C. Thomas Howell

Howell in 2013, photo by Prphotos.com

Birth Name: Christopher Thomas Howell

Place of Birth: Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: December 7, 1966

Ethnicity: English, some Welsh and German

C. Thomas Howell is an American actor and director. His roles include the films E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Outsiders, Grandview U.S.A., Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, The Hitcher (1986), Soul Man, Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, and The Amazing Spider-Man, and the animated Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay. He directed the low-budget films The Big Fall, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, The Day the Earth Stopped, The Land That Time Forgot (2009), and The Genesis Code. He has also been credited as Tommy Howell and Tom Howell.

He is the son of Candice and Christopher N. Howell, a rodeo performer and stunt coordinator. C. Thomas was himself a stunt performer as a child. He has three children with his former wife Sylvie Anderson.

C. Thomas’ maternal grandfather was Captain Halmar Jenkins “Hal” Webb (the son of Ernest Griffith Webb and Henrietta Susan Forthcamp). Halmar was born in California. His brother, Del Webb, was a real estate developer, who co-owned the New York Yankees. Ernest was a fruit farmer, and was the son of James Webb and Mary Emily Roberts, whose father was Welsh. Henrietta was the daughter of John Dietrich Forthcamp and Loreno Church.

C. Thomas’ maternal grandmother was Margaret Emily Purdy (the daughter of Arthur Horace Purdy and Ethel Evelyn Burt). Margaret was born in Washington, to English parents. Arthur was the son of Horace Orlando Arthur Vivian Purdy and Emily Britton.

C. Thomas’ paternal grandparents likely were Morris Howell Armor/Armour and Virginia Bernice Humphrey.