Rob Lowe is celebrating 32 years of sobriety in May of 2022, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten what it felt like to hit rock bottom.
The 57-year-old actor recently opened up to People, reflecting on his journey through alcohol abuse and to the other side. The experience left him feeling grateful for where he’s been and where he landed.
“I’m happy I lived the life that I lived because I have no regrets, but I was super ready to coach Little League, carve pumpkins on Halloween, read books and serve hot lunch on Wednesdays,” the “Parks & Rec” actor told People for their cover story. “I really, really loved every minute of it.”
“Up until I turned 26, I spent all my time investing in my career,” Lowe continued. “From 26 on, I’ve invested in me; my spirituality, my recovery, my marriage, my family. A lot of it has been, excuse me, f***ing hard. And no one has a perfect life… but I’m grateful for all of it.”
The actor started gaining recognition after appearing in “The Outsiders” in 1983. He became super famous after starring in the 1985 cult classic “St. Elmo’s Fire.”
The “About Last Night” alum admitted he didn’t handle the newfound fame well. “I became so identified with it — the wild, fun, rock and roll, quasi-debauched with the heart of gold [guy]: that’s my early twenties in a nutshell,” he said.
And while drinking and partying, Lowe recalls hitting rock bottom. When he was 26, Lowe got home after a night of partying to a message on his answering machine where his mother begged him to pick up because his grandfather had a heart attack. But the actor ignored her.
“I remember going into the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror and my thought process was, ‘You need to drink directly from this bottle of Cuervo Gold so you can go to sleep, so you can wake up, so you can deal with this,'” Lowe told People.
“Out of all the things that had gone on in my life, that was the thing where finally I went, ‘This is no way to live,’” he continued. “I went to rehab 48 hours later.”
It was a dark time in his life but has ultimately led to the “Brothers & Sisters” star feeling grateful for the little things.
“I’ve never been happier, personally or professionally [and] there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not thankful about it all,” the actor said. “I have gratitude and profound humility for the gifts that I’ve been given, and worked for, in this world.”
Lowe has been married to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff since 1991 after meeting her on a blind date in 1983. The couple share two sons – Matthew Edward Lowe and John Owen Lowe.
He’s still active in Hollywood, hosting two podcasts plus appearing in the “9-1-1” spinoff series, “9-1-1: Lonestar.” Lowe will also star in and executive produce the upcoming Netflix movie “Dog Gone.”