On screen, he is played by C. Thomas Howell in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film adaptation and by Jay R. Ferguson in the 1990 sequel TV series.

Ponyboy's best friend is Johnny Cade, a boy who is said to resemble "a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers."

After the murder of a Soc, running away from home, and the deaths of his two buddies, Ponyboy has to appear in family court in order to convince the judge that living with his brothers is an appropriate environment.

Once the judge announces that he can remain under his brother's custody, he returns home and finds a letter from Johnny which inspires him to start writing the story of his experience being a greaser.

[17][18] Robert Osborne in his 1983 review for The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Howell and Ralph Macchio, who played Johnny, carry the film and do a commendable job with their performances.

[20][21][22][23] Emlyn Travis of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "From the moment that he appears onstage scribbling away in his notebook, it's clear that Grant sees the character for what he truly is: a wide-eyed kid, burdened by familial and societal expectations, who longs for something more.