If Rob Lowe’s career had taken a different turn in the ’80s, we might have seen a very different side of the Brat Pack icon — one that could’ve made waves in the yacht rock genre.
On a recent episode of Literally! With Rob Lowe, the 60-year-old actor, known for his iconic roles in The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire, revealed to host Bill Simmons that he nearly recorded a demo with legendary rock band Toto during his wild and unpredictable mid-’80s heyday. At the time, Toto was riding high off the success of their mega-hit Africa, one of the best-selling songs of all time.
Lowe opened up about his frenetic lifestyle during that period, admitting he was caught in a whirlwind of excess. “There was a minute in the ’80s where I was definitely doing too much Bolivian marching powder [a euphemism for cocaine] and just being a f—ing lunatic,” Lowe told Simmons with a laugh, adding that he has been sober since 1990.
Despite his chaotic lifestyle, Lowe was also grappling with where to take his career. He explained that as a young actor, he was facing a crossroads, feeling “too old to play the roles I had been playing” but not yet ready for the serious, career-defining roles that could have cemented his legacy. That’s when music — a passion of his — started to seem like the perfect escape. “I got it into my head that maybe I should think more about music and I cut a demo with Toto,” he shared.
Simmons, clearly impressed, quipped, “This is one of the reasons you’re the world’s most interesting man,” joking that Lowe was involved in everything from the Showtime Lakers’ title wins to the wild Hollywood scene of the ’80s. Lowe’s response? “Probably nobody, because I also took having fun very seriously,” he laughed.
The ’80s were a defining era for Lowe, who shot to fame as a member of the Brat Pack — a group of young, talented actors, including Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy, who defined teen-centric cinema during that time. Lowe reflected on the madness of it all, recalling the days when police escorts were required to get him on and off set for St. Elmo’s Fire. “The stories I have are mental, they’re nuts,” he said, adding, “I’m super grateful that I can say that I had that in my life, because very few people get to be that person.”
As a new decade approaches, Lowe remains one of Hollywood’s most captivating figures, both for his storied past and his ongoing ability to navigate the ever-changing entertainment landscape.
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