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Happy Birthday Rob Lowe: Hollywood Superstar Looks Back on ‘The Outsiders’ Film Celebrating 57th

Actor Rob Lowe is another year older today, and he’s taking to Instagram to mark the occasion by juxtaposing his 18-year-old self with his 57-year-old self.

“18th birthday on the set of The Outsiders. 57th on the set of 911 Lonestar,” Lowe posted. “In between have been amazing gifts professionally and personally. I am a grateful man. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Means a lot. Love you all!”

Rob Lowe Starred in ‘The Outsiders’ With Tom Cruise

At 18, Lowe was just a budding actor who had appeared in after-school specials and a TV movie, per IMDb. Sodapop Curtis in “The Outsiders” was his breakout role.

Lowe worked hard on the 1983 Francis Ford Coppola film. But he perhaps did not take it quite as seriously as Cruise did, Lowe told Dax Shepard on the latter’s podcast, “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard,” according to Entertainment Tonight.

“All of the L.A. people survived the L.A. auditions, and then the handpicked people had to go to New York to face the New York version; so it was me and Tom Cruise and Emilio and C. Thomas Howell,” Lowe said. “First time I ever stayed at The Plaza Hotel. We check in and Tom finds out that we’re sharing a room, and just goes ballistic.”

Lowe didn’t take it personally, fortunately. He said Cruise’s laser focus on advancing his acting career got him to where he is today, and at least Lowe got a good story out of the experience. He also recounted how Coppola had asked the cast to learn to do backflips at a Tulsa gymnasium. Cruise, ever competitive, was the only one who followed through and learned how to do it.

“To me, what’s great about the story is, there’s certain people who have always been who they are, and that element of them has powered them to where they are today and the rest is history,” he said. “And the notion that an 18-year-old actor with a walk-on part in ‘Endless Love,’ and like, a seventh lead in ‘Taps,’ could have that kind of, like, wherewithal? I remember going, ‘Wow, this guy is the real deal.’”

“I mean, it made me laugh, it was gnarly,” he added. “But at the end, you can’t argue with the results, he’s had his eye on the ball since day one.”

Lowe’s Recent Work Runs the Gamut

More recently, Lowe has appeared in the TV series “911 Lone Star” and made a return to “Parks and Recreation” for the latter’s 2020 TV movie. He also played Derek in the movie “The Knight Before Christmas” and Simba in TV’s “The Lion Guard.”

“It’s such an honor to play a version of our real-life heroes,” Lowe told USA Today last summer of his role on “911 Lone Star.” “The first responders, whether it’s in a pandemic, fire, a disaster – they’re there every day on our worst days, and I love shining the light on them. A superhero shouldn’t just be somebody who wears a cape and a mask. I’m having the time of my life on this show.”

Lowe also has his own podcast, “Literally! With Rob Lowe,” and he’s enjoyed dragging his “diverse, interesting arsenal of friends” in to chat with him on it. Ever the nice guy, Lowe says he can’t pick a favorite interview from the bunch.