Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

A New Kind of Family ''A New Kind of Family'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 1979 to January 1980. The series stars Eileen Brennan, Rob Lowe and Telma Hopkins. It is not to be confused with, nor is it related to, the series '' Family'', whi ...

'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in the early 1980s, he came to prominence as a teen idol and member of the

Brat Pack The ''Brat Pack'' is a nickname given to a group of young actors who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. First mentioned in a 1985 ''New York'' magazine article, it is now usually defined as the cast ...

with roles in films like '' The Outsiders ''(1983), ''Class'' (1983), '' The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984), '' Oxford Blues'' (1984), '' St. Elmo's Fire'' (1985), '' About Last Night...'' (1986), and ''

Square Dance A square dance is a dance for four couples, or eight dancers in total, arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances contain elements from numerous traditional dances and were first documente ...

'' (1987). The success of these films established him as a Hollywood star. By the turn of the millennium, his career saw a resurgence when he ventured back into television, making his breakthrough as Sam Seaborn on the NBC political drama '' The West Wing'' (1999–2003), for which he received nominations for a

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

and two

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

s. His other television roles include Robert McCallister on the ABC drama '' Brothers & Sisters'' (2006–2010), Chris Traeger on the NBC sitcom ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

'' (2010–2014, 2015), Ethan Willis on the CBS medical drama '' Code Black'' (2016–2018), and as Captain Owen Strand on the critically praised Fox drama '' 9-1-1: Lone Star'' (2020–present). In 2018, he made his directorial debut with the television film '' The Bad Seed'', a remake of the 1956 film of the same name.

Early life

Robert Lowe was born in

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, to Barbara (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Hepler), a teacher, and Charles 'Chuck' Davis Lowe, a trial lawyer. His parents divorced when Lowe and his younger brother

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

were young. Lowe was

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost i ...

into the Episcopal church. He is of German, English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. On the show '' Who Do You Think You Are?'', Lowe found out that one of his ancestors, Christopher East, was a Hessian soldier. His ancestor was fighting under the command of Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall and was captured at the American victory at

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.POW, his ancestor was given a choice, and took the option to stay in the United States. Lowe grew up in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

, in a "traditional American setting". He attended Oakwood Junior High School before moving to the Point Dume area of Malibu, California, with his mother and brother.''

Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...

''
Rob Lowe on His Early Years as an Actor, His Friendships with the Sheens and Tom Cruise, and the Movie that Launched His Career, The Outsiders
March 29, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2012.

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

He's Handsome — You Noticed? — but Not Just
on April 20, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2012. In California, he attended Santa Monica High School, where he met

Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), ''The Thr ...

. In his autobiography ''Stories I Only Tell My Friends'', he wrote regarding Sheen, "We were both nerds ..he wanted to be a baseball player."

Career

1970s

Lowe got his first professional acting role in 1976 when he was 12 and still living in Dayton. He played an errand boy in a production of ''Sherlock Holmes'' at the

Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation ...

summer theater. He landed the part by calling every local theater and asking each if there was a part for a child in a play. Lowe was paid $150 for the role. In 1979, Lowe landed the part of Tony Flanagan in the short-lived television comedy ''

''.

1980s

One of Lowe's earliest roles came in the 1983 television film '' Thursday's Child'', for which he received his first

nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. He also appeared in the music video for The Go-Go's song, " Turn to You". His breakthrough role was his big-screen debut in 1983, when he and Emilio Estevez were cast in

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

's '' The Outsiders''. Lowe played the role of Sodapop Curtis, the brother of the main characters Ponyboy Curtis ( C. Thomas Howell) and Darrel Curtis ( Patrick Swayze). In 1984, he starred opposite

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...

in Tony Richardson's '' The Hotel New Hampshire''. Lowe and Estevez reunited in '' St. Elmo's Fire'', making them the two more prominent actors from the group known as the

. '' About Last Night...'' followed, with

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After making her film debut in 1981, Moore appeared on the soap opera '' General Hospital'' (1982–1984) and subsequently gained recognition as a member of the Br ...

(who had starred alongside Lowe in ''St. Elmo's Fire''). He then received his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the mentally disabled Rory in ''

'' (1987). In August 1987, he performed on stage, playing Baron Tusenbach in Chekov's ''The Three Sisters'' at The Williamstown Theatre Festival. He recalled meeting

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

there, and that the older actor encouraged him to work in the theatre in 1993 when filming a British TV production of the

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

play ''

Suddenly, Last Summer ''Suddenly Last Summer'' is a one-act play by Tennessee Williams, written in New York in 1957. It opened off Broadway on January 7, 1958, as part of a double bill with another of Williams' one-acts, '' Something Unspoken'' (written in London i ...

'' with (the now) Dame Maggie Smith and Natasha Richardson.

1990s

Lowe appeared in 1994's '' The Stand'', based on

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

's book of the same name. He played Sam Seaborn in the television series '' The West Wing'' from 1999 to 2003 (and briefly in 2006). His performance in the show garnered Lowe a

nomination and two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Lowe was drawn to the role because of his personal love of politics, and his longstanding friendship with Martin Sheen, who was cast as President

Josiah Bartlet Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character from the American television serial drama ''The West Wing'' created by Aaron Sorkin and portrayed by actor Martin Sheen. The role earned Sheen a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Televi ...

. When the show premiered, Lowe was considered the lead, and the pilot centered on his character. But as the cast of the show—including Allison Janney, Richard Schiff,

Janel Moloney Janel Moloney is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Donna Moss on the television series ''The West Wing'', a role for which she received nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series ...

, Dulé Hill, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Martin Sheen (who was initially scripted as a small role), and

Stockard Channing Stockard Channing (born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard; February 13, 1944) is an American actress. She is known for playing Betty Rizzo in the film '' Grease'' (1978) and First Lady Abbey Bartlet in the NBC television series '' The West Wing'' ...

(whose

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non- monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the ...

was initially scripted as a guest role)— were all well-known actors, eventually Lowe's character was no longer the show's main focus. Lowe and series creator

Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. Sorkin has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime ...

soon found themselves at odds over the network's meddling with the show, most notably the network demanding changes in Lowe's character. Eventually, Lowe left the series, not long before Sorkin and director/executive producer Thomas Schlamme, resigned over a dispute with NBC. During the final season of ''The West Wing'', Lowe returned to his role of Sam Seaborn, appearing in two of the final four episodes. In 2011, Lowe stated on ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

'' that he left the show because he did not feel he was being respected, when the other lead characters received a raise and he did not.

2000s

After leaving ''The West Wing'', Lowe was the star and executive producer of a failed NBC drama, '' The Lyon's Den'' (2003). In 2004, he tried again in a series entitled ''

Dr. Vegas ''Dr. Vegas'' is an American drama television series created by John Herzfeld and Jack Orman, starring Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano that ran on CBS from September 24, 2004 to September 6, 2006. It aired in Ireland on TG4, and on Challenge in ...

'', but it also was quickly canceled. Lowe passed on the role of Derek Shepherd of '' Grey's Anatomy'', which eventually went to Patrick Dempsey. Despite his two canceled TV series and flops like ''

View From the Top ''View from the Top'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruno Barreto and starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Candice Bergen, Joshua Malina, Mark Ruffalo, Rob Lowe, Mike Myers, and Kelly Preston. The film follows a you ...

'' and the made-for-TV movie '' Perfect Strangers'' during his post–''West Wing'' run, Lowe found success in the TV miniseries genre. In 2004, Lowe starred in the TNT remake of the Stephen King miniseries ''

Salem's Lot ''Salem's Lot'' is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot (or 'Salem's Lot for short) in Maine, where he l ...

'', which was the highest-rated cable program of that summer and the highest ratings TNT original programming had at the time. In 2005, he starred as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee in Sorkin's London West End production of '' A Few Good Men'', the first time the two had worked together since ''The West Wing''. Although Lowe had expressed unhappiness about his decreased role on that show at the time of his departure, he has now repeatedly said that any animosity between them is over and that he was pleased to be working once more with Sorkin. That same year, Lowe starred in the miniseries '' Beach Girls'' on the Lifetime network, based on the Luanne Rice novel of the same name. The series premiere received the highest ratings for a movie premiere in Lifetime history. Later, Lowe filmed his supporting role as a movie agent in the 2006 independent film '' Thank You for Smoking''. In 2006, he filmed ''The Perfect Day'' for TNT, in which he took a pay cut to film in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

in order to help the

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

-ravaged area. That same year, Lowe filmed '' Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming'', the sequel to the 1999 Kevin Bacon thriller '' Stir of Echoes'', and it was announced that Lowe would join the cast of '' Brothers & Sisters'' for a guest run of several episodes. In January 2007, ABC announced that Lowe would be staying on ''Brothers and Sisters'' as a "special guest star" for the rest of Season 1 after Lowe's initial appearance on the show in November 2006 brought the best ratings and demographic showing for the show since its premiere. Soon after ABC announced an early Season 2 renewal for ''Brother & Sisters'' in March 2007, Lowe announced he would be returning for the show's second season. He continued to appear in the series until the end of the 2009–10 season. Then, Lowe announced he would leave, unhappy with the stories and his lack of screen time in the fourth season. In an episode broadcast on May 16, 2010, his character was part of a multi-vehicle crash involving a large truck and was put into a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...

. The storyline was wrapped up in the first episode of the fifth season; Lowe did not appear in the episode. In June 2006, he was the guest host for an episode in the third series of ''

The Friday Night Project ''The Sunday Night Project'' is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title ''The Friday Night Project''. Originally broadcast on Friday nights, the show moved to Sunday n ...

'' for the United Kingdom's Channel 4. Lowe has also appeared in a televised advertisement for 'Visit California' with other celebrities, including Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

. (In the advertisement campaign, he was usually pictured in a white tee-shirt printed with the California state flag.) Lowe had a supporting role in the 2009 movie '' The Invention of Lying'' and a leading role in ''Too Late to Say Goodbye''.

2010s

In 2010, he appeared in the biography of the

ers called: ''Brat Pack: Where Are They Now?'' He also appeared on ''

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late Ni ...

''. Lowe is currently teaming up with 44 Blue to produce a reality series entitled ''Potomac Fever'' about young adults living in Washington, D.C. In July 2010, it was announced that Lowe would be providing the voice for the superhero Captain Marvel in the animated series, '' Young Justice''. It was also announced in July 2010 that Lowe would become a series regular on the series ''

''. He portrayed Chris Traeger, the relentlessly upbeat city manager of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, for four seasons, before his character was written out of the show in 2014. He was so pleased with the show and his guest appearances on season 2 that he agreed to become a full-fledged cast member from there on out. He reprised the role in the 2015 series finale, “

One Last Ride "One Last Ride" is the series finale of the television sitcom ''Parks and Recreation''. It serves as the 12th and 13th episodes of season 7 and the 124th and 125th overall episode of the series. It was written by lead actress Amy Poehler and ser ...

”, and in the 2020 special episode “ A ''Parks and Recreation'' Special”. In 2011, Lowe guest starred in a recurring role on Showtime's comedy '' Californication''. Lowe featured as the troubled but in-demand actor Eddie Nero – a character based upon "about ten people", according to LoweArchived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
but somewhat contradicted by sources at Showtime itself – employed to portray Hank in a film version of his book, ''Fucking and Punching''. In 2011, Lowe wrote a memoir titled ''Stories I Only Tell My Friends'', which was released in May 2011. During his promotional tour for ''Stories I Only Tell My Friends'', Lowe told

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

n radio show ''

The Kyle & Jackie O Show ''The Kyle and Jackie O Show'' is an Australian breakfast radio show hosted by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O on KIIS 106.5 in Sydney. The show is syndicated in the late drive slot on the KIIS Network following ''Will & Woody'' across Austr ...

'' that during his five-day press visit to Australia in 1990, he was so badly affected by the overuse of painkillers that the only two things he remembers from the trip were being at the

Sydney Zoo Sydney Zoo is a zoo in Bungarribee in the Western Sydney Parklands, in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Zoo is located west of the Sydney central business district. It occupies a site. Sydney Zoo is a member of the ...

and getting a

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

, although he states in his book that he does not remember getting the tattoo. In 2014, Lowe wrote a second book titled ''Love Life'', which was released in April that year. He uses stories and observations from his life in a poignant and humorous series of true tales about men and women, art and commerce, fathers and sons, addiction and recovery, and sex and love. In 2014, Lowe starred in a pilot for the single-camera comedy ''The Pro'' as Ben Bertrahm, a former professional

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

player. The pilot was not picked up for series. He also narrated ''The '90s: The Last Great Decade?'' on the

National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney General ...

, which aired in July of that year. In 2015, Lowe starred in the satirical thriller '' Pocket Listing'' Lowe has been a commercial spokesman for

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...

since fall 2014. Commercials featuring Lowe contrast him with some alternate, less appealing form of Lowe, who instead has cable. The advertisements were pulled in April 2015 after the National Advertising Division, acting on a complaint by

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

, found DirecTV's claims about its customer satisfaction, quality, and ranking to be less than truthful. In February 2015, Fox announced they had greenlit a pilot for the comedy '' The Grinder'' starring Lowe and

Fred Savage Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series ''The Wonder Years'' (1988 to 1993). He has earned several awards and nominations, such as ...

, and directed by Jake Kasdan. The series, in which Lowe starred as a washed-up actor starting a new career as a lawyer, was cancelled after one season. In November 2015, Lowe voiced Simba in the television pilot movie ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar''. Lowe continued to voice Simba for its subsequent series '' The Lion Guard''. In December 2015, Lowe was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located in front of the Musso, and Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard. In 2015, Lowe launched Profile™, a men's skincare product line. The line features a collection of five antiaging products specially formulated for men. It is currently sold at

Nordstrom Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and ...

stores and online. The product collection includes a cleanser, a shave gel, an aftershave serum, a moisturizer, and an eye serum in the price range of $24.50 to $59.50. In 2016, Lowe launched a fragrance product line called 18 Amber Wood with the Profile™ brand. On August 27, 2016, a Comedy Central Roast TV special was recorded and aired on September 5, 2016, with Rob Lowe as the Roastee and David Spade as Roast Master. Amongst the Roasters were Jewel, Nikki Glaser,

Ralph Macchio Ralph George Macchio Jr. ( ; born November 4, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Daniel LaRusso in three '' Karate Kid'' films and in '' Cobra Kai'', a sequel television series. He also played Johnny Cade in '' The Outsider ...

, Pete Davidson,

Peyton Manning Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with ...

Rob Riggle Robert A. Riggle Jr. (born April 21, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and former United States Marine Officer. He is known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's ''The Daily Show'' from 2006 to 2008; as a cast member on ''Sa ...

, Jimmy Carr,

Ann Coulter Ann Hart Coulter (; born December 8, 1961) is an American conservative media pundit, author, syndicated columnist, and lawyer. She became known as a media pundit in the late 1990s, appearing in print and on cable news as an outspoken critic of ...

and the "Roast Master General" Jeff Ross. On April 21, 2017, KFC released a campaign featuring Lowe as

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

Colonel Sanders giving a JFK speech spoof/

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

about launching the Zinger chicken sandwich into space. Lowe said in a statement that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to meet Harland Sanders. In late autumn 2017, Lowe began a reality series with his two sons, 24-year-old Matthew and 22-year-old Jon Owen, on A&E titled ''The Lowe Files''. With the exception of the hour-long pilot, the series features 30-minute road trips with the Lowe boys, and occasional TV guest stars known in the field, investigating common urban myths and legends that Rob has loved since he was a young boy and has shared with his boys throughout their growth. Some of the topics being explored are Bigfoot/Sasquatch, the alleged unidentified "submerged" objects that may have a base off the coast from Los Angeles, alien abduction, and ghosts and their direct responses to stimuli. The series debuted on August 2, 2017. On January 3, 2018,

Atkins Nutritionals Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. was founded by Robert Atkins in order to promote the low-carbohydrate packaged foods of the Atkins diet. As of 2017, it is part of The Simply Good Foods Company. The company sells low-carbohydrate bars, shakes, and snack ...

announced Lowe as a new brand spokesperson. Due to his "low carb lifestyle", Lowe was selected for a series of multimedia ads that were still airing throughout 2019. In October 2018, it was announced that Lowe would star in an ITV series, '' Wild Bill'', about an American policeman who moves to

Boston, Lincolnshire Boston is a market town and inland port in the borough of the same name in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Boston is north of London, north-east of Peterborough, east of Nottingham, south-east of Lincoln, south-southeast of ...

with his daughter. While the show was cancelled by ITV after one season, there were hopes it would be picked up by Netflix or Hulu at a future date. On March 19, 2019, Lowe began hosting the Fox competition series ''

Mental Samurai ''Mental Samurai'' is an American television game show that aired from March 19, 2019 to July 20, 2021 on Fox. Described as an "obstacle course for the mind", the show features contestants answering knowledge-based questions while being moved aro ...

'' where he also serves as a producer.

2020s

Lowe began hosting a podcast called ''Literally! With Rob Lowe'' on June 25, 2020. Guests included

Chris Pratt Christopher Michael Pratt (born June 21, 1979) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for playing Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015). He also appeared in The WB drama series '' Everwood'' (2002–2006) ...

and

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' ( ...

. In September 2021 Lowe launched a second podcast, a ''Parks and Recreation'' recap show called ''Parks and Recollection'', alongside ''Parks and Rec'' writer and producer Alan Yang. Lowe directed a short documentary named Madness in the Hills, which is about the mudslides that killed 23 people in Southern California in January 2018, including many friends and neighbors of Lowe. It debuted on Peacock on October 9, 2020. On May 12, 2019, it was announced that a spin-off the ''

9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency n ...

'' series titled '' 9-1-1: Lone Star'' was ordered to series with Lowe in the starring role of Owen Strand. The series premiered on January 19, 2020, to generally favorable reviews and was renewed for a second season which premiered on January 18, 2021. On August 6, 2021, Deadline revealed that Lowe will star and executive produce the Netflix movie ''Dog Gone''. Lowe will offer commentary in ''The Andy Warhol Diaries'', premiering on Netflix on March 9, 2022. On April 6, 2022, it was announced that Lowe will star in and executive produce ''Unstable'' with Victor Fresco and his son John Owen Lowe for

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

Personal life

Family and relationships

Lowe has been married to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff since 1991. They met on a blind date in 1983, and again on the set of Lowe's movie '' Bad Influence''. The couple have two sons: Matthew Edward Lowe (b. 1993) and John Owen Lowe (b. 1995).

Sex tape

In 1988, Lowe, who was 24 years old at the time, was involved in a sex scandal over a

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videoca ...

of him having sex with two females: Tara Siebert who was 22 and her younger friend Lena Jan Parsons who was 16 years old at the time. The three met at Club Rio, an Atlanta nightclub. They were videotaped the night before the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, Georgia. As the

age of consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally cla ...

in Georgia was 14 at the time (until 1995 when it was raised to 16), both were of legal age to engage in sexual activity, although 18 was the legal age to be involved in such a recording. At the time, Lowe was campaigning for

Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis (; born November 3, 1933) is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history ...

. Eventually, his career rebounded and Lowe mocked his own behavior during two post-scandal appearances as host of ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

''.

Sobriety

Lowe began drinking heavily as a teenager. His early fame allowed him to lead a hard-partying lifestyle that was covered extensively in the tabloids. In 1990, two years following the sex tape scandal, Lowe decided to quit drinking and completed an extensive alcohol rehabilitation program. He has maintained sobriety ever since, saying it was the best decision of his life. Adopting a daily Transcendental Meditation practice has been instrumental to his well-being. "It's changed my life," says Lowe.

Nanny lawsuit cases

In April 2008, Lowe filed separate lawsuits against three former employees, accusing them of breach of contract, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lowe accused an ex‑nanny of engaging in a scheme to hurt him and his wife by spreading "malicious lies". Another former nanny was accused of falsely claiming to have had a personal and intimate relationship with Lowe, and also repeatedly expressing romantic interest in Lowe, claiming Lowe sexually harassed her and that Sheryl Lowe was an abusive employer. Lowe also claimed a former chef engaged in sex on their bed when the family was out of town, stole prescription drugs from the Lowes, broke several security cameras, overcharged them for food, and allegedly made statements to various people that Sheryl was heartless, cold, and unclean. Jessica Gibson, Lowe's 24-year-old former nanny, made 12 allegations against Lowe involving

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fr ...

claims and labor-code violations. On June 19, 2008,

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning " Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West ...

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civi ...

Judge Denise de Bellefeuille dismissed two allegations regarding labor-code violations due to lack of legal basis. The legal battle ended in May 2009. The press reported that court records showed that lawsuits filed by both nannies and Lowe were dismissed in Santa Barbara. Attorneys for both women and Lowe sought the dismissals.

Philanthropy

Lowe was the first male spokesman for the 2000 Lee National Denim Day fundraiser, which raises money for

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

research and education. His grandmother and great-grandmother both suffered from breast cancer, and his mother died of the disease in late 2003. Lowe is a founder of the Homeowner's Defense Fund, a Santa Barbara County non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to local control of land-use planning and transparency in government. The average price of tract homes in Santa Barbara in early 2006 was US$1,100,000, which motivated some to propose denser housing on existing lots. While in favor of increasing housing density, Lowe sought to build a mansion for himself on an empty lot in

Montecito, California Montecito (Spanish for "Little mountain") is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. p. 58. . Located ...

. His protest over the appearance of the address of the empty lot in the ''

Santa Barbara News-Press The ''Santa Barbara News-Press'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Santa Barbara, California. History The oldest predecessor (the weekly Santa Barbara ''Post'') of the ''News-Press'' started publishing on May 30, 1868. The Santa Barbara ''Pos ...

'' precipitated a mass resignation of senior employees at that newspaper on July 6, 2006.''American Journalism Review''
December 2005/January 2006, (archived in WebCite on June 4, 2007)

Filmography

Film

Television films

Television series

Music videos

Video games

Awards and nominations

In December 2017, Lowe was chosen to receive the Horatio Alger Award for 2018. The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans recognizes people who have overcome personal challenges to achieve personal and professional success.

References

External links

*
Rob Lowe interviewed by KVUE reporter Roy Faires
in 1986 about his new movie "About Last Night" from

Texas Archive of the Moving Image The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2002 by film archivist and University of Texas at Austin professor Caroline Frick, PhD. TAMI's mission is to preserve, study, and exhibit Texas film h ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Rob 1964 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Welsh descent American Episcopalians American male film actors Audiobook narrators People from Charlottesville, Virginia Male actors from Virginia Male actors from Dayton, Ohio People from Malibu, California Male actors from Santa Monica, California 21st-century American memoirists American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors American podcasters Living people Writers from Virginia Writers from Dayton, Ohio 20th-century American Episcopalians