Rob Lowe Reflects On His Hollywood Journey From A Young Star To His ‘Profound Humility’ Staying Sober For Three Decades
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Rob Lowe opens up about his wild journey from being a teen idol to a sober family man. The “Outsiders” star graced the cover of People magazine and inside spoke about his 30-year marriage, raising his two sons, and staying sober for more than three decades.
“I’ve never been happier, personally or professionally [and] there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not thankful about it all,” Lowe told People about navigating his four-decade journey as a Hollywood star.
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The 57-year-old actor has never been so busy, currently juggling his hit action drama “9-1-1: Lone Star” on Fox, two podcasts and his one-man stage show, which was recently revived after being paused due to the pandemic. However, Lowe’s most rewarding gig is being a husband to his wife Sheryl Lowe, 60, and a father to their two sons, Matthew, 28, and John Owen, 26.
“I have gratitude and profound humility for the gifts that I’ve been given, and worked for, in this world,” Lowe said.
He worked hard for his well-deserved success in the industry, despite the challenges he faced with an early start to fame, a battle with alcoholism, and an unstable upbringing. When Lowe was a child, he saw his mother Barbara work through consecutive divorces — from Lowe’s father then his stepfather, and numerous moves, which, at the time, saw Lowe turn to acting as a distraction and a source of comfort.
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“I had a huge fantasy world in my head and then I found something I could focus all my energies on instead of living in the moment, which a lot of times as a kid was sad or uncomfortable,” the actor said in this week’s People cover story.
With his rise to fame came bad habits and partying, which led to Lowe’s nadir in 1990. He began a “process of self-reflection” and checked himself into rehab at age 26. Since then, Lowe’s worked hard to build a healthy balanced personal and professional life.
“From 26 on, I’ve invested in me: my spirituality, my recovery, my marriage, my family. A lot of it has been – excuse me – f***ing hard. And no one has a perfect life… but I am grateful for all of it,” he admitted.
A big part of Lowe’s recovery was Sheryl. He saw something special in her and for the first time in his life felt “seen,” calling their relationship one of life’s greatest “miracles.”
“I still think she‘s one of the hottest, sexiest, most beautiful, insane, complicated, entertaining [people] that I know, in addition to being a great mother,” Lowe gushed about his wife.
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The actor is also incredibly proud of both his sons, calling them “my favourite people in the world.” The supportive father even helped his son John Owen with his own struggle with alcohol during his late teenage years.
“He never gave up on me,” said John Owen, 26. “I have a little over three and a half years [of sobriety] now, but when I took my first-year chip, he and I spoke at a [12-step] meeting in front of 200 people. And it was one of the best experiences of my life.”
Lowe experienced similar feelings as he recalled being there for his son.
“To give him his one-year [sobriety] chip, and him to give me my 30-year chip, it defies articulation.”
