Christopher Thomas Howell was born in Los Angeles to Candice Webb and Chris Howell, a professional bull rider turned stuntman. He began his career in the film industry at the tender age of seven. In 1981, he was cast as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a role that would precede his breakout performance in Francis Ford Coppola's classic The Outsiders in 1983. Following his success in The Outsiders, Howell's career rapidly accelerated with roles in films such as Grandview, U.S.A. alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, and the violent Cold War invasion drama Red Dawn.
However, his career was not without its controversies, with the racial comedy Soul Man in 1986 receiving a mixed reception. Despite this, Howell did find love on set with his co-star Rae Dawn Chong, whom he later married. Throughout his career, he has amassed over 90 feature film appearances, including starring roles in Side Out, Gettysburg, Baby Face Nelson, Fatal Affair, Asylum Days, and Hoboken Hollow.
In addition to his film work, Howell has also made a name for himself in television, playing the unpredictable Officer Bill "Dewey" Dudek in the TNT drama series Southland and the sadistic serial killer "The Reaper" on CBS's Criminal Minds. More recently, he has appeared in The Glades and Torchwood. He has also lent his voice to The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012.
As a budding film director, Howell has directed a number of films, including The Big Fall, Pure Danger, The Land That Time Forgot, and The Day the Earth Stopped. Outside of his acting career, Howell has also been an accomplished team roper and, under the stage name Tommy Howell, a singer-songwriter.
