“The Outsiders” Cast: Where Are They Now?

Stars including Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon and Patrick Swayze starred in 'The Outsiders'

Kids all across the U.S. have grown up reading S.E. Hinton’s 1967 novel The Outsiders, which tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his gang of friends, known as the Greasers. Ponyboy and his friends encounter loss and grief and learn right from wrong.

Many schools also show Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film adaptation, making The Outsiders an integral part of modern American culture — even 40 years after its release.

Related: Rob Lowe Virtually Surprises Middle School Students Reading 'The Outsiders' on the 38th Anniversary of the Film

Virtually every young star of the film would become a massive Hollywood star with careers that have spanned decades. The young cast, which included Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Diane Lane, was a who’s-who of the decade’s rising talent.

But what are the stars up to now? Here’s what to know about the Outsiders cast today.

C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis

C. Thomas Howell, 56, played Ponyboy Curtis, the Outsiders’ protagonist. Ponyboy is a young Greaser who gets jumped by a rival gang, the Socs, instigating a deadly rivalry.

The Outsiders was Howell’s first starring role after having a small part in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial the year prior. Throughout the rest of the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, Howell landed other lead roles in hits such as Red Dawn (1984), Soul Man (1986) and Gettysburg (1993).

In more recent years, Howell has been seen in recurring roles on TV series like Southland (2009–2013), Animal Kingdom (2016–2018) and The Walking Dead (2018–2021).

In 2022, Howell released his first-ever single titled “Rose Hill” under the name Tommy Howell. When speaking to PEOPLE, Howell said he was inspired to write the song while walking through the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia, where members of the Allman Brothers Band are buried. “As I was standing there, I couldn't help but think how it wouldn't be bad to just lay down right there, jam with the Allmans and listen to the trains go by down by the river,” he said. “That's how this song was born."

Howell will next star alongside Dennis Quaid in the film Reagan, a Ronald Reagan biopic. Howell will star as Reagan’s secretary of defense, Caspar Weinberger.

Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade

Ralph Macchio, 61, played Johnny Cade, Ponyboy’s friend who kills one of the Socs after they’re attacked one night.

The Outsiders was Macchio’s first major acting role. Speaking to Drew Barrymore on her show in 2022, he recalled the movie’s “unnerving” audition process. “Every actor was in one big soundstage … with all the actors sitting around the perimeter, and Francis would call different actors to read different roles and would mix and match,” he said.

Macchio continued: “You’re already sweating because you’re in the room with one of the great filmmakers and storytellers in American cinema history. Everybody wants to be in this movie because they love the book, and yet you’re watching everyone’s audition and watching the reaction of the director. … It was really important for him to mix and match and see the chemistry because these boys all knew each other and had history together.”

Related: Ralph Macchio Shares the Secret to His 33-Year Marriage to His High School Sweetheart

The following year, Macchio would find further success as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid (1984). Over the next decade, Macchio landed leading roles, starring in The Karate Kid’s two sequels in 1986 and 1989 and joining Joe Pesci in the hit comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992).

In 2018, Macchio returned to the “Miyagiverse” for the series Cobra Kai, reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso. In January 2023, Netflix announced that Cobra Kai’s sixth and final season was on the way. The series is one of the many affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.

Off-screen, Macchio has been married to Phyllis Fierro since 1987. The couple met at a party when Macchio was just 15. In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Macchio recalled the party: "This is 1970 or whatever, so this is Cheez Doodles, 7Up, Tootsie Rolls, probably the Ruffles with onion dip,” he said. “She was a friend of my cousin, and we just smiled and talked and danced a little. Probably the Hustle!" The couple have two children, Julia, 31, and Daniel, 26.

Matt Dillon as Dallas “Dally” Winston

Matt Dillon, 59, played Dallas “Dally” Winston, one of the older Greasers who is hardened from his previous life of crime and poverty in New York City.

A few years before The Outsiders, Dillon had made a name for himself in movies including Little Darlings (1980) and Tex (1982). After starring as one of the Greasers, Dillon’s career flourished over the next two decades, and he landed starring roles in movies like The Flamingo Kid (1984), There’s Something About Mary (1998), Wild Things (1998) and Crash (2005). Next up, Dillon will star in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.

In 2022, Dillon appeared on Danny Pellegrino’s podcast Everything Iconic, where he recalled his fond memories of working on The Outsiders. “I think everyone got along great when we made the film, but I was closest I think with Tommy [Cruise] and with Ralph because we had a lot of scenes together,” he said. “But we all got along. … It’s a very familial atmosphere, working with [Coppola].”

Off-screen, Dillon has been dating actress and dancer Roberta Mastromichele since 2014.

Patrick Swayze as Darrel “Darry” Curtis

Patrick Swayze starred as Darrel “Darry” Curtis, the oldest Curtis brother who raises his brothers Ponyboy and Sodapop after the death of their parents.

The Outsiders was Swayze’s first major role, but throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, he became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, thanks to his leading roles in blockbuster hits including Dirty Dancing (1987), Road House (1989), Ghost (1990) and Point Break (1992). Swayze continued acting into the 2000s, working on smaller indie projects and straight-to-video releases.

In 2008, Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and initially had an encouraging prognosis; in March of that year, Swayze’s doctor said, “Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far.”

A year later, tabloids began reporting that Swayze’s health was in decline, but the actor denied the reports, telling PEOPLE in part, “Once again, I am one of the lucky ones with pancreatic cancer that is responding well to the treatment.”

On Sept. 14, 2009, Swayze died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. His reps told PEOPLE, “Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months.”

Swayze married dancer and choreographer Lisa Niemi in 1975 and remained with her until his death. In 2023, Niemi told the Today show that she still loved him. "Just because somebody's gone doesn't end your relationship with them,” she said. “We spent 34 years together, and that's always going to be a part of my life and who I am."

Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis

Rob Lowe, 59, played Sodapop Curtis, the middle brother of Darry and Ponyboy, who often made jokes to mask his true emotions.

The Outsiders was Lowe’s first major film, which launched him straight into the Brat Pack. He starred in films including St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) and Wayne’s World (1992). He’s also had leading roles on TV shows including The West Wing (1999–2003) and Parks and Recreation (2010–2015), and he currently stars on 9-1-1: Lone Star, which premiered in 2020 and just finished its fourth season.

In 1991, Lowe married Sheryl Berkoff and the couple have been together since. They have two sons: Matthew Edward, 29, a businessman, and John Owen, 27, an actor. In early 2023, Lowe and his son John starred side by side in the Netflix comedy series Unstable.

Both 9-1-1: Lone Star and Unstable have been renewed for more seasons.

Emilio Estevez as Keith “Two-Bit” Matthews

Emilio Estevez, 61, played Keith “Two-Bit” Matthews, one of the Greasers and a good friend to the Curtis brothers.

Like much of the cast, The Outsiders was Estevez’s first major role, but it was far from his last. He went on to star in films like The Breakfast Club (1985), St. Elmo’s Fire (1986), Young Guns (1988) and The Mighty Ducks (1992).

Estevez also comes from a famous Hollywood family. His father is Martin Sheen, known for his roles in The West Wing and Grace and Frankie, and his brother is Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men.

In his personal life, Estevez dated model Carey Salley on and off throughout the ‘80s. The pair had two children, son Taylor Estevez, 38, and daughter Paloma Estevez, 37. He was also briefly engaged to Demi Moore in 1986 and was married to dancer and singer Paula Abdul from 1992 to 1994. In 2006, he became engaged to journalist Sonja Magdevski, with whom he started a winery. They have since ended their relationship.

In May 2023, Estevez confirmed to Uproxx that he wrote Guns 3: Alias Billy the Kid, the third installment in the Young Guns franchise. The release date has yet to be announced.

Tom Cruise as Steve Randle

Tom Cruise, 60, played Steve Randle, a member of the Greasers and Sodapop’s best friend who works with him at a gas station.

Though The Outsiders was Cruise’s first major film, he would shoot to fame just a few months later when Risky Business premiered. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Cruise continued to star in hit movies such as Top Gun (1986), Rain Man (1988), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Mission: Impossible (1996) and Jerry Maguire (1996).

In recent years, Cruise has continued to star in blockbuster hits, including the Mission: Impossible sequels, the Jack Reacher franchise and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Related: Rob Lowe Says Tom Cruise Went 'Ballistic' Over Sharing a Room While Making The Outsiders

Cruise has been married three times, most recently to actress Katie Holmes from 2006 to 2012 with whom he had daughter Suri Cruise, born in April 2006.

Before Holmes, Cruise was married to Mimi Rogers from 1987 to 1990 and to Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001. He and Kidman welcomed two children, Isabella Jane, 30, and Connor Antony, 28.

Diane Lane as Sherri “Cherry” Valance

Diane Lane, 58, played Sherri “Cherry” Valance, a Soc girl and Ponyboy’s crush. Throughout the novel and film, she tries to de-escalate the tension between the Greasers and the Socs.

Before starring in The Outsiders, Lane already had a few notable roles under her belt, including starring opposite Kenny Rogers in Six Pack (1982). Though Lane continued acting throughout the ‘80s, her biggest roles came in the 1990s and 2000s when she starred in movies such as Judge Dredd (1995) and The Perfect Storm (2000). In 2003, she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Unfaithful (2002).

She eventually joined the DC Extended Universe as Martha Kent, Superman’s adoptive mother, in Man of Steel (2013), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).

During a 2017 Radio Andy interview, Lane recalled Coppola’s unique tactics to ensure tension between the actors portraying the Greasers and Socs. Coppola kept the two groups separated throughout filming and, according to Lane, the actors playing the Socs “actually got a little more [money] per diem” to help flare tensions between the two groups.

Off-screen, Lane was married to actor Christopher Lambert from 1988 to 1994. She and Lambert had a daughter, Eleanor Jasmine Lambert, in September 1993. Lane was later married to actor Josh Brolin from 2004 to 2013.

According to Deadline, Lane will star as American socialite and fashionista Slim Keith in season 2 of FX’s anthology series Feud. The new season, titled Capote’s Women, will feature a star-studded cast to portray controversial author Truman Capote and his entourage of conniving socialites. Tom Hollander will play Capote and Naomi Watts, Chloë Sevigny and Calista Flockhart will also star.

Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon

Leif Garrett, 61, played Bob Sheldon, Sherri’s boyfriend who, along with some other Socs, attacks Ponyboy and Johnny. Johnny stabs Bob in self-defense, ultimately killing him.

Before The Outsiders, Garrett had established himself as a musician best known for hits like “I Was Made for Dancin’ ” and “Feel the Need," and had starred in films like Walking Tall (1973) and God’s Gun (1976).

After his two hit albums in the late ‘70s, Garrett’s music career slowed down. After The Outsiders, he appeared in the now-cult classic Cheerleader Camp (1987) and the David Spade comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Garrett lived with drug addiction. He went to rehab in 1999 to avoid jail time. In 2006, Garrett was arrested for possession and avoided jail time again by agreeing to enter a “much more intense” treatment facility, per the BBC. There, he was sent to jail for a drug violation after he tested positive for drugs while at the treatment facility. He was arrested for possession again in 2010 and joined the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab later that year.

In 2019, he released a book, Idol Truth: A Memoir, chronicling his life as a former child star and his journey to sobriety. In early 2020, Garrett told Fox News that he was sober. “Right now, I’m just taking things one day at a time,” he said. “I’m not in jail and I’m not in rehab. It took a long time to get to a point where I don’t have to self-medicate myself to escape the pain. That feels good. Hard drugs are a difficult thing, especially if you’ve done it for a while. I play music because I love it. I will always love it.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.