What is it about Rob Lowe that inspires a universal “Ohmygod I love him!!!” reaction in nearly everyone? Is it his impossibly good looks? Perhaps. Is it his body of work that includes everything from 1980s teen dramas to Westerns — and everything in between? Maybe. Or maybe it’s the fact that Rob Lowe is both visually stunning and casually self-deprecating. He’s a great guy who casually accepts his flaws and continues to create relevant and entertaining content. And I’m not too proud to admit that when I spoke with him last week, I giggled copiously. So much so that before ending our conversation, I burst out with, “I’m sorry for giggling like an idiot, but you’re Rob Lowe, so I guess I’m forgiven.” His reply? “You’re so sweet; I love it.” For the record, I’ll be changing my professional bios everywhere to include the fact that Rob Lowe thinks I’m sweet … but I digress.
For over four decades, we’ve grown up with Lowe and his vastly varying career choices. We swooned over his portrayal of Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders. We were impressed with his ability to portray endlessly idealistic Sam Seaborn in The West Wing. We collectively lusted after Lowe in Netflix’s Holiday in the Wild, and are still mightily annoyed at ITV for canceling his Brit cop dramedy Wild Bill (shoots a meaningful look at Hulu, hoping it will take the hint and pick up the series).
These days, you can find Lowe, 56, starring as Owen Strand on Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star. Or tune into his podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe, where among other things he catches up with celebrity pals like Lisa Kudrow. Lowe is also committed to a healthier food plan, and to that end often talks about his four-year relationship with Atkins.
Rob Lowe X Atkins
Lowe said that when he hit his mid-30s, he realized that he couldn’t eat the way he had been since he was a teenager. “I started eating a low-carb/low-sugar way of eating then, but at this point, I’ve been eating this way for years. It’s not a diet, but a lifestyle.” So much so that when “the Atkins folks came to me and suggested a partnership, it was kismet.” As for living your best life the Rob Lowe way, he’s quick to add that the best years of his colorful life so far have been in his 50s. And in Atkins, as in life, it’s all about “progress, not perfection.”
Rob Lowe right now
After being in the public eye for most of his life, the project Lowe seems most excited by is his podcast. “I think my podcast is really an indication of who I am, what I’m about, and what interests me. And having those things being accepted and having other people being into it is really cool.” And when the conversation swings to being a person millions of people have a crush on, he takes it in stride. “It’s one of those things you honestly don’t really spend much time thinking about. I’m aware of it. I’m really flattered by it, but I don’t really think about it all that much because you really don’t’ know what to do with it other than being flattered and kind of blush over it. I really enjoy that when I tour on my one-man show, which I will get back to if we ever have audiences again. That I can look out on the audience and see literally 80-year-old women or 14-year-old girls enjoying the show makes me feel really good — and sometimes they even drag men along with them.”
His best girlfriend
I mentioned to Lowe that we always like to hear about close friendships here at The Girlfriend. Without hesitating, he said, “Here’s the thing. My best girlfriend is my wife. My wife and I have been married 30 years this summer. And it’s because I married my best friend. And I got really lucky that my best friend happened to be a very beautiful woman. She’s the one that when anything good happens, I think about, or anything bad happens, I want to share it. That’s the first person I wanted to share with. People ask me if I have any secrets to a long marriage, and there is no secret; there’s no special sauce. It requires hard work. Just because you have bad days — or bad weeks — doesn’t mean it’s over. They’re gonna come; forgiveness is huge. You can vote to leave, and a lot of people do that, but we don’t. At the end of the day, she’s my best friend, and that’s the number one thing I think as my boys look for mates and dates; I say, ‘Can you be long-term friends with this person?’ That’s the main thing they should be looking for.”
The face in the mirror
At one point, Lowe mentioned the fact that early on in his career, he was desperate to be seen as more than just a pretty face. And so, when I asked him what he sees when he looks in the mirror these days, he laughed wryly. “When I look in the mirror, more and more I see my father. I’m incredibly blessed that my father is really good-looking. And a good dude!”
E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
