Over the years, Rob Lowe has become one of the most beloved TV and film stars in Hollywood, and for good reason. From his early days in St. Elmo’s Fire to his iconic role in The West Wing to his most recent work as host of the popular game show The Floor, Lowe has had a remarkable on-screen career. So you can imagine my excitement when I got to interview him in a Men’s Journal exclusive.
Before we got to all of my Hollywood-related questions, we first talked about his work in the world of pet advocacy. As the Chief Pet Advocate for Ultimate Pet Nutrition, Lowe has been dedicated to speaking during Pet Obesity Awareness Month (in October), “encouraging pet parents to think beyond the ‘cute and chubby’ factor and focus on the everyday habits that can help dogs stay active, healthy, and by our sides longer.”
Rob Lowe Has Been a Dog Guy All His Life
Being the inquisitive person that I am, I had to ask the Oscar-nominee how pet nutrition, especially in dogs, became such a passion of his. Lowe responded, “I’ve had dogs all my life. My wife and I have rescued dogs and rehomed them, sometimes 20 at a time! They’ve always been a passion. When I was researching the best diets to keep them alive, I discovered Ultimate Pet Nutrition.” And to the company’s credit, it believes “optimal nutrition is the key to a happy life.”
Rob Lowe Has Movie and Doc This Holiday Season
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Once I was able to get past the brave idea of helping to rehome 20 dogs at a time (seriously, kudos to the Lowe family), I was happy to make a big pivot in the conversation to his career. As previously touched on, Lowe is a vet in the entertainment business with a lengthy resume. Given that’s the case, he’s earned the right to be selective with roles he chooses at this stage in his career. So I asked what motivates him when taking on a project these days, and he noted:
“I’m interested [in projects] if I feel like I could be additive in a unique way or if it satisfies a curiosity of mine, or maybe it’s a genre I’ve never worked in. That’s what got me to do Literally! and agree to the Netflix documentary.”
For those who don’t know, Lowe currently hosts the podcast, Literally! With Rob Lowe, where he “literally” talks about an array of topics with celebs. And that Netflix documentary he mentioned, Rob Lowe: The Outsider, hits the streamer on November 24 and chronicles not only his rise in Hollywood, but his survival. It should be a nice watch, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Speaking of the holidays and Netflix, the 9-1-1: Lone Star alum is pulling double duty this season, as In a Holidaze debuts on the platform on December 2. In it, he portrays somewhat of a Christmas Yoda, offering sage words of wisdom. Elaborating more on the role, he commented:
“I fell in love with the character. He’s the family mystery man! Not sure what his life is actually like, what his romantic life is about, how he makes money. He’s just a hilarious mystery. My favorite tradition is old-school Christmas music. No pop stars allowed, please!”
‘St. Elmo’s Fire 2’ Anyone?
Since the Q&A with Lowe was brief, I made sure to ask the one question I usually want to know from any great actor: What role would you revisit in a world where sequels and reboots seem more possible than ever? Longtime Lowe fans may be excited to learn that he stated, “We’ve been talking about a St. Elmo’s follow-up, so we’ll see.”
And in what came as a surprise to me, Lowe was open to the idea of a Dr. Evil movie. While Dr. Evil is a character from Mike Myers’ Austin Powers franchise, Myers portays the “villain” himself. Lowe starred in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powes Gold Member as a version of Number 2. Not for nothing, Myers confirmed that there would be a fourth Austin Powers movie, so it’s entirely possible a Dr. Evil film will come to fruition.
Don’t forget to check out Lowe’s upcoming Netflix projects, in addition to listening to his podcast.
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