Rob Lowe: “alcoholics and drug addicts are drawn to show business”


Rob Lowe is promoting his new memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends. We heard last week that Rob called his sex tape, made when he was 21 years old and which co-starred a 16 year-old teen (who misrepresented her age to Lowe), the best thing that ever happened to him. He explained on Oprah that the scandal over the tape helped set him on the path to sobriety. Rob was on Good Morning America today to promote the book and I really liked what he had to say. He gave advice to a mom who tweeted to ask if she should let her daughter go into show business given all the high profile trainwrecks we’ve witnessed lately (Lindsay, Charlie Sheen, etc.). Lowe said that at least her daughter had a passion but added that he believes that alcoholics and addicts are drawn to show business. Lowe also talked about a fanboy moment he had with Liza Minelli as a child that made a big impression on him.

On meeting Liza Minelli when he was eight
She was kind to me, and it made a mark on me in that celebrities can really make a difference in people’s life just by being nice. How hard is it to be nice?

Advice for a mom of a 11 year-old with aspirations of being an actress
It is such a blessing and such a curse, but I would choose kid with a dream over kid who doesn’t know what they want to do any day of the week. I would say if… that’s the passion let them go at it full speed ahead, they’re lucky to have a passion.

On how addicts are drawn to show business
The other thing is, the sort-of pitfalls of fame. Honestly I really believe that alcoholics and drug addicts are drawn to the business for certain reasons. I don’t think it’s business-driven, I really don’t. I just think a lot of us [addicts] are drawn to this business.

On if he wants his boys to follow in his footsteps
I hope they become lawyers and doctors… for some reason my kids are scholars, they’re academics… That makes me really proud because it’s a life I really didn’t get to live.

[Transcribed from Lowe’s appearance on Good Morning America, 5-5-11, video above]

So which came first, the starlet or the Ketel One? Lowe says it’s the (former) starlet and in some of these high profile cases I have to agree. You can’t argue that Lohan would have been a sober college student in another life.

I really like Lowe and I enjoy seeing him in interviews and on TV. He seems so grounded now and like he’s a great family man. Lowe is 47 and he’s been sober for 20 years! He looks about 10 years younger. He’s been married for nearly twenty years to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff and they have two boys together Matthew, 17, and John, 15. I kind of hate that his memoir came out around the same time as Jesse James and, to a lesser extent, Shania Twain. Lowe deserves some more press. It must be memoir season so that we have all these juicy celebrity stories to read over the summer.

Here’s a clip of Rob on The View earlier this week:

Here he is on Vanity Fair:
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And here’s Lowe shirtless on Men’s Fitness from last year. It’s well worth revisiting.
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Lowe is shown at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on 2/27/11 with his wife. Credit: WENN.com

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32 Responses to “Rob Lowe: “alcoholics and drug addicts are drawn to show business””

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  1. Jen says:

    It is RIDICULOUS how beautiful he is. That is all.

  2. Mari says:

    Wow, where is the forever young spring he’s drinking from??

  3. Sumodo1 says:

    Naw, his face is FULL of fillers. His wife’s too, for that matter.

  4. BB says:

    His wife looks pretty smug and I don’t blame her….

  5. Ellie says:

    Both inside and out, it seems.

  6. PrettyTarheel says:

    I’m not sure why, but his marriage never makes it onto the “Boy they’ve been married forever in Hollywood Terms” conversations.

  7. Lisa Turtle says:

    @Tarheel

    Because there have been rumors and national enquirer stories that he’s a long term philanderer and she’s okay with it. I buy that they are Swingers. I don’t think she is enough for him, even when he is sober, and I don’t think she cares if he has dirty business on the side, as long as he keeps it away from their kids.

  8. Esmom says:

    I read the book’s excerpt in Vanity Fair and was so hooked I picked up the book (at the library) so I could get the whole story. Nothing earthshattering but lots of interesting anecdotes and, refreshingly, no trash talking at all. I read somewhere that the haters are criticizing him for barely mentioning Melissa Gilbert, though.

    He does talk about dating her but apparently they were engaged. I didn’t remember that. Thinking about it I don’t see it as revisionist history, just a measure of the perspective that comes with age, not to mention from 20 years of marriage to someone else.

  9. brin says:

    He seems like a good guy and definitely easy on the eyes. This book sounds good.

  10. as says:

    I’m reading his book right now (from the library). He is surprisingly a good writer (the jacket said there was no ghost writer). I just believe he’s a gentleman and will not kiss and tell therefore we did not get the strum and drang of his relationship with Melissa Gilbert.

    Some critics also said he didn’t mention the nanny fiasco a few years back but I suspect when they settled that case, there was a gag order.

    I don’t care. I genuinely like him. He isn’t obnoxious like the other stars.

  11. Brittney says:

    Oh Betty White. Always classy.

  12. RHONYC says:

    mother.
    f*cking.
    forever.
    fine-ass.
    (or as the brothers say)
    FAW-IIINE! 😉

  13. girlindisguise says:

    His wife is fugly. No clue what the attraction was for him. However, he is looking good for a middle aged dude.

  14. lucy2 says:

    I never liked him until Parks & Rec, but he’s been a good addition to a great show.
    I think I’d like to read his book sometime.
    Also, I think many, not all, people who get into showbiz are looking for some sort of validation, plus it’s a hard business full of rejection, so it’s not surprising so many have substance abuse problems.

  15. trollydolly says:

    Youngblood! I watched it on VHS about 100 times in the 80’s. He was beautiful then and he’s even more gorgeous now.

  16. Joan says:

    Yum.

  17. Janna says:

    It’s funny how a lot of gorgeous, almost pretty men date and marry women who aren’t technically beautiful themselves. Remember, when he was engaged to Melissa Gilbert.

    I saw a clip of him back in his bratpack days. OMG He was drop-dead gorgeous.

  18. Happymom says:

    I got his book, after reading the excerpt in VF, and it’s a great read. He’s a very good writer-and he paints such a vivid description of Hollywood in the early 80s. I always found him too “pretty” but he’s gorgeous now, very smart and tells an entertaining tale.

  19. Chris says:

    Loved him in The West Wing.

  20. MoP says:

    The Specials. Rob Lowe is the Weevil. Best. Movie. Evar!

  21. jo says:

    This is a huge story and from a very reputable source… his wife was fooling around.. with the oj simspson friend football player Marcus Allen and was seen having well lets just say .. Rob was doing karate and she was hanging with the “driftwood” guy.. I know completly random

  22. Mizz Tickles says:

    Had a pic of him in my locker in high school.

  23. Meh says:

    Speaking of addicts, when I first glanced at the picture I thought Rob Lowe was standing next to Tara Reid.

  24. Janna says:

    @jo, Marcus Allen is a good friend of the family and is the children’s godfather. Someone always knows someone who knows someone who saw something. LOL

  25. vanessa says:

    He is so fine! I love him on parks and rec, he’s super funny. he was also good in californication..and sexy!

  26. Shoe_Lover says:

    I have had a crush on him since I was 12 and saw The Stand mini series for the first time

  27. Amanda says:

    I read the article in Vanity Fair about him and the memoir- actually, I think it was an excerpt from the memoir. The topic was the casting process for “The Outsiders”. It was a really interesting read! I never had much interest in him before, but I thoroughly enjoyed the article and it made me think his book would probably be good.

  28. jo says:

    no lol This was someone who was making a delivery and did not know that Marcus was a family “friend” It was an eye witness to a sexual act… not intercourse.

  29. alexandra says:

    he is a beautiful man. I love him in About last night with Demi

  30. Karin (from BRAZIL) says:

    I also read the article on VF, and Rob Lowe grew much more to me. He isn´t really my type – though drop-dead gorgeous and still boyish at 47 – but it was a breath of fresh air to see him sparkling on the cover of Vanity Fair. He so much deserves it. He was such a HUGE act in when I was a teen, he was a legend. It´s great to see real stars selling trendy magazines. GO ROB!!

  31. Falula says:

    FOREVER DONG!

  32. Gimmeabreak says:

    YES!!! Hot guys always have FUG wives. And she is one of the fugliest! (John Hamm, ring a bell?) BUT she’s bad-ass enough to land one of the most beautiful men in Hollywood! Ever! I had a poster of him over my bed for years as a teen! I heart Rob 4-ever!