Rob Lowe is a sober man now. The 56 year old actor has been clean for more than three decades. However, the polished charmer of today is a farcry from the wild party-holic alcohol-crazed guy from yesteryears. Rob opens up to ‘Sunday Sitdown’ about his disbelief over the person he once was and admits that it feels like “ another lifetime”.
Looking back at the person he was, the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner says he understands what made him so wild, Rob had catapulted into fame at fifteen and was heady with his success. “I was a teen idol, young movie star and an alcoholic [with] a lotta money, and it was a great mix. What could possibly go wrong?” It seemed like the easy and fun path to take. But the over dependence on substances took its toll on the young ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ actor. At 26, Rob had already seen the darkest sides of being famous. He had courted scandal, had compromising tapes leaked and seen his career almost end in tatters. His relationship with his then girlfriend Sheryl was on tightropes. He could either let his decisions ruin him or he could take stock of things and get a grip on his life. He decided to try turning a new leaf. The young actor went into rehab and is today proud of his sobriety.
Rob says retrospectively, “You either come out on the other side of it way, way, way better or way, way, way worse.” Today he feels proud to have been sober “way longer than half my life.” The young man of the past is someone he would hardly recognize today.
So what is the secret behind Rob’s success in keeping away from alcohol so long? Now happily married to Sheryl, the “West Wing” star asserts anyone can live careless lives and yet get their act together. It all comes down to one’s will power. “You have to want to do it”.
Rehab enabled Rob to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of his body, to mend his mental state and to get back onto his feet. The actor, producer and director is now a happy dad to Matthew and John. He managed to build back a rewarding career in television and keep himself clean while he was at it. The Hollywood star asserts, “But when I was done, I was done…”
The Rob of today may be a sober man but he sure has not lost his penchant for humor and show us. Currently, an A-listed neighbor of Prince Harry in LA, Rob repeated his claim that his British neighbor is growing a ponytail and jokingly says, the press needs to photograph Harry soon to prove his credibility as a “ celebrity stalker.”. “His brother may be the [future] king of England, but for my money, Harry’s got something better than his brother: hair.”
If anything may turn Rob into the bad guy now, it will not be his lack of sobriety, it would be the paparazzi and their ability to prove or dismiss his claim about Harry’s hair!