1966-12-07 Los Angeles, California, USA
Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966), usually credited as C. Thomas Howell, is an American actor and film director. He starred in the films The Outsiders as Ponyboy Curtis and in The Hitcher as Jim Halsey. He has appeared in Soul Man, Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, Gettysburg, H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds, The Day the Earth Stopped and Gods and Generals. Howell was born in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles to Christopher N. and Candice Howell. He has three siblings. His father worked as a stunt coordinator and rodeo performer. He played the role of the Red Knight in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King. As a young boy, Howell wanted to be a stuntman and was a child stunt performer. He was also a rodeo star. When Howell was young, his parents divorced. Howell graduated from Saugus High School in 1984. In 1982, Howell made his film debut as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. At the age of 15 in 1981, Howell was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983). Howell played the lead role of Ponyboy Curtis, "the soulful tagalong greaser through whose eyes we see the events of the 1960s-set film unfold." Based on S.E. Hinton's bestselling 1967 novel of the same name,the coming-of-age film went on to become a cult classic. Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy was his breakthrough role, and it earned him a Young Artist Award. In 1984, Howell and his Outsiders co-star Patrick Swayze reunited for Grandview, U.S.A. and Red Dawn. Howell also had a pivotal role in Tank (1984). In 1985, he starred in Secret Admirer. After filming The Outsiders, Howell co-starred in his own television series Two Marriages, which ended after four episodes, but letters of support got it back on air. He later expressed disappointment in the series. Howell was one of two final actors in the running for the lead role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985); the other was Eric Stoltz. Ultimately, Michael J. Fox was cast as Marty after Stoltz was deemed wrong for the part. In 1986, Howell was a hitchhiker's target in the film The Hitcher. He also starred in the sequel, which was released in 2003. In 1986, Howell starred in Soul Man, a film in which Howell appears in Blackface. Rounding out the 1980s , Howell played the young Arturo Toscanini in Franco Zeffirelli's 1988 film Young Toscanini.
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Old Dads | Ed Cameron | 2023-10-20 |
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Beast Mode | Breen Nash | 2020-12-01 |
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Dauntless: The Battle of Midway | Captain Miles Browning | 2019-10-22 |
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Control | Control (voice) | 2019-08-30 |
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I Am Patrick Swayze | Self | 2019-08-18 |
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Rich Boy, Rich Girl | Blake | 2018-04-24 |
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Shifting Gears | Jenkins | 2018-03-23 |
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Urban Country | Jim Craft | 2018-08-03 |
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Detroit Under S.T.R.E.S.S. | Narrator | 2018-07-29 |
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The Rack Pack | Ted | 2018-05-05 |
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Deadman Standing | The Stranger | 2018-04-15 |
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Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay | Zoom (voice) | 2018-03-23 |
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Dirty Dealing | Carter | 2018-06-19 |
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The Shadow People | Kaine | 2017-02-28 |
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LBJ | Walter Jenkins | 2017-11-03 |
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A Question of Faith | John Danielson | 2017-09-29 |
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Blue Weekend | Robert Crawford | 2017-03-01 |
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Mac Daddy's Vegas Adventure | 2017-06-17 | |
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Blood Lust | Ryan | 2016-01-15 |
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Attack of the Killer Donuts | Officer Roberts | 2016-07-17 |
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Advance & Retreat | Nathan Shapiro | 2016-11-05 |
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My B.F.F. | Ben Wilkins | 2016-12-12 |
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Justice League: Gods and Monsters | Dr. Will Magnus (voice) | 2015-06-18 |
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Borrowed Moments | Jack | 2015-02-07 |
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Rivers 9 | Sheriff Quentin | 2015-06-30 |
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Woodlawn | George 'Shorty' White | 2015-10-15 |
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Spirit Riders | Keith | 2015-05-09 |
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Magic Hour | Tom Worthy | 2015-12-01 |
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Lazarus Rising | Silent Cal | 2015-09-22 |
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A Christmas Eve Miracle | Jack Carter | 2015-11-24 |
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Bigfoot Wars | Zeke | 2014-03-10 |
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A Magic Christmas | Jack Carter | 2014-10-28 |
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Rescuing Madison | Rad | 2014-09-04 |
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Fruits De Mer | 2014-09-11 | |
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Category 5 | Charlie DuPuis | 2014-05-21 |
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Confessions of a Womanizer | Tony | 2014-09-06 |
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An Amish Murder | Nathan Detrick | 2013-01-06 |
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Lost on Purpose | Delbert Furgeson | 2013-10-04 |
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Christmas Belle | Rex Everhart | 2013-12-08 |
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Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox | Professor Eobard 'Zoom' Thawne / Reverse-Flash (voice) | 2013-07-30 |
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Storm Rider | Mitch Fielding | 2013-10-22 |
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Don't Pass Me By | Jack | 2013-01-12 |
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The Amazing Spider-Man | Jack's Father | 2012-06-23 |
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Wedding Day | Russ | 2012-06-15 |
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Home Invasion | Ray | 2012-09-08 |
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Escape | Paul Jordan | 2012-01-21 |
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Chilly Christmas | Patrick Cole | 2012-11-05 |
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The 'E.T.' Journals | Self | 2012-10-09 |
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MoniKa | Double | 2012-12-14 |
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Restitution | John Youngstown | 2011-10-28 |
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Camel Spiders | Sheriff Beaumont | 2011-03-04 |
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Cross | Jake | 2011-05-21 |
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Cupid's Arrow | Professor Grimes | 2010-01-01 |
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The Terror Experiment | Chief Grasso | 2010-04-01 |
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Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood! | David | 2010-05-18 |
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The Grind | Luke | 2009-09-22 |
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American Pie Presents: The Book of Love | Alumnus Guy #2 | 2009-12-02 |
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The Land That Time Forgot | Frost Michaels | 2009-07-28 |
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Secret at Arrow Lake | 2009-01-01 | |
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The Jailhouse | Seth Delray | 2009-05-01 |
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The Day the Earth Stopped | Josh Myron | 2008-12-09 |
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War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave | George Herbert | 2008-02-01 |
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A Gunfighter's Pledge | Horn | 2008-09-20 |
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Toxic | LIttle Joe | 2008-03-01 |
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The Thirst: Blood War | Jed | 2008-01-01 |
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Big Game | Sully | 2008-07-07 |
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House of Fallen | Thomas | 2008-03-01 |
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Xenophobia | Stone | 2008-01-01 |
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Cold Ones | K.C. Corcoran | 2007-01-01 |
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The Haunting of Marsten Manor | Captain Williams | 2007-01-17 |
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Fighting Words | David Settles | 2006-12-25 |
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The Da Vinci Treasure | Michael Archer | 2006-05-23 |
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Hoboken Hollow | Clayton Connelly | 2006-01-04 |
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Ordinary Miracles | Jim Powell | 2005-01-01 |
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Crimson Force | Capt. Baskin | 2005-06-04 |
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The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam | Coach Fielding | 2005-06-10 |
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The Lost Angel | Kuratha | 2005-04-26 |
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The Poseidon Adventure | Doctor Ballard | 2005-11-20 |
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H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds | George Herbert | 2005-06-28 |
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Glass Trap | Curtis | 2005-08-02 |
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Staying Gold: A Look Back at 'The Outsiders' | Self | 2005-09-20 |
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Zolar | Hedion | 2004-05-01 |
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Nursie | Zack | 2004-02-23 |
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The Hillside Strangler | Kenneth Bianchi | 2004-11-12 |
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A Killer Within | Addison Terrill | 2004-11-06 |
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Hidalgo | Preston Webb | 2004-02-04 |
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Net Games | Adam Vance | 2003-02-02 |
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The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting | Jim Halsey | 2003-07-15 |
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The Hitcher: How Do These Movies Get Made? | 2003-03-04 | |
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Gods and Generals | Sgt. Thomas Chamberlain | 2003-02-21 |
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Killer Bees | Sheriff Lyndon Harris | 2002-11-19 |
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Night of the Wolf | Sheriff Wade Messer | 2002-04-15 |
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WillFull | Nat Wolff | 2002-08-29 |
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Askari | Joss Mckinley | 2001-12-01 |
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Burning Down the House | Concierge | 2001-02-07 |
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Asylum Days | Nathan Devine | 2001-11-10 |
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XCU: Extreme Close Up | Geoffrey Liddy | 2001-05-28 |
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Lawless: Dead Evidence | Dean Riley | 2001-01-01 |
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Separate Ways | Tom Milton | 2001-03-25 |
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Hot Boyz | Officer Roberts | 2000-01-15 |
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The Million Dollar Kid | Valentino | 2000-01-18 |
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Enemy Action | John Reed | 1999-01-01 |
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Escape from Alaska | Jack | 1999-07-28 |
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Fatal Affair | Malcolm 'Mack' Maddox | 1999-05-07 |
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The Prince and the Surfer | Dean | 1999-12-21 |
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Hitman's Run | Tom Holly | 1999-01-01 |
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Red Team | J.B. Gaines | 1999-04-03 |
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Cybermaster: Shepherd II | Dakota | 1999-01-01 |
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Matter of Trust | Michael D'Angelo | 1998-10-06 |
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The Shepherd | Boris Dakota | 1998-08-28 |
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Sealed with a Kiss | Detective Mick Cullen | 1998-02-24 |
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Charades | Evan | 1998-12-17 |
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Dilemma | Thomas 'Quin' Quinlan | 1997-01-01 |
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Last Lives | Aaron | 1997-10-18 |
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Hourglass | Michael Jardine | 1997-02-26 |
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Dead Fire | Tucker | 1997-07-19 |
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Laws of Deception | Evan Marino | 1997-03-08 |
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The Big Fall | Blaise Rybeck | 1997-10-14 |
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Sleeping Dogs | Sanchez Boon | 1997-10-12 |
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Baby Face Nelson | Baby Face Nelson | 1996-01-25 |
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Pure Danger | Johnie Dean | 1996-09-10 |
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The Sweeper | Mark Goddard | 1996-06-25 |
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Suspect Device | Dan Jericho | 1995-01-01 |
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Mad Dogs and Englishmen | Mike | 1995-06-02 |
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Payback | Oscar Bonsetter | 1995-01-10 |
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Dangerous Indiscretion | Jim Lomax | 1995-02-21 |
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Teresa's Tattoo | Carl | 1994-03-15 |
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Natural Selection | Ben Braden / Alex Connelly | 1994-01-10 |
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Gettysburg | Lieut. Thomas D. Chamberlain | 1993-10-08 |
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Treacherous | Micky Stewert | 1993-09-27 |
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Jailbait | Sergeant Lee Teffler | 1993-10-22 |
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Acting on Impulse | Paul Stevens | 1993-07-10 |
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Tattle Tale | Bernard Sprat | 1993-07-21 |
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To Protect and Serve | Egan | 1992-10-28 |
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That Night | Rick | 1992-08-04 |
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Nickel & Dime | Jack Stone | 1992-01-01 |
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Breaking the Rules | Gene Michaels | 1992-10-09 |
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Side Out | Monroe Clark | 1990-03-30 |
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Curiosity Kills | Cat Thomas | 1990-06-27 |
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Kid | Kid | 1990-11-02 |
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Far Out Man | Himself | 1990-05-11 |
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The Return of the Musketeers | Raoul | 1989-04-12 |
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The Eyes of the Panther | Jenner Brading | 1989-11-26 |
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A Tiger's Tale | Bubber Drumm | 1988-02-12 |
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Il giovane Toscanini | Arturo Toscanini | 1988-10-07 |
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Into the Homeland | Tripp Wilson | 1987-01-01 |
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The Hitcher | Jim Halsey | 1986-01-17 |
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Soul Man | Mark Watson | 1986-10-24 |
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Secret Admirer | Michael Ryan | 1985-06-14 |
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Red Dawn | Robert | 1984-08-10 |
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Grandview, U.S.A. | Tim Pearson | 1984-08-03 |
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Tank | Billy | 1984-03-16 |
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The Outsiders | Ponyboy Curtis | 1983-03-25 |
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Tyler | 1982-06-11 |
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One More Mile | Stanley Dixon | |
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One Mile | Stanley Dixon | |
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Dreadtown: The Steel Pulse Story | Self | |
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Where the Wind Blows | Nathan |
