Rob Lowe: Genetics to blame for failed ‘Footloose’ audition
Rob Lowe, with sons John Owen and Matthew, now has an explanation for why he blew his “Footloose” audition and lost the role to Kevin Bacon.
Rob Lowe sure is fit. But he still loves a cheat day.
The 61-year-old actor − known for roles like the whip-smart Sam Seaborn on “The West Wing” as well as the energetic Chris Traeger on “Parks and Recreation” − will be the first to tell you that healthy eating is essential for longevity. But so is balance.
Which is why when Lowe − an avid follower of the low-carb Atkins diet for decades and the diet’s brand spokesperson since 2018 − has an occasional cheat day, all bets are off.
“When I really cheat, I go ham,” the actor says on a Zoom call from the Santa Barbara, California studio where he hosts his podcast “Literally! With Rob Lowe.” “It’s hot chicken. When I’m in New York, it’s my favorite pizza place. Or, if I’m in Philly, I’m getting a Philly cheese steak with a whiz on it. Maybe I’ll get The Apple Pan in LA and get a slice of pie after my burger. I mean, I know how to throw down.”
The actor’s cheat days clearly haven’t had much impact on his physique. Just two weeks ago, Lowe flaunted a shirtless photo of himself with his 29-year-old son John Lowe on Instagram. In the caption, he called the “self indulgent shirtless gym photos” a “Lowe family tradition.”
Lowe credits his ability to eat junk food in moderation, while maintaining an athletic body, to the Atkins diet, which involves limiting carbohydrates and prioritizing protein and fat intake. Lowe says that he doesn’t track calories, simply eating until he feels full.
“For me, it’s a lifestyle instead of a diet, because, to me, diets are unsustainable. You get on a diet, you go off a diet, get on a diet, you go off a diet,” he says. “This is all about sustainability for me and ease.”
How much Lowe eats also varies depending on his activity level − something heavily determined by whatever role he happens to be playing. For instance, during his five-year stint as Owen Strand on “9-1-1: Lone Star,” he ate much more than usual, focusing primarily on meat and vegetables.
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“It’s a really physical role. It’s a fireman. I’m in buildings. I’m crawling. I’m up ladders. I’m hanging. It’s a lot of travel. It was sort of physically demanding, so I want to put on mass,” he says. “But, overall, what I do in my life doesn’t change.”
What Rob Lowe thinks about Ozempic, other diet trends
The industry has changed a lot since Lowe became the face of Atkins seven years ago. For starters, Ozempic and similar weight-loss medications have burst onto the scene − becoming a hot-button cultural and political topic in the process.
Lowe says he has no issue with people using weight-loss drugs and views them as the future; however, he recommends people use them alongside traditional healthy eating.
“You want to be able to sustain those goals once you make them,” he says. “These types of products are amazing to maintain what you’ve got. Whether you’ve got it from traditional dieting or whether you’re on a GLP-1, at some point you need to maintain it.”
Red meat consumption is another hot diet topic fiercely debated online, but, for Lowe, it’s not one he’s personally fretted over. “Some people are watching red meat,” he says. “I love red meat. I have no issues with it.” Especially steak frites, he adds.
Something he does avoid, however, is sugar. As a general rule, Lowe says, the closer one eats like a “caveman,” probably, the better. He’s not overly strict about it, but it does mean he tries to limit processed foods and refined sugars as much as possible.
“I can tell you one thing: Cavemen did not have Fruit Loops,” he says. “For me, sugar is the devil. That’s really the devil. It’s the most addicting thing in the world. It is the most addicting thing in the world, and it’s hidden in so many things. And it’s also flipping delicious.”
Rob Lowe’s biggest secret to looking great at 61? Sobriety
Lowe’s biggest piece of advice for aging gracefully, however, is sobriety. The actor has been sober since 1990.
“You get to a certain age, you can see it in people’s faces,” he says. “I know somebody who drinks. They get to about 50, you see it in their face in a way that you never would’ve seen it when they were younger. It just takes its toll.”
His other big tip? Sleep. Lots of it.
“Literally, you can’t have dreams if you’re not sleeping,” he says. “My entire life has been built around my dreams, and I’m lucky enough to have a lot of them come true.” For Lowe, that’s not just a figure of speech. He says his stepfather was a Jungian analyst − a type of mental health professional who practices the branch of psychology founded by Carl Jung, who famously analyzed his clients’ dreams. Lowe’s mother, he says, kept a detailed record of her nightly dreams. Lowe says he pays attention to his dreams, too, even getting the idea for a game show, which he later sold, from one.
For people looking to boost their longevity, Lowe wants them to know that nothing lasts forever. Sooner or later, the time comes for all of us. The key is to take great care of yourself as time catches up.
“You just get away with murder, until the day you don’t,” he says. The actor’s seen it happen with his own kids − Matthew, 32, and John. “They’re starting to make choices in what they eat that they never would’ve considered earlier, nor should they have. So there’s a time for all things. And, if you want longevity and youthfulness and vigor and health, at a certain point, you have to make that a priority.”
