Rob Lowe became a well-known actor before his 18th birthday, thanks to The outsiders.

In Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 coming-of-age classic, Lowe starred alongside Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez and Matt Dillon.

“I turned 18 on the set in Tulsa… These (co-stars) are my boys, my homies, my fraternity brothers,” Lowe said People.

He said of the cast’s attitude toward the film: “We were all deadly serious and extremely ambitious.”

He pointed out how competitive and committed Tom Cruise was even at the age of 21.

“Tom (Cruise) was Tom and took it to a new level. He was just born with that kind of commitment and was inspirational,” he said.

In the film, Lowe played Sodapop Curtis and Cruise portrayed Steve Randle.

“It’s funny, the movie has meant different things to me over the years. When it happened, it seemed completely natural, (and) that was my connection,” he recalled.

“And now, as time goes on, and with so many generations growing up and accepting the film and making it a part of their lives… it’s really special to be a part of it,” he said.

He further said that all young actors in The Outsiders brought their own colors into the roles.

Looking back, Lowe says the seeds of the actors’ development were evident early on. “Each of us brought our own individual things that would be seen later in our careers,” he said.

“I think my (Outsiders) character is kind of funny, good-natured and easy-going (and) if you watch something like ‘Parks and Recreation,’ you can even see elements of Soda Pop Curtis in that,” he noted.