Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Rob Lowe's family moved to moved Dayton, Ohio, when he was a child. He began modeling as a young boy and broke into acting in his teens. He spent the 1980s as a member of the "Brat Pack", a group of young, powerful and reckless actors and actresses that included Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen and Judd Nelson, among others. In 1988 Lowe was involved in a scandal centering around a sexually explicit videotape which involved a minor, for which he did 20 hours of community service in Dayton. He subsequently sought help for his problems with drugs and alcohol and has re-emerged in the 1990s as a clean and sober husband and father.

Voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the World 2000 by People Magazine

Nominated for a supporting Golden Globe award for his 1987 performance as a retarded youth in Square Dance (1987)

Brother of actor Chad Lowe

He appeared in John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" music video.

Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1984" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 36.

Is deaf in his right ear.

Former brother-in-law of Oscar award winning actress Hilary Swank.

Lost out for the role in Titanic (1997) which went to Billy Zane.

Father of Edward Matthew Lowe (b. 1993) and John Owen Lowe (b. 1995)

Impersonated Robert Wagner's voice for the young Number Two in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999).

Mike Myers is known to have resurrected Rob's acting career. He and Rob became close friends while filming Wayne's World (1992). Myers gave him an unbilled role in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) (although the scene was deleted in editing) and gave him a role as the young Number Two in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999).

August 2002 - has quit the series "The West Wing" (1999). Reports vary as to why exactly, but it seems to have been a combination of salary dispute and screen-time dispute (the character he plays is getting less focus on the show in more recent episodes). He will appear in the first 16 episodes of the next season, though.

His wife, Sheryl Berkoff, is a make-up artist.

Helped in the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California in 2003.

Has the dubious distinction of having left a successful TV series ("The West Wing" (1999)), to having two failed TV series within a year ("The Lyon's Den" (2003), "Dr. Vegas" (2004)), both of which were canceled before running their full season.

Was one of the nine original members of the 1980s "brat pack", along with Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and Andrew McCarthy.

One of the select few to be nominated for and subsequently "win" a Razzie Award and then not get another nomination again. Lowe "won" the 1986 Worst Supporting Actor Razzie for his performance in St. Elmo's Fire (1985).

Rob has a younger brother, Justin, from his father's second marriage.

Was considered for the role of Dr. Derek Shepard on Grey's Anatomy.