Cast of "The Outsiders" (1983) Quiz

Answer:

"The Outsiders" (1983) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel of the same name that was written by S.E. Hinton in 1967. Coppola decided to make the film after receiving a petition from the students at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, California; with help from the school librarian, Jo Ellen Misakian, they explained that they loved the book, and asked him to make a movie. He loved the book too.

With a setting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the story focused on the relationship between upper class and lower class boys in the 1960s - the Socs and the Greasers. The two teenage gangs were constantly involved in fighting; the impression given was that the Socs enjoyed beating up Greasers just because of their socioeconomic standing in the community. Their "enjoyment", however, turned to tragedy when one of the Socs was killed in self-defense during a confrontation.

Although the fighting had been going on for a while, the book centered on a disagreement that occurred when one of the Socs thought the Greasers had paid his girlfriend, Cherry, too much attention. She had met some of the boys at the drive-in, and spent some time talking with them. During their conversation she realized that there really wasn't that much difference between the Greasers and the Socs. Cherry proved to be a loyal, honest ally to the Greasers, and even after her boyfriend was killed, she told the truth about what had happened. Cherry's part was played by Diane Lane, who was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Pictures in 1984 for the role. She went on have a long list of award nominations; these have included the "Lonesome Dove" (1989) miniseries, for which she earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. In 1999 she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her role in "A Walk on the Moon", and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in "Unfaithful" (2003).

Teen idol Leif Garrett had already starred in a variety of movies before he played Soc Bob Sheldon. Bob drove a blue Mustang and wore heavy rings, which symbolized his status. He frequently used his rings to inflict painful injuries on his Greaser victims, but the final straw was his attempt to drown one of them in a fountain. The Greaser's friend pulled out his switchblade and stabbed Bob to death. Overall, Garrett's main success as an actor and pop singer came before he had the supporting role in "The Outsiders". He starred in a variety of television show episodes, such as "Nanny and the Professor" (1970), "Family Affair" (1971), and "CHiPs" (1979). His first album, "Leif Garrett" (1977), was a collection of cover songs; his biggest hit, "I Was Made for Dancin'" (1979) reached number 10 on the US Hot 100.

Tom Waits played Buck Merrill in "The Outsiders"; he was not a member of the gangs, but the rodeo partner and owner of the bar where one of the Greasers frequently stayed. Prior to his part in the movie, he was mostly known for his music. He released seven albums from 1973-1980. He had also, however, been breaking into films beginning with a part in "Paradise Alley" (1978). He only had one line in the "Outsiders". At the time, however, Waits was also working with Coppola on a movie called "Rumble Fish" (1983) that was, like "The Outsiders", also based on a novel by S.E. Hinton. Waits has won two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

At the time Tom Cruise appeared in "The Outsiders", he was definitely not a household name, and his role in the movie as Steve shows that. In fact, Steve, who was Sodapop Curtis' best friend and co-worker who could fix any car that came to the DX Station, really did not have as important of a role in the movie as he did in the book. The same year, however, Cruise starred in "Risky Business" (1983), which was considered to be his huge breakout role. From there he went on to take roles in movies like "Top Gun" (1986) and "Rainman" (1988), and never looked back. In fact, he currently holds the Guinness World Record for most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies with eleven films that were released from 2012-2025. His awards include three Golden Globes and an Academy Honorary Award for extraordinary lifetime achievement and commitment.

Emilio Estevez played the role of Two-Bit in the movie; he was a switchblade-carrying Greaser who always had to give his opinion - on everything. Although he had a few small roles before "The Outsiders", his breakout role as Two-Bit definitely brought him recognition and led to his association with the group known as the Brat Pack. At that stage in his career he starred in movies like "The Breakfast Club" (1985) and "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), followed by the "Young Guns" (1988, 1990) movies and "The Might Ducks" (1992-1996). After the "Ducks" movies, Estevez began to focus more on directing. In 2007 he was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Motion Picture - Drama for his work with "Bobby" (2006). In addition, he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in the same film, in which he also starred. The story was centered around the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

Sodapop Curtis, played by Rob Lowe, was quite an interesting character. The middle brother, he was the peacemaker of the group, and, according to the book, was "movie star handsome". It seemed that much of his part was edited from the movie as the original version of 133 minutes was cut down to 91 minutes before it was released. Lowe, another member of the Brat Pack, had gained recognition as an actor prior to his role as Sodapop, but his portrayal of the middle Curtis brother was considered to be his breakthrough role. He went on to star in "The Hotel New Hampshire" and "Oxford Blues", both in 1984, and "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985). He has been nominated for Golden Globe Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards, but won two SAG Awards in the category Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for his role in "The West Wing" (2000, 2001). In 2015 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The story is that Patrick Swayze was asked to to play the role of the oldest Curtis brother, Darry, based upon his performance in "Skatetown, U.S.A." (1979). Darry, the father figure in the Curtis household after their parents were killed, was concerned for his youngest brother's safety, and overreacted when Ponyboy came home late one night. Pony ran out of the house, and that action led to the string of events that eventually made the Greasers heroes. From "The Outsiders" Swayze went on to appear in "Uncommon Valor" (1983), and then was reunited with some of his "Outsider" cast mates in "Red Dawn" (1984). His career took off with the television miniseries "North and South" (1985), and the movies "Dirty Dancing" (1987) and "Ghost" (1990). Over a career that was much too short, Swayze also gained recognition as a dancer and singer-songwriter; he was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, earned a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame (1997), and was the "Sexiest Man Alive" (1991) in "People" magazine.

Matt Dillon, who believed he did not do well at his audition, was really perfect for the role of the tough guy Dally; Director Coppola thought so immediately - hence the short audition. In the movie, Dally was the Greaser who had quite a long history of juvenile delinquency. When the other boys were in trouble, Dally was the one they turned to for help. As hardened as he was, however, he was completely broken by the death of Johnny, who he saw as a little brother, and just snapped. Dillon had already appeared in "Little Darlings" and "My Bodyguard", both in 1980, and had worked with Emilio Estevez in S.E. Hinton's "Tex" (1982). He was working on another Hinton project called "Rumble Fish" (1983) at the time he played Dally. He went on to win a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for "Crash" (2004), and a Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble, all for the same movie. He has also been nominated for a Grammy, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe.

C. Thomas Howell was Ponyboy, the Greaser who told the story in "The Outsiders". He was the youngest member of the group, a good student at school who loved sunsets. Yet his life situation meant that he was caught in the violent struggle between his group and the rival gang, the Socs. His friend Johnny realized how very innocent Ponyboy was when he advised him to "Stay gold". The role of Ponyboy was considered to be Howell's breakthrough part, although he first appeared in a supporting role in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982). "The Outsiders" earned Howell the Young Artist Award for the Best Young Motion Picture Actor in a Feature Film. He has a long list of credits in both film and television spanning decades, and in 2023 released his debut music album, "American Storyteller".

Ralph Macchio played the role of sixteen year old Johnny Cade in "The Outsiders" when he was twenty. It has been said that he did not participate in the typical pranks with the others because he concentrated so hard on making his performance perfect. Johnny had such a miserable home life that the other Greasers adopted him as a little brother. He was the one who turned some of the Greasers into heroes when he insisted they rescue children from a burning building. While he was dying from his injuries, Johnny wrote a note to say that the boys had done the right thing, as the children's lives were more important than his. He also advised his friend, Ponyboy, to keep his innocence (Stay gold!) as long as he could. Although Macchio had been appearing in commercials prior to the movie, "The Outsiders" really launched his career. He then appeared as Daniel in the "Karate Kid" (1984-1989) movies, and reprised his role in the television series "Cobra Kai" (2018-2025), for which he has been nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards and a Kids' Choice Award. Macchio has a long resume of television, film, theater, music video, and video game roles. He has also worked as a director and producer. In 2024 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Val Kilmer was cast for the role of Ponyboy in "The Outsiders", but declined the part because he was busy with another project when production began. Sean Penn, Scott Baio, Robert Downey Jr., and Dennis Quaid all auditioned for parts, but were not cast. Ralph Macchio has commented on how difficult the auditioning process was for the movie, as Coppola had several of the guys reading for different roles all together at the same time.