheridan’s *1923*.

Howell and his wife, Brandi, have been married since 2023. He has three kids with his ex-wife, Sylvie Anderson.

Matt Dillon (Dallas “Dally” Winston)

Matt Dillon as Dallas 'Dally' Winston in 'The Outsiders'; Matt Dillon attends the 68th David Di Donatello red carpet on May 10, 2023, in Rome, Italy.

Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty; Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

By the time he took on the role of tragic figure Dallas Winston, Matt Dillon was already a teen heartthrob thanks to back-to-back hits *Little Darlings* (1980) and *My Bodyguard *(1980). As Dallas, Dillon was able to flex his acting muscles, giving life to the most hot-headed of the greasers — who, after suffering yet another loss, decides there’s no escape from his life of violence.

According to Hinton, she recommended Dillon for the role after working with him on the 1982 adaptation of her novel *Tex*. “I knew he would make a great Dallas,” she told *US Weekly*. “Francis decided he was perfect.”

After *The Outsiders*, Dillon immediately reunited with Coppola, Hinton, and Diane Lane for the director’s adaptation of *Rumble Fish *(1983). He won more acclaim for his lead role in Gus Van Sant’s *Drugstore Cowboy* (1989), which helped him shed his teen idol status. In the ensuing years, he booked Cameron Crowe’s *Singles *(1992) and reunited with Van Sant in *To Die For *(1995) before showing off his comedy chops in *There’s Something About Mary* (1998) and his sleazy side in *Wild Things *(1998).

He garnered further praise — and revulsion — for Lars von Trier’s *The House That Jack Built *(2018). Dillon went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his role as a racist cop in *Crash *(2005). He will next be seen as Sylvester Stallone's father in the 2026 biographical drama *I Play Rocky*.

Ralph Macchio (Johnny Cade)

Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade in 'The Outsiders'; Ralph Macchio arrive at the 'Cobra Kai' series finale premiere event at the Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on Feb. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

As Johnny Cade, Ralph Macchio was the heart of *The Outsiders* — and the one who got to utter the film’s most famous line: “Stay gold, Ponyboy.” Johnny, like Ponyboy, sees the world differently from 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.

The New York native was mostly unknown when he took on that pivotal character, but it changed his life, not just with what he learned from Coppola and his costars, but because of how the role shaped his career. “That one holds a special place,” he said on *The Drew Barrymore Show*. “It’s cool to be a greaser, it just is.”

It was *The Outsiders* that helped Macchio get the part of Daniel LaRusso in *The Karate Kid* (1984). The film was a massive hit and made him a household name. He spent some time on Broadway, including working alongside Robert De Niro, before finding another role that immortalized him in pop culture: one of the wrongfully accused in *My Cousin Vinny* (1992), alongside Joe Pesci and an Oscar-winning Marisa Tomei.

In recent years, Macchio has enjoyed a career renaissance after reprising his *Karate Kid *role on the six-season sequel series, *Cobra Kai*, and in the 2025 film* Karate Kid: Legends*.

Macchio married Phyllis Fierro in 1987, and the couple has two children together.

Rob Lowe (Sodapop Curtis)

Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis in 'The Outsiders'; Rob Lowe attends the Los Angeles premiere of 'Grace Point' at Regal LA Live on Jan. 30, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Michael Tullberg/Gett

It was his role as Sodapop Curtis* *that put Rob Lowe on the map, launching him to A-list stardom as part of what was eventually dubbed the Brat Pack. As Sodapop, Ponyboy’s brother and greatest defender, Lowe offered up a sensitive, empathetic version of a greaser that helped him stand out among the ensemble.

His screen presence really took off with the era-defining hits *St. Elmo’s Fire* (1985) and *About Last Night *(1986). He was at the height of his fame when a 1988 sex scandal derailed his career, but he bounced back with heel turns in comedies *Wayne’s World* (1992) and *Tommy Boy* (1995).

Since then, however, Lowe has become one of the most successful TV stars of recent generations. The actor landed a now-beloved role as Sam Seaborn on the political drama *The West Wing*, earning an Emmy nomination before departing after the fourth season. He found continued small-screen success on *Brothers & Sisters*, *Parks and Recreation*, and *9-1-1: Lone Star*.

Lowe and his wife, Sheryl Berkoff, have been married since 1991 and have two sons. He and his son John Owen created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix comedy *Unstable*, which lasted two seasons. Lowe currently hosts the Fox game show *The Floor* and his popular podcast* Literally! With Rob Lowe.*

Emilio Estevez (Keith “Two-Bit” Mathews)

Emilio Estevez as Keith 'Two-Bit' Mathews in 'The Outsiders'; Emilio Estevez visits SiriusXM Studios on May 9, 2023, in New York City.

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Jason Mendez/Getty

*The Outsiders* catapulted Emilio Estevez to fame en route to becoming the face of the Brat Pack. Estevez played Two-Bit, a greaser who often tries to steer Ponyboy away from trouble.

Estevez went on to star in *Repo Man *(1984), *The Breakfast Club* (1985), and *St. Elmo’s Fire* (1985). In the latter, he shared the screen with Rob Lowe as well as Demi Moore, to whom he was engaged for a brief period. The actor’s interest behind the camera led him to write the screenplay for another Hinton adaptation, *That Was Then…This Is Now *(1985)*,* which he also starred in.

In addition to headlining roles in *Stakeout *(1987), *Young Guns *(1988), and *The Mighty Ducks** *(1992), Estevez has pursued a desire to make his own films. He wrote and directed the comedy *Men at Work *(1990), casting himself alongside his brother, Charlie Sheen, as delinquent garbage men who get involved with a murder. He has helmed a handful of big-screen features since, including the star-studded *Bobby *(2006). In 2021, he reprised his role as Gordon Bombay in the first season of *The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers*.

Estevez was married to pop star Paula Abdul for two years. He has two children from a relationship with model Carey Salley.

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Patrick Swayze (Darrel “Darry” Curtis)

Patrick Swayze as Darrel 'Darry' Curtis in 'The Outsiders'; Patrick Swayze celebrating his film 'One Last Dance' at the Joyce Theater on Aug. 23, 2005, in New York City.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic

Darry was Ponyboy and Sodapop’s older brother, always doing his best to take care of them after their parents’ death. He was brought to life by Patrick Swayze, who at 31 was among the oldest members of the cast. Still, it was only his second film role at the time.

He followed that small but emotional part with a string of starring roles in hit films, including *Red Dawn*, *Dirty Dancing* (1987), *Road House *(1989), *Ghost* (1990), and *Point Break* (1991). Now that’s a string of movies, right there.

In later years, he took on opportunities that subverted his heartthrob and action star persona, including *To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar* (1995) and *Donnie Darko* (2002). Swayze also spent time on stage, starring in *Chicago* on Broadway in 2003 and *Guys and Dolls* on the West End in 2006.

In 2008, Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At the time, he was filming the A&E series *The Beast*, starring as an FBI agent in Chicago. He shot the entire season while sick, and it wound up being his final role. Swayze died 20 months after his diagnosis on September 14, 2009. He and his wife, Lisa Niemi, had been married for 34 years.

Diane Lane (Cherry Valance)

Diane Lane as Cherry Valance in 'The Outsiders'; Diane Lane attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations presents Diane Lane for 'Feud: Capote vs. the Swans' at the Meryl Streep Center for Performing Artists on Aug. 15, 2024, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Araya Doheny/Getty

The Soc at the center of it all, Diane Lane’s Cherry Valance finds a kindred spirit in Ponyboy — which royally pisses off her boyfriend and his cohort of sweater-wearing preppies. To make the character work, you need an actor with the perfect balance of charisma, naivete, and fortitude. Lane, who was just 17 at the time, had it.

The actress was no stranger to film sets by that point, having made her debut at age 13 in *A Little Romance *(1979) with Laurence Olivier. She broke out largely on the strength of her collaborations with Coppola, including *Rumble Fish* and *The Cotton Club *(1984). Though there were a few flops along the way — including the now-cult fave *Streets of Fire *(1984) — she earned an Emmy nomination for the epic miniseries *Lonesome Dove*.

After kicking off the turn of the century with the hit drama *The Perfect Storm *(2000), she earned an Oscar nomination for the erotic thriller *Unfaithful *(2002). The star went on to find success with lighter fare as well, including the romantic dramedy* Under the Tuscan Sun* (2003) and rom-com *Must Love Dogs *(2005).

The veteran actress went on to play none other than Superman’s mom in Zack Snyder’s *Man of Steel* (2013) and later earned an Emmy nomination for her performance as socialite Slim Keith on Ryan Murphy’s anthology series *Feud: Capote vs. the Swans*.

Lane has one daughter with ex-husband Christopher Lambert. She was also married to Josh Brolin from 2004 to 2013.

Tom Cruise (Steve Randle)

Tom Cruise as Steve Randle in 'The Outsiders'; Tom Cruise attends the 95th annual Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 13, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; JC Olivera/Getty

It’s a bit of a shock to the system when Tom Cruise pops up as greaser Steve Randle, who works with Sodapop Curtis at the gas station and is a friend to Ponyboy.

It’s a small role, something we’ve 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. By August, *Risky Business *(1983) was in theaters, and Cruise’s pink shirt, undies, and sunglasses were immortalized in pop culture forever. Within three years, *Top Gun* (1986) was out and… well, there was really no turning back after that.

Since then, he's consistently been one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He made a point to balance blockbusters with challenging dramatic parts, including the anti-war drama *Born on the Fourth of July *(1989), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. He earned subsequent Oscar nods for his performances as an idealistic sports agent in *Jerry Maguire *(1996) and as a misogynistic sex guru in *Magnolia *(1999).

In between *Mission: Impossible** *films, he teamed up with Spielberg for *Minority Report* (2002) and *War of the Worlds *(2005), made a sociopathic heel turn in *Collateral *(2004), and stole scenes in unrecognizable form in *Tropic Thunder *(2008). He eventually reignited *Top Gun* fever with the sequel *Top Gun: Maverick *(2022), which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Cruise shares two children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. The actor was previously married to Mimi Rogers and Katie Holmes. He and Holmes have one daughter together.

Leif Garrett (Bob Sheldon)

Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon in 'The Outsiders'; Leif Garrett at the Hollywood Show held at Westin LAX Hotel on April 9, 2016, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Leif Garrett originally had another role in mind. “I really wanted to be Ponyboy, because that’s the role,” he told EW in 2021 as part of the film's oral history. “I wasn’t right for it. I’m not that greasy. I was a cocky teen idol at the time.” Indeed, Garrett proved a better fit for Bob Sheldon, the Soc who picks a fight with Ponyboy and Johnny after seeing them with girlfriend Cherry.

At that point, the kid was already established as a rising talent, from an early appearance in *Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice *(1969) to the TV series *Three for the Road*, which turned him into a mainstay in teen magazines. He was a recording star as well; by 1976, he had a five-record deal.

Personal and legal issues, however, derailed his promising career. Contemporary audiences may know him best from his reality TV appearances, including *Fear Factor* and *Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew*. He published his memoir, *Idol Truth*, in 2019.

To this day, Garrett counts *The Outsiders* as one of his best accomplishments. “There are two things that I’m 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 to EW in 2021. “The other is *The Outsiders*.”

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