John Owen Lowe, Rob Lowe’s son and star of Netflix’s “Unstable,” is weighing in the nepo baby discourse, calling it a “very important conversation.”
“I do think that it should be acknowledged, and privilege is inherent in the entertainment industry as it is in many other ones too, and it is just in life in general,” John Owen told TheWrap.
Lowe, who began his career as a writer on “9-1-1: Lone Star,” which stars his father, also urges those who might be benefitting from their family’s stature to acknowledge their inherent privilege for their the sake of their own development.
“I think those that have it need to be at the very least aware of that, in order to have a semblance of groundedness, or a healthy take on reality,” Lowe, 28, said. “For people that come from a similar position as I do, I would just really hope that they have gratitude, because that is crucial. If you’re not grateful, you’re doing something wrong.”
In “Unstable,” Lowe plays Jackson, a young man who returns home to live with his larger-than-life tech entrepreneur father, Ellis (played by his real life dad Rob Lowe), following the death of his mother, which put a strain on Jackson’s and Ellis’ relationship.
As Jackson struggles to escape his father’s shadow as he pursues his passion for science in his father’s lab, Lowe notes that the father-son duo’s dynamic in the show is “wildly similar” to real life. “The irony is not lost on me that we’re literally acting in a show together about a son who wants to escape his dad’s shadow as I’m attempting to escape my own father’s shadow, and going even deeper into it,” Lowe said.
While Jackson struggles to find his footing outside of his father’s overwhelming influence in the Netflix comedy series, Lowe notes that he and his character share a “grounded perspective on life and success.”
“I’m fortunate that growing up around it, and with it, I learned from a young age to be grateful, and also to do my best to stay grounded and in an attempt to keep the people around me grounded,” he said.
