To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first time I saw The Outsiders (it's not really, I'm just making this shit up), I've put together this very very special tribute - which is more a `Where are they now?' or 'What ever happened to ...'.

The Outsiders was of course not just a film adaptation of the classic SE Hinton novel but also a launching pad for some of the hottest young male talent in Hollywood. But while there are those who have even reached the lofty heights of running an entire religion and jumping around on Oprah's couch, others have fallen on pretty hard times.



The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in 1983, was set in the 1950s and focused on a troubled gang of denim-wearing Greasers.

It starred C. Thomas Howell (then 16) and Ralph Macchio (21) in the lead roles as Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade, who are both cleaned up in a vicious attack by members of a rival gang, the snobbish rich kids the Socs.

In supporting roles are Patrick Swayze (30) as Darrel Curtis, Rob Lowe (18) as Sodapop Curtis, Emilio Estevez (20) as Two-Bit Matthews, Tom Cruise (20) as Steve Randle and Matt Dillon (18) as Dallas Winston, who all make up the Greasers.

It is fascinating to see where such a then star-studded cast has ended up. At different stages, every one of them went on to bigger and better things after appearing in The Outsiders ...












C. Thomas Howell
AGE Then 16 - Now 41

THEN The youngest of the group had only really been seen as a minor player in E.T. (1982), but was an out-and-out star for a few years in the mid-'80s, with lead roles in Grandview USA (1984), Red Dawn (1984), Secret Admirer (1985), The Hitcher (1986) and Soul Man (1987).

NOW It all went down hill badly throughout the '90s and he has never really recovered, having to resort to picking up more hitch-hikers in The Hitcher 2 (2003) and starring and directing the abysmal straight-to-DVD War of the Words 2: The Next Wave (2008). He has been married for the past 17 years and has three children.











C. Thomas is now working part-time as a concierge.

FUTURE? Has just directed blatant The Day The Earth Stood Still rip-off The Day The Earth Stopped (2008), which went straight to DVD. So, what's next? 2002: A Space Journey? Or Star Battles - Part 1: Here's Hoping?







Ralph Macchio
AGE Then 21 - Now 47

THEN He didn't do a hell of a lot after The Outsiders, other than starring as the iconic 'Karate Kid' Daniel LaRusso in three movies (1984, 1986 and 1989) and TV-movie The Three Wishes of Billy Grier (1984), about a boy who ages really fast. He, of course, has been a man who has aged slowly, with his constant youthful look.

NOW My Cousin Vinney (1992) was probably the last well-known film he was in, with most of his more recent credits coming in the odd TV show like Ugly Betty (2008). He has been married for the last 22 years and has raised two kids though.









The Karate Kid, now just another face in the crowd.

FUTURE? Get him in the new Karate Kid movie, again as Daniel LaRusso, but now in the Mr Miyagi role - getting some bullied kid to buff his car, paint his fence and sand his wood. Call it Karate Kid: Payback Time.








Matt Dillon
AGE Then 18 - Now 44

THEN Already established after appearing in My Bodyguard (1980) and Tex (1982) before The Outsiders, he then starred in Rumble Fish (1983), the next SE Hinton story to get the movie treatment, and then The Flamingo Kid (1984).

NOW His career has carried on like a roller-coaster, with moments of greatness among moments of madness. There's been Drugstore Cowboy (1989), There's Something About Mary (1998), Crash (2004) and of course Wild Things (1998) when he got to pash Denise Richards and Neve Campbell - at once - but also Albino Alligator (1996) and Herbie Fully Loaded (2005). He's coming up in Old Dogs (2009) with John Travolta, Robin Williams and Seth Green.











Matt Dillon watches Herbie Fully Loaded with friends.

FUTURE? Could follow Robert Downey Jnr's lead and turn movie superhero. What about Matt Dillon as The Green Lantern? He's always stayed in good shape.








Patrick Swayze
AGE Then 30 - Now 56

THEN Did as well as any of The Outsiders for a while there, with a string of star turns in Dirty Dancing (1987), Road House (1989), Ghost (1990) and Point Break (1991). He was the ultimate teen heart-throb. Well, my sister certainly thought so anyway.

NOW He suffered a steep decline, highlighted by the Priscilla Queen of the Desert rip-off To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). He did win plenty of respect back with the cult favorite Donnie Darko (2001) ... but then lost some again by having a cameo in Dirty Dancing 2 (2004) and playing Allan Quartermain in the awful TV-movie King Solomon's Mines (2004).











Swayze has a massive hand for his massive gun in The Beast.

FUTURE? With all due respect, he is currently simply trying to win a battle with pancreatic cancer while starring in TV show The Beast.







Rob Lowe
AGE Then 18 - Now 44

THEN After playing an Outsider he could do no wrong as one of the true members of the Brat Pack, starring in teen hits including Class (1983), Oxford Blues (1984), St Elmo's Fire (1985), Youngblood (1986), About Last Night (1986), before the ironically-titled Bad Influence (1990).

NOW About that time he was involved in a scandal centering around a sexually explicit videotape involving a minor. His career took a dive. He has been seen since largely on TV - via The West Wing and now the terrible Brothers and Sisters - but has regained some lost respect over time thanks to Mike Myers with memorable parts in Wayne's World (1992) and the Austin Powers movies (1997, 1999 and 2002).









Lowe gets some political advice from the Govenator during his time on The West Wing.

FUTURE? Hopefully there is another Austin Powers movie sometime in the future in which he can get back to doing 'Number 2'.








Emilio Estevez
AGE Then 20 - Now 46

THEN My favorite actor growing up, he was the cocky but talented supposed leader of the Brat Pack. He followed The Outsiders with Repo Man (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), Maximum Overdrive (1986), Wisdom (1986), which he wrote and directed, Stakeout (1988) and of course, Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II (1990). Then ...

NOW ... he started appearing in The Mighty Ducks - not one, but three bloody movies (1992, 1994 and 1996) about those pain-in-the arse ice hockey kids. He hasn't been seen much in front of the camera since, but more behind it, directing a couple of episodes of Cold Case, CSI:NY and Numb3rs, and the movie Bobby (2006).









Old flames Estevez and Demi Moore star in the St Elmo's Fire 2: Burnt Out

FUTURE? I'm still hoping for Young Guns 3. If they can make three Mighty Duck movies, surely they can add just one more film with Estevez as the cheeky Billy The Kid - "I'll make you famous".








Tom Cruise
AGE Then 20 - Now 46

THEN He had the least to do in The Outsiders of the lot, but quickly went on to become the most successful - whether you like it or not. Risky Business (1983) immediately followed, and then Top Gun (1986), The Color of Money (1986), Young Guns (yep, Young Guns too) (1988), Rain Man (1989), Born of the Fourth of July (1989) ... the list obviously goes on.

NOW Didn’t work a hell of a lot during the '90s, but his status inside Hollywood was never affected, appearing in hit after hit - A Few Good Men (1992), The Firm (1993), Mission: Impossible (1995) and Jerry Maguire (1996) - and then continued to cement his position at the top of the tree this decade, despite some rather strange behavior, centreing around his work with Scientology and his relationships.










Tom tests out Oprah's new couch.

FUTURE? He should probably take his memorable character from comedy hit Tropic Thunder (2008), Len Grossman, into his own film. He might even star as L Ron Hubbard in a bio-pic about the author/slash Scientology founder.