Character Breakdown: THE OUTSIDERS Cast Unpacks Their Roles

Great expectations

Great expectations. Oh, what do I love about Pony Boy

I love Pony Boy for a lot of reasons. I think he's, well, he gets to go through a journey

And also, like, it's very interesting. Like, this book is written from a first person perspective

And so obviously his opinion of himself is one way. But then when you read the book that was On This Is Now

which is not a sequel, but kind of like in the same world, in the Susieverse, if you will

Pony Boy's in it. And how people see him when it's not first person is very, very different

So getting to play with that, play with Susie's source material has been really, really fun

I mean, I love Pony Boy because, again, he feels he is very shy and quiet

But then when people meet him, he's like, oh, he's like a tough kid and he's rebellious and he acts out sometimes

But then on the inside, he's very artistic. I think about the characters, I think about River Phoenix and stand by me, honestly

And like I love that movie and I love that character. I love the actor. And so, I don't know, it kind of feels like my chance of getting to do something in that world

which is like a dream come true. Yeah. I play Johnny Cade I love just his simplicity I love how he knows how to speak when to speak There a lot of silences that I love to fill with just emotion and just observing

So I really love how patient Johnny is as a character. I play soda pop Curtis and I love his free spirits

He's so vulnerable and heartfelt with his brothers, but he doesn't take anything too seriously

I play Daryl Curtis. And me and Daryl actually, we're not similar at all

So it's a good exercise as an actor. He's very grounded, but he loves so viscerally

And I also love very viscerally, but I'm a very flighty person. As Brent, I move a lot, and it's been a unique and a special challenge for me to sort of ground my energy and find this character

You're both buff and sexy, though. I cannot deny. I play Two Bit Matthews, and what I love about him already is

He is the best fighter in the group, but I love that his first impulse isn't to fight

He wants to have a good time. And when he gets angry and stuff, like he feels out of control

And I relate to that because I used to be an angry kid as a kid. And throughout life, I've been able to hone that end because I just want to have a good time

And I think too bit wants to do the same. Yeah, I play Dallas Winston

And I think what I love most is how loud He loves but how it goes unheard You know we overlook the nuance in how love show up

And this is just a very fun, interesting character to play. And I hope people feel every aspect of his humanity

as well as the humanity of all the other characters in the show

because we are a representation, a mirror of humanity, if you will

you will, and I hope you see yourself as well. I play Paul Holden. He's a Soch

I think he's very loyal, which I love about him. I think in the show, they kind of take the more

opposite side of the greasers, so it's difficult to kind of find

those huge connections with him, but I think he's very loyal to his friends and his community, which is really inspiring

He does it very well. Also, you left that part. I play Bob Sheldon

So I'm the leader of the socias, I guess you could say, Paul's my good friend

I'm dating Cherry. And I think what's really exciting about it is where there's light, there's also darkness

And I feel that it's my duty to bring all of that

And to help with the story as a whole, you know, the hero can only be as strong as what they're going against

and really trying to find the compassion for all sides and come at this and not shy away from anything so that way the audience in particular and people can be moved by the story and the depths of how high and low that it goes

I play Cherry Valance and one thing that I love about her is her ability to be empathetic to

people that people in her group, the social group, would never ever be caught dead even thinking

about being empathetic for. I also think that Donya uses this great word called radical compassion, which is based on how she believes Essie Hinton writes the book

There's this great quote that Donya said that was, you know, people think that when Essie Hinton says the outsiders, that she means just the greasers, but she means everyone

And that's what's, I think that radical compassion is something that is true in every character, and it is something that I also love about Cherry

I play Ace, and she is the only girl greaser. and so we're kind of creating this role as we go

but she is the girl who runs with the wolves. She is the wild woman

She is the divine feminine. She is the girl that looks around

and doesn't really see anyone that's like her and then doesn't really care

and just is wild and free. I love it to get to play her

and you get to associate choreograph the show. Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing. Your face has it all. It's amazing. It's mind-blowing to me