Rob Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor who skyrocketed to fame in the 1980s as a teen idol and member of the Brat Pack, starring in iconic films like The Outsiders (1983) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985). After a career slump in the 1990s, he made a triumphant comeback as Sam Seaborn in the political drama The West Wing (1999–2003), earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He later became a beloved TV fixture through roles in Brothers & Sisters, Parks and Recreation, and 9-1-1: Lone Star, while also earning critical praise for portraying JFK in Killing Kennedy and starring in Behind the Candelabra. Today, he hosts the podcast Literally! and the game show The Floor. Born in Virginia, he lost hearing in his right ear from mumps as a baby, later moving to Malibu where he met Charlie Sheen—and he even discovered a Hessian ancestor captured at the Battle of Trenton. His first acting job came at age 12 in a 1976 production of Sherlock Holmes, launching a career that has spanned nearly five decades.