Love Life

April 14, 2014
Actor Rob Lowe's (Stories I Only Tell My Friends) second memoir deals largely in his more recent past, using the personal essay as a form to reflect on a variety of topics most, notably his television work and life as a husband and father. He provides insight into his acting process, how he held his own in a scene with Dame Maggie Smith, captured the essence of JFK for Killing Kennedy and conceived the character he played in Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra. He also breaks down some of his post-West Wing failures like NBC's The Lyon's Den plagued by production, writing, and actress problems and CBS's Dr. Vegas, where Lowe found himself ruing his insistence on casting troubled actor Tom Sizemore. When he does travel back to earlier years he seems less invested, but paints a vivid picture of 1970's Malibu, "a bastion of laissez-faire, self-centered, malignant disregard," recalls a visit to the Playboy Mansion at age 19, and being on set for Alec Baldwin's classic speech in Glengarry Glen Ross, "one of the largest beat-downs an actor has ever delivered." On parenting, Lowe shares several amusing anecdotes, the best of which involves a camping trip and a Bigfoot costume, and he reflects on the mix of pride and sadness of sending his son off to college. Lowe's second effort is an interesting insider's perspective on what works in Hollywood and what seems to be irredeemably broken and his advice on life and relationships is well-conceived and intelligent.

Starred review from June 30, 2014
Lowe, a veteran actor in film and television follows up his bestselling 2011 memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, with this smart collection of personal vignettes. As a narrator, Lowe is clearly in his element. His sardonic humor shines through at some points (as when describing how he was abruptly removed as the coach of his son’s basketball team via a parental coup d’etat), while other scenes are more introspective. Some of the strongest moments feature Lowe describing himself at his weakest: mourning the loss of his longtime manager, Bernie Brillstein, or dropping his oldest child off at college. The audiobook offers the expected behind-the-scenes Hollywood sneak peeks, but with the added bonus of Lowe’s vocal impressions of his colleagues. His take on Warren Beatty is first-rate, and his impersonation of Danny Glover ordering everything on the menu is worth the price of admission by itself. This audio performance reveals someone who is (at last) completely comfortable in his own skin and ready to share his story, equal parts gossip and hard-won wisdom. A Simon & Schuster hardcover.