Rob Lowe's son John Owen talks getting sober, weighs in on nepo baby debate
Rob Lowe's youngest son John Owen Lowe is stepping into the spotlight with his famous dad.
The father-son duo are the stars of a new comedy series "Unstable," which they co-created and co-executive produced.
"Look, neither one of us could have made this show without the other," the "St. Elmo's Fire" star told Men's Health in an interview with his son for the magazine's April cover story. "I couldn't have gone off and said, 'Hey, I wanna do a father-son show without John Owen.'"
The series, inspired by the pair's dynamic on social media, which often sees John Owen Lowe trolling his father, debuts March 30 on Netflix.
Working with his son in Hollywood wasn't always in the cards, Rob Lowe said, noting that he and wife Sheryl Berkoff tried to discourage their sons from show business.
The couple, who wed in 1991, are also parents to their eldest son Matthew Edward Lowe, an entrepreneur.
John Owen Lowe said he tried to suppress his love for acting and writing initially, saying that being compared to his dad made him "so uncomfortable" that he "wanted to move as far away from that as possible." However, as much as he tried to bottle it up, he said "it just kept bubbling up."
Pressed on the current discussion over nepotism in the entertainment industry, Rob Lowe demurred, pointing to his objections to his sons following in his footsteps and adding, "I'm just saying, are you telling me that the world would be better off if Kirk Douglas didn't have Michael Douglas?
John Owen Lowe, meanwhile, didn't shy away from offering his opinion on what he called "a healthy conversation."
"I'm always more than willing -- and I think it's important -- to acknowledge that I did have opportunities that other people didn't have," he said. "I did get that foot in the door that most people don't, and for that I'm grateful."
He continued, "And what is also true is that after getting that foot in the door, you do have to prove yourself. There's a difference between children of nepotism who have just been platformed and coasted on that and the ones who have worked hard and care about what they do."
Elsewhere in the interview, John Owen Lowe opened up about sobriety -- the 28-year-old has been sober for five years -- saying that as a teenager, he often came off as a "cocky, self-absorbed extrovert" who "loved to be the life of the party" when the truth was he was "deeply insecure" and cracked under the "pressure" put on him as a celebrity's child.
"Many times I could have died. I really liked to push the limits of my body and numb out as much as I could," he said.
"The more insecure I grew, the more aggressively I used -- to medicate. I've been to many hospitals many times. I've been very lucky," he added, noting that one of his closest childhood friends wasn't so lucky and had died of a fentanyl overdose.
John Owen Lowe said his parents "were throwing their lifeline of recovery" at him when he was at his lowest points, but it felt like he "was drowning and they were slamming me on the head with the life raft." He said they got through to him when they said they loved him and were scared for him.
Both father and son have been open about their sobriety journeys over the years. Rob Lowe has now been sober for more than 30 years.
In May 2021, Rob Lowe celebrated "31 years drug and alcohol free" with a post on Instagram.
"I want to give thanks to everyone walking this path with me, and welcome anyone thinking about joining us; the free and the happy. And a big hug to my family for putting up with me!!" he wrote at the time.
