Let’s just get it out of the way: the C. stands for Christopher. C. Thomas Howell has had a career of ups and downs, starting with two pretty big ups. He made his on-screen debut playing Tyler in Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), then as the sensitive Ponyboy Curtis in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders(1983). Outsiders had a cast of mostly then unknown hotties, including Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Ralph Macchio, and all the boys, C. included, quickly achieved Tiger Beatcover status. A steady stream of ‘80s flicks ensued, including Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), Red Dawn (1984),Secret Admirer (1985), The Hitcher (1986), and the ill-received, bad-decision film Soul Man (1986). In the ‘90s and early ‘00s, the Los Angeles-native kept acting, but the films became flimsier and flimsier, as did his wardrobe. So, while you were less than impressed with the flicks, you could at least console yourself with butt shots in Payback (1995), and Shepherd (1999). Working on an upward swing, the ‘10s and ‘20s have proven more fruitful for the veteran actor. He starred as Jack’s father in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), and Water Jenkins in LBJ (2016) on the big screen, but really hit the up factor on television with a starring role as Office Dewey Dudek in Southland from 2009-2013; recurring roles in Grimm in 2014, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorcefrom 2014-2015, Stitchers from 2015-2017, Ray Donovan in 2017, Animal Kingdom from 2016-2018, Boschin 2019, SEAL Team from 2017-2021, and playing evil killer The Reaper on Criminal Minds from 2009-2020, elusively escaping capture. Luckily, C. has been captured naked on film; Mr. Man considers that an up (in more than one sense of the word).
