Portrait of C. Thomas Howell

Birthday profile

C. Thomas Howell

C. Thomas Howell, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Born
December 7, 1966
Age in 2026
60
Zodiac sign
Sagittarius
Birth year
1966

About C. Thomas Howell

Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor, director and musician. After making his film debut with a supporting role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Howell had his breakout with a lead role as Ponyboy Curtis in the coming-of-age film The Outsiders (1983). Following his breakout, Howell had starring roles in the films Tank (1984), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), Red Dawn (1984), Secret Admirer (1985), and The Hitcher (1986). His lead role in the commercially successful yet controversial film Soul Man (1986) damaged his status as a leading man in Hollywood. In the 1990s, Howell starred in the films Side Out (1990), That Night (1992), and Gettysburg (1993), and had main roles as Detective Frank Kohanek on the Fox horror television series Kindred: The Embraced (1996) and Dr. Alex Kennedy on the syndicated series Amazon (1999–2000). He portrayed Baby Face Nelson in the biographical film Baby Face Nelson (1995). In the 2000s, Howell starred in the film Gods and Generals (2003) and had a recurring, later main, role as Bill "Dewey" Dudek on the NBC and TNT crime drama series Southland (2009–2013). He had a supporting role in the film Hidalgo (2004). In the 2010s, Howell starred in the films Woodlawn (2015) and A Question of Faith (2017), and had a supporting role in the superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). He had voice roles in the superhero animated films Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015), and Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018). Howell also portrayed Walter Jenkins in the political drama film LBJ (2016). In the 2020s, Howell had a main role as Hagerty on the Netflix series Obliterated (2023) and portrayed Caspar Weinberger in the biographical film Reagan (2024). In addition to his acting career, Howell began pursuing music professionally in the 2020s under the name Tommy Howell. He released his debut single, “Rose Hill,” in 2022, followed by “Whiskey Demon,” and later issued his first full-length album "American Storyteller" in 2023.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

C. Thomas Howell timeline

  1. After making his film debut with a supporting role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Howell had his breakout with a lead role as Ponyboy Curtis in the coming-of-age film The Outsiders (1983).
  2. Following his breakout, Howell had starring roles in the films Tank (1984), Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), Red Dawn (1984), Secret Admirer (1985), and The Hitcher (1986).
  3. He released his debut single, “Rose Hill,” in 2022, followed by “Whiskey Demon,” and later issued his first full-length album "American Storyteller" in 2023.

The world when C. Thomas Howell was born

C. Thomas Howell was born in 1966. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1966

  • #1 song"The Ballad of the Green Berets" – SSgt Barry Sadler
  • Top movieA Man for All Seasons
  • Top TV showBonanza
  • Best-selling bookIn Cold Blood – Truman Capote

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentEngland wins the FIFA World Cup at Wembley
  • Top headlineCultural Revolution begins in China
  • Technology milestoneStar Trek premieres, inspiring future technologists
  • Defining fadBatman TV show craze
  • Notable inventionElectronic fuel injection
  • World population3.41 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderLyndon B. Johnson
  • Sports championBaltimore Orioles (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population196.6M

1966 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in C. Thomas Howell's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19662026
Gas$0.32$3.45/gal
Average home$14,200$435,000
Average income$9,400$67,500
Minimum wage$1.25$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$1.09$11.95
Postage stamp$0.05$0.73
Population196.6M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.