All About Rob Lowe’s Younger Son, John Owen Lowe

Rob Lowe has a close bond with his son John Owen Lowe, and the two have shared the screen together in the Netflix comedy series Unstableand turn it off.

Known for his roles in St. Elmo’s Fire AND Parks and recreationLowe is a devoted father of two sons with his longtime wife, Sheryl Berkoff.

While Lowe’s elder son Matthew, born in September 1993, became a successful lawyer and investor, his younger son John Owen, born in November 1995, followed in his footsteps and entered the entertainment industry.

Father-son duo stars in Netflix comedy series Unstablewhich premiered in March 2023, with a second season returning on August 1, 2024. In addition to acting, John Owen serves as co-creator, co-executive producer, and co-writer of the series.

But this isn’t John Owen’s first acting gig. The actor got his start in Hollywood while he was still in college, working in the writers’ room and playing a recurring role on the sitcom Lowe’s Fox Mill.

“Most people in high school haven’t even thought about what they wanted to do,” Lowe told PEOPLE in June 2024. “(John Owen) always knew what he wanted to do.”

With the release of Unstable season 2, their father-son relationship takes center stage again. Here’s everything you need to know about Rob Lowe’s younger son and collaborator, John Owen Lowe.

He was born in 1995

Lowe and Berkoff welcomed John Owen on November 6, 1995. Growing up as the younger son of a famous actor, he had a unique childhood.

“Probably around fifth or sixth grade, I remember thinking about certain things and reevaluating them,” John Owen said New York Times in March 2023 “Well, it’s not normal to be nervous walking down the red carpet with your dad when you’re 8 years old.”

He began his Hollywood career while still a student at Stanford University.

John Owen graduated from Stanford University in 2018, where he combined his academic pursuits with a burgeoning career in entertainment. While still in college, he had a recurring role on the sitcom Lowe’s Fox Mill and worked in the writers’ room.

In 2017, John Owen and Matthew also starred alongside Lowe in the film Lowe’s Filesa documentary series in which three heroes investigate unsolved mysteries and supernatural legends.

In a June 2017 interview with PEOPLE magazine, Lowe said the “scary” stories that inspired the show actually brought them closer together even before it was created.

“When I had children, we would tell stories around the campfire and I would share them with them,” he said. “It was the way we connected as father and sons.”

He loves making fun of his dad, especially on social media.

In an interview for New York Times, John Owen told the outlet that he made fun of his father throughout his life, adding: “It’s our love language.”

“It became much easier for me when he started being more present on social media. Then I couldn’t help but chime in,” John Owen said.

Among John Owen’s jokes is the ongoing part where John Stamos replaces his father. On Lowe’s 60th birthday in March 2024, John Owen posted a photo on Instagram of Stamos photoshopped in Lowe’s place. His dad commented, “To say I’m surprised would be a lie.”

On Father’s Day in June 2024, the actor posted an Instagram Reel saying he was on his way to surprise his dad. When he showed up at the door, Stamos opened it and welcomed him inside.

“He’s very sporting about it,” John Owen said during an appearance on Good morning America in July 2024

Unstable was inspired by the relationship between John Owen and Lowe

Unstable tells the story of introverted Jackson (John Owen), who begins working for his eccentric father, Ellis (Lowe), to save him from “disaster.”

John Owen and Lowe, who are executive producers on the series, have said the show is largely inspired by their real-life relationship, though its version is greatly exaggerated.

“Ellis is 90 percent Rob, really,” John Owen said New York Times in 2023 “I believe in it.”

The father-son relationship off-screen is full of humor and playful banter, which largely inspired their on-screen dynamic.

“The genesis of this show was my son Johnny trolling me relentlessly on the internet,” Lowe said. Diversity in June 2023. “He’s relentless, and people liked it so much that he wisely came up with the idea, ‘Is there something here? The audience is giving you a signal that they’re interested in something.'”

He showed solidarity during the writers’ strike in 2023.

In May 2023, John Owen joined a group of protesting members of the Writers Guild of America union who went on strike after several weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Lowe stood at his side, expressing solidarity with his son.

He says he learned a lot from his father while working on Unstable

While talking to New York TimesJohn Owen said he “learned a lot” from his father while working with Lowe on their Netflix series.

“How does someone in your position behave when so many people are counting on you to keep your promises day in and day out? I was impressed,” the aspiring actor said.

In July 2024, the actor spoke out Good morning America about how he learned to “be more professional on set” from working with his father, adding that he took notice of Lowe’s “work ethic.”

“I’ve also learned to take my hairstyle very seriously,” the actor joked.

Says Lowe is ‘a really good father’

Despite online banter and light-hearted jokes, John Owen veers into sentimentality as he shares how much his father means to him.

In January 2022, John Owen spoke to PEOPLE magazine about how much he respected Lowe and admired his strength of character.

“When you consider what he went through in his 20s, his meteoric rise and some of the turmoil, and the fact that he was in the spotlight for decades… To come out of that as a family man, a really, really good father, a really, really strong husband and just a really nice, nice guy, that’s the example he sets for us every day,” John Owen said.