Rob Lowe Reflects On ‘The Outsiders,’ Including One Terrifying Night With Tom Cruise

Rob Lowe and legendary director Francis Ford Coppola recently took a reflective journey back to the making of the 1983 movie The Outsiders, a project that has continued to take its place as one of the most captivating cinematic works of the early 1980s and also served as a springboard for success a long list of actors.

In a lengthy discussion, the pair reminisced on the remarkable imagination, passion, and collaboration that went into adapting S.E. Hinton’s acclaimed book of the same name for the big screen. In addition, Lowe revealed an especially intriguing memory involving both himself and Tom Cruise, who portrayed the character of Steve Randle in the movie.

Everyone on the set of ‘The Outsiders’ was committed to the project

During an appearance on a recent episode of Lowe’s SiriusXM podcast Literally!, Coppola revealed that the production set of The Outsiders served as a unique meeting ground for a group of young, ambitious actors, including Tom Cruise, most of whom would later rise to stardom and become the biggest names in Hollywood.

Also, he highlighted the exceptional professionalism that the crew and actors showed during the process. The director clarified that everyone involved remained highly committed and cooperative despite the emotionally and physically taxing circumstances he imposed to make the story authentic.

Rob Lowe recalls a terrifying experience for him and Tom Cruise during the production of ‘The Outsiders’

During the film’s production, Lowe recalled a particularly memorable moment that the filmmaker had planned. Coppola made arrangements for the actors playing Greaser gang members to spend the night with real former Greasers in an attempt to properly immerse the cast in their roles.

The actor reflected on the night he and his co-star, Tom Cruise, spent in a dark cellar next to an old furnace. He explained that because of the environment, they were both completely terrified, and their minds were racing with all the possible threats that might be hiding in the shadows as they spent the night with real-life gang members. “They might come down and kill us tonight,” he thought all through the night.