The transformation of Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe in "St. Elmo's Fire" in 1985.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090060/mediaviewer/rm4294228993/

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He has had quite the evolution. He has gone from being a cocky, arrogant teen and twentysomething who was not that likeable in the 1980s, to becoming one of my favourite actors.

Such has been the transformation of Rob Lowe.

In the beginning
Rob Lowe really got his start in movies such as “The Outsiders” and “Class”, both in 1983, and “The Hotel New Hampshire” in 1984.

I never saw any of those films, but when I started to see his movies, he came off as cocky and arrogant.

“St. Elmo’s Fire”
Rob Lowe was part of a group of young actors called the Brat Pack that included Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and C. Thomas Howell. Various combinations of these actors appeared in movies throughout the ‘80s.

In 1985, a movie called “St. Elmo’s Fire” came out and was a vehicle for a large number of them. Up to that point, the movies were set in and around the high school years. “St. Elmo’s Fire” moved it up a notch, set when the characters are finished or finishing college.

Rob Lowe plays Billy, who comes off as cocky and womanizing, but is really just trying to find himself. He is done college and you can tell he doesn’t know what’s next. In a scene I still find a little heartbreaking, he goes back to his old frat to visit. He has been contemplating being a leader or liaison. He ends up having a great time playing football with his fraternity brothers. As they’re walking off the field, he tells one of them he may try to get involved in the frat. His buddy says that would be great. “We need someone to get us drugs,” he said.

In the end, Billy helps another one of his friends, bent on freezing herself to death. He is on the road to redemption, and so is Rob Lowe.

That was one of the movies I saw with my best friend Chris Vining. We worked together at a greenhouse after school and on Saturdays. One Friday night, we rented “St. Elmo’s Fire” and watched it back at the farm, with the sound low and the lights off so we didn’t wake up my parents.

It was the only time I have seen the movie beginning to end.

“Youngblood”
This may be the best bad hockey movie I have seen. “Youngblood” came out in 1986. Lowe plays Dean Youngblood, a brash, cocky hockey player trying to make it on a junior team in Ontario. He stars with Patrick Swayze who plays Derek Sutton, the captain of the hockey team, and Cynthia Gibb who is Dean’s love interest.

I first read about this movie in an issue of “Prevue” or “Scene” or whatever the free magazine was that you could get at theatres. It was funny. They described the relationship of Derek to Dean like Han Solo to Luke Skywalker. That was funny.

“Youngblood” came to Lethbridge early in 1986, as part of a “sneak preview” at the Paramount Theatre with another movie camlled “Stitches”. I had this real good friend named Mat, who was also my neighbour, and he had a car. He was willing to try most things, but really didn’t like sports, which was fair. I basically had to bribe him to go see “Youngblood”. The roads weren’t the greatest, but we made it – only to discover it was sold out.

I would watch “Youngblood” on video with Vining a few months later. I’m pretty sure it was another “after the greenhouse” special.

“Oxford Blues”
I saw a preview of “Oxford Blues” on “The Journal”, a news magazine show that aired on CBC after “The National” on Channel 9 of the peasant vision dial. Rob Lowe played an American in England who ends up on the Oxford rowing team.

It came out in 1984, but I didn’t see it until a few years later. Again, Lowe came off as cocky and uncaring, or at least his character did.

“About Last Night”
Later in 1986, Rob Lowe was in “About Last Night” a movie about dating and commitment in Chicago. He starred with Demi Moore, Jim Belushi, and Elizabeth Perkins in a film adaptation of the stage play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”.

I did not see this movie until 1995. I was living in Lister Hall during the summer and taped it off TV. I was glad it had been so long, because by then Rob Lowe had begun to shed that cocky persona.

The rest of the decade
Rob Lowe appeared in several movies to close out the ‘80s that I have never seen including “Square Dance”in 1987, and “Masquerade” and “Illegally Yours” both in 1988. Lowe actually garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for “Square Dance”, where he played a mentally disabled character.

Controversy
I guess what had really turned me off Rob Lowe initially went beyond the cocky characters he played on screen. Even as a teenager, I could tell the difference between an actor and a charcter.

Then in 1988, he was embroiled in a scandal, where him having sex with two women was recorded on a video tape. Both were of legal age to have sex, but one wasn’t old enough, by law, to be involved in such a recording.

That scandal, just reinforced my perception that he really wasn’t much different from the characters he played.

Part of that was also fuelled by alcohol and the hard-partying lifestyle that always seemed to make for good reading material in the magazines at the super market.

Two years after the sex tape scandal, he got sober and has stayed that way ever since.

That began a transformation that followed in the years after.

The years after
The next time I really saw Rob Lowe, he was cast in the perfect role – he couldn’t talk or use that charm or charisma.

It was the miniseries “The Stand” in May of 1994, and Lowe played the deaf, mute Nick Andros. It was an amazing miniseries that captivated us in the Spring, and Rob Lowe was so good in that role. He was able to really communicate without the use of words, except for one dream sequence.

It really began his comeback. That would also continue in movies such as “Wayne’s World” and the “Austin Powers” franchise.

Then, in 1999, he took on the role of U.S. presidential advisor Sam Seaborn in “The West Wing”, where he was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes.

He went on to star in “The Lyon’s Den”; “Brothers and Sisters” for 76 episodes; “Parks and Recreation” for 77 episodes; “The Grinder” for 22 episodes; “Code Black” for 29 episodes; “911: Lone Star” and “The Floor” which he continues both to this day; and so much more.

Rob Lowe is back.

Parting thoughts
The transformation of Rob Lowe has been remarkable to me. Back in the 1980s, if you would have told me he would be one of my favourite actors, and that I would look forward to seeing him a show, I would not believe you.

Yet, in the 40 years since I first saw him, he has grown, evolved and changed.

He is no longer cocky but confident; no longer a know-it-all, but wise; and no longer aloof but sensitive.

It has been fun to watch the transformation of Rob Lowe.