‘Brat Pack’ star Rob Lowe slams Hollywood’s new generation of actors
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Rob Lowe calls out what he sees as a growing problem in Hollywood.
During a friendly conversation his podcast The “Really! With Rob Lowe” actor took aim at what he called a “trend” that will shape the next generation of artists, arguing that many young actors lack originality on the big screen.
The discussion, which also featured comedian and actor Kevin Nealon, began with observations about modern acting styles, with Nealon noting that certain delivery patterns and techniques seem increasingly common.
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Rob Lowe, a former “Brat Pack” member, argues that the current acting trend among young Hollywood performers, shaped by Disney and CW shows, lacks originality and integrity on the big screen. (Variety via Anna Pocaro/Getty Images)
“I’m sure you watch the actors and see a lot of the tricks they do. I don’t know if they’re tricks or not, but sometimes it’s the tempo of the presentation. And you’re like, ‘okay, it stopped there.'” And then you continue with that thought and you start to see it more and more and you think ‘maybe this is a trend’. It’s a trend in acting now, you know?”
Lowe did not hesitate to acknowledge this and took the criticism one step further.
“There’s definitely an acting trend going on right now.”
Rob Lowe argues that young actors lack originality on the big screen. (Emma McIntyre)
“Oh yeah. Young actors. And how do I put this?… If it’s a binary choice, that’s a good thing, but I don’t like it. And I think it’s a reaction to the Disneyfication of acting, with all these kids coming through all the tentacles of the CW and Disney and all these kinds of young people shows. Like, which one… is like the ‘Hannah Montana’ of the world – all that stuff.”
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According to Lowe, the issue goes beyond technique in Hollywood.
“This on-screen behavior is unlike anything any human being has ever done before… You watch these shows, and I don’t know what they do, but… there’s no resemblance to anything that’s real. And what’s clear is that it’s young kids who are new and don’t know – God bless them – and they’re being manipulated by hackers.”
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This pointed criticism sheds light on the pipeline that’s fueling Hollywood’s next wave of stars — especially those coming out of networks like Disney and The CW — in the “Hannah Montana” mold.
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Coming of age in the 1980s with films such as “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Breakfast Club,” “About Last Night…”, “Sixteen Candles” and “Pretty in Pink,” the “Brat Pack” defined the teenage angst of a generation and became a touchstone of popular culture.
Rob Lowe and his youngest son, John Owen Lowe. (Photo: Rich Polk/Getty Images for Netflix)
Lowe rose to fame as a child star starring in Hollywood’s “Brat Pack.”
Members include Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Jon Cryer.
However, it was not always clear which actors would fit into the group.
Lowe has previously said that he got a big role in “The Outsiders” right out of high school, forcing him to choose between college and acting.
Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and Melissa Gilbert were some members of the “Brat Pack”. (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
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“The Floor” host has two sons with wife Sheryl Berkoff.
The youngest, John Owen Lowe, follows in his father’s acting footsteps, while the eldest, Matthew Edward Lowe, works in finance.
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Last September, Lowe gave his son John some simple advice when he told him he wanted to be an actor.
He told Fox News Digital that his advice to his son was to “just be a content creator.” John had previously sold a new show to Apple TV+.
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“And the irony is, I’m really proud of him for creating this new show, and that’s what I think today as opposed to when I came in, there’s no excuse today for not doing your own things,” Lowe said.
He added: “It’s a lot easier to do and I’m glad he did it. That was the biggest advice I ever gave him.”
Disney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
