Entertainment

'The Outsiders' Had The Most Attractive Cast Ever

by Rachel Simon

Normally, a movie's 32nd anniversary isn't really worth noting, but when that movie is The Outsiders and it's Rob Lowe who's doing the noting, exceptions can certainly be made. After all, the teen drama, which came out on March 25, 1983, is a classic work of cinema, both for its compelling storyline and fact that it starred the best-looking cast of all time. Seriously: go home, Magic Mike. When it comes to attractive ensembles, The Outsiders will always take the cake.

And really, how could it not? The movie starred the biggest heartthrobs and up-and-coming stars of the early '80s: Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, and Tom Cruise. Add in the charms of Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, and C. Thomas Howell, and the Outsiders ensemble could only have been hotter if the Hemsworth brothers had found a way to time-travel onto the set.

Of course, its (very) attractive cast isn't the only reason The Outsiders is worth celebrating. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film is well-made and highly moving, a worthy adaptation of S.E. Hinton's beloved book. Still: that cast. In honor of the anniversary, let's take a look back at the beauty that was The Outsiders' male ensemble:

Rob Lowe

Although today, Lowe is everywhere you look, back in 1983 he was just a a 19-year-old actor looking to make it big. Getting cast in The Outsiders as Sodapop, the most carefree of the Curtis brothers (not to mention the best-looking, which is saying a lot), did just the thing. After The Outsiders, Lowe went on to star in St. Elmo's Fire and other Brat Pack-era movies before suffering from scandal, and as TV fans know, later revived his career through roles in shows like The West Wing and Parks & Rec. Yet while the now-51-year-old actor still looks impressively young, there's no doubt that his prime was in '83, filming The Outsiders. Specifically, this shot.

Tom Cruise

The Tom Cruise of today is not exactly synonymous with heartthrob, but it was a much different story back just a few decades back. The actor, just 21 when he played Steve Randle in The Outsiders, was just as charming as his peers, and just a few months later, he'd go on to dance his way into superstardom in Risky Business. His part in Coppola's film may have been small, but clearly, the director knew what he was doing.

Patrick Swayze

The beloved Swayze may be best remembered for his romantic roles in films like Ghost and Dirty Dancing, but it was his tough-guy parts in films like The Outsiders that first put him on the map. As Darry, the burdened older brother of Sodapop and Ponyboy, the then-31-year-old Swayze brought impressive gravity to the role, and is one of The Outsiders' most memorable cast members. We miss you, Patrick.

Matt Dillon

Dallas Winston was everything you weren't supposed to like: mean and rough, carelessly dangerous, and the person to go to for cigarettes, a gun, or a place to hide. But thanks to 19-year-old Matt Dillon's performance (and really good hair), all rationality went out the window. Dallas, and Dillon, were simply the coolest.

Ralph Macchio

The adorable, then-22-year-old Macchio broke hearts as the sensitive, abused Johnny, an unlucky kid who often found himself in troubled situations. When the teenager, in the midst of dying after saving kids from a fire, tells Ponyboy to "stay gold," it's impossible not to cry.

Emilio Estevez

Two-Bit Matthews was perhaps the least-developed character of the Greasers, but Estevez still managed to make him memorable. The Brat Pack leader would go on to star in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire, and it was his time in The Outsiders that established him as an actor to watch.

C. Thomas Howell

Only 17 at the time of the film's release, Howell might've been overshadowed by his older co-stars, but as the star of the movie, his performance (and use of hair grease) is certainly not to be ignored. Stay gold, Ponyboy.

Image: Warner Bros.; Giphy; iheartto/Tumblr; pbcurtis/Tumblr