Studios are always looking for rare and elusive ideas to draw in audiences. One of the most elusive is that of the infrequent father-son duo. Hollywood loves to showcase family in any way they can, and what better way than to show actual family. While there are some examples of the trope -- James and Scott Caan, Jeremy and Max Irons, Ben and Jerry Stiller -- the one that currently has taken over the spotlight is Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe. The two have inspired a new Netflix comedy, and the series is sure to be a hit.
Rob Lowe, actor, producer, director, and newly-minted podcaster, has been in the limelight for some time. The actor has had an illustrious career spanning multiple decades and earning him as much praise as criticism. Many fans will instantly recognize the star from Parks and Recreation (2009-2015), but Lowe rose to prominence in the 1980s as a teen idol alongside icons like Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and other members of the coined “Brat Pack.” His acting debut was at fifteen in the short-lived ABC sitcom A New Kind of Family, which ran from 1979 to 1980. He then went on to star in films like The Outsiders (1983), Oxford Blues (1984), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and About Last Night (1986).
The actor then ran into some legal trouble and also dealt with alcoholism, for which he attended extensive rehabilitation programs. He has been sober ever since and credits it with being one of the best decisions of his life. He was able to have a career resurgence when he became a part of the famous NBC political drama The West Wing, which ran from 1999 to 2003. The actor chose to take part in the series because of his love for politics and long-standing friendship with Martin Sheen, who was also a star in the series. Lowe received nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series for this role.
Currently the star can be seen on Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star, on which he plays firefighter captain, Owen Strand. He also co-hosts a podcast that recaps Parks and Recreation with writer and producer Alan Yang called Parks and Recollection.
The Relationship That Inspired a Series
Lowe does not only have an impressive career he’s known for. He also has an incredible relationship with his sons that has attracted attention throughout the social media stratosphere. His sons continue to troll him throughout his posts, one showing the actor hanging from a rock captioning, “Hanging out here in Cape Town,” to which his eldest responded, “This may be your finest piece of acting.” But the actor and his eldest don’t only have a famous social media repertoire between them.
In a recent People cover issue, John Owen Lowe discussed how his father has been his role model throughout his life. The young rising star shared, “When you consider what he went through in his 20s, his meteoric rise and some turbulence, and being in the public eye for decades…To come out a family man, a really really good father, a really, really strong husband and just a fun, kind guy to be around, that’s the day-to-day example he sets.” Rob Lowe also helped his son through his own addiction issues in his later teen and college years. “He never gave up on me,” John Owen Lowe added, “I have a little over three and a half years [of sobriety] now, but when I took my first-year chip, he and I spoke at a [12-step] meeting in front of 200 people. And it was one of the most profound experiences of my life.”
The New Show Is a Little ‘Unstable'
The father-son duo will star in the upcoming Netflix comedy series Unstable that the two also helped to create. They will also serve as executive producers along with Victor Fresco. Fresco previously created the Netflix zombie-themed series Santa Clarita Diet, which starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. He will also be the showrunner for the upcoming show and is in the midst of creating a comedy series for HBO Max about the first daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth.
According to a recent announcement by Netflix, “the series is set in a cutting-edge biotech research company, following an introverted, socially-challenged son who goes to work for his very successful, wildly eccentric father in order to save him from disaster.” Netflix Head of Comedy, Tracey Pakosta, stated this when discussing the new series: “We are very excited to be working with Victor, Rob and John Owen. The three of them -- and their wildly funny, smart sensibilities -- are a perfect fit for our growing slate of scripted comedies." Needless to say, everyone is looking forward to the show and its star duo. John Owen even had this to say when the show was announced, “So excited for this. Who would have known that my childhood trauma would pay off?”