Quotes from Rob Lowe

The '90s were a time of building for me. Building a life that was sober, drained of harmful, wasteful excess and manufacturing in its place a family of my own.

There is a movie called 'My Dog Skip,' starring my 'Outsiders' costar Diane Lane. I do not recommend it. If you have a child, particularly one about to leave home, watching this film is to be emotionally waterboarded.

As a person navigating the waters of public scrutiny, you are often unable to hold on to personal heroes or villains. Inevitably you will meet your hero, and he may turn out to be less than impressive, while your villain turns out to be the coolest cat you've ever met.

My roles in comedies from 'Austin Powers' to 'Tommy Boy' to 'Wayne's World,' were sort of comedic 'straight man' parts. My character on 'Parks & Recreation' is the comic relief in a comedy. To play a character that appears strictly for laughs is sort of new for me and really fun.

The challenge as a parent is letting your kids fail in the right ways because that's where we do most of our learning.

Eleven days before 9/11, I was on a plane with the 9/11 hijackers who were carrying out a dry run.

Every relationship has its complications.

Fame is not a natural condition for human beings.

I made a conscious effort to focus on television so I could stay in Los Angeles, so I wasn't on a location all over the world doing movies.

Marriage is becoming sort of fake. It's almost like a handbag. Everybody wants the newest, greatest and latest. It becomes an event, and it's definitely a status symbol in our society. I'm not saying it shouldn't be; it absolutely should be - but you shouldn't be focusing on that.

Intelligence is that aspect of human cognition that we haven't managed to emulate yet.

Some actors specialize in shooting weapons and punching people. Some have the market on playing buffoons cornered, others specialize in roles that require heavy makeup or outrageous wardrobe. Some trade exclusively in a post-ironic blase attitude.

I've gotten to believe it's more fun to play politicians than actually be them.

Matthew Lowe is one of the great water men that I know. He's a surfer, a great water polo player. I think he's half fish.

For sure, without question, the writing is better on TV pound for pound than movies because the businesses have changed so much. So all the great writers would rather work for TV, and they do.

I don't like being taken for granted anywhere in life. I don't want my vote taken for granted.

After my parents' divorce when I was 4, I spent weekends with my dad before we finally moved to California. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was incapable of enjoying the day's activities, of being in the moment, because I was already dreading the inevitable goodbye of Sunday evening.

Malibu was a wellspring of counterculture group think.

My life and the lives of many across the world have been deeply affected by lymphoma.

I started out being a really, really liberal Democrat.

I have other obligations now - the show, my family, my life... though I know that without my sobriety I wouldn't have any of those things.

I liked being a teenager, but I would not go back for all the tea in China.

In my bachelor days, the priority wasn't learning to cook.

I liked being a teenager, but I would not go back for all the tea in China.