‘The Outsiders’ Future Stars Captured In Auditions Shared By Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola is celebrating his memorable film The Outsiders with footage of the auditions that brought together the film’s young stars, almost all of whom went on to even greater glory.

Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Diane Lane, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, and Rob Lowe were part of the magic cast.

“42 years ago, we cast The Outsiders in a unique way,” Coppola wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday. “We had all the actors together on a soundstage and would alternate different actors reading for different roles.”

He continued: “It was interesting because each of them was watching their competition, so while it could’ve been a volatile situation, it turned into a very positive one. There emerged the natural respect and sense of colleagueship among them. The result worked beautifully and reminded me of my days as a camp counselor.”

The shared footage features the actors reading from the coming-of-age story, including roles they wouldn’t play. Anthony Michael Hall appears in one audition tape, reading for the role of main character Ponyboy, which went to C. Thomas Howell.

A few of the cast added comments on Coppola’s post, reminiscing about the experience. “The people that came to these auditions… so many went on to have great careers,” Howell wrote. “Amazing.”

“These auditions and this film experience still inform me today,” Macchio wrote, thanking the Oscar-winning filmmaker, while Lowe added, “Feels like this was just yesterday!”

The film tells of rival teen gangs in a rural Oklahoma town: the poor Greasers and the wealthy Socs. After Ponyboy and Johnny (Macchio) get into a deadly brawl, they’re forced to go into hiding.