Lowe was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, and raised in Dayton, Ohio, where he began his acting career in local television and theater at the age of 8. After his family relocated to Los Angeles, Lowe began his national acting career, starring in the television series A New Kind of Family.
Lowe starred with Kristen Bell in the feature film How to Be a Latin Lover, directed by Ken Marino. He starred in the television series The Grinder, for which he received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination, and the miniseries You, Me, and the Apocalypse. Also, Lowe lent his voice to the animated series The Lion Guard, as Simba.
Lowe rose to fame in 1983 after appearing in The Outsiders. His additional film roles include Oxford Blues, About Last Night, Bad Influence, St. Elmo's Fire, Wayne's World, Tommy Boy, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, among many others.
From 1999-2003, he starred as Sam Seaborn in the hit television series The West Wing. His performance garnered him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as two Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series. The cast of The West Wing was nominated three times by the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and won twice. Lowe joined the cast of Parks and Recreation after starring in the hit series Brothers & Sisters. During that time, he also starred opposite Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner and Tina Fey in the feature film The Invention of Lying.
Lowe received critical acclaim and a leading actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild for his starring role in the television movie Killing Kennedy, which also garnered an Emmy nomination. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his co-starring role in the 15-time Emmy nominated television movie Behind the Candelabra.
Lowe's two memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life, both landed spots on the New York Times bestseller list.
Lowe's legacy in Hollywood was cemented in 2015 with the unveiling of his Walk of Fame star. His birthday is March 17. Follow him on Twitter @RobLowe and Instagram @robloweofficial.
