Top 10 Rob Lowe Movie & TV Roles, According to IMDb

Rob Lowe became a successful film actor in the 1980s as he stared in multiple iconic films and kept that momentum into the 1990s as he continued to appear in films and eventually starred in multiple popular television series. Lowe has had steady work throughout his career and is a well-known actor.

Although Rob Lowe is known for starring in classic 1980s films like The Outsiders, he’s probably best known for his starring roles in Parks and Recreation and The West Wing. Lowe is still acting in both television and film, but these are his top-rated roles so far.

10 St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) – 6.4

St. Elmo’s Fire has a popular starring cast portraying the close-knit group of characters who have just finished college and are trying to figure out their lives as post-grads. The film switches focus to follow each of its main characters as they navigate their adult lives and try to be successful members of society. There are different types of characters throughout the group as some are heartbroken, others are burnouts, and some are overachievers.

9 Pocket Listing (2015) – 6.5

Rob Lowe stars in this dramatic thriller that bases its plot on the real-life event of the real estate market crash in the United States. It follows Lowe’s character as he and his wife decide to hire a somewhat shady real estate agent to sell their home right after the crises of the market crash. The film descends quickly as adultery, drugs, and corrupt business deals.

8 Wayne’s World (1992) – 7.0

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey star as Wayne and Garth, two best friends who like to listen to good music and make their public access television talk show. Rob Lowe portrays a producer that wants to take Wayne and Garth’s show into primetime television.

The two slowly learn that Lowe’s producer wants to change everything about the show and steal Wayne’s new girlfriend as well. Wayne and Garth have to quickly come up with a plan to defeat Lowe’s character and keep their show, and Wayne’s relationship, the way it is.

7 The Grinder (2015–2016) – 7.1

Rob Lowe stars in The Grinder as an actor who portrayed a lawyer on screen for years and decides to try it out for real after the show ends. He goes to his brother (Fred Savage) and forces his way into the law firm even though he has not gone to law school and only has experience from portraying a lawyer on television. The show was a fun and at times dramatic look at an actor’s life after the project they’re most known for has ended.

6 Tommy Boy (1995) – 7.1

Chris Farley and David Spade star in this comedy about a dimwitted man (Farley) inheriting his father’s failing auto parts factory when his father dies. When he attempts to take over the company he’s aided by a strict and by the book assistant (Spade) who tries to help him but thinks he’s a lost cause for most of the movie. His step-mother (Bo Derek) wants to sell the company and works with her new boyfriend (Lowe) to get whatever money they can get from the sale, but Tommy wants to try to save it and everyone’s jobs.

5 The Outsiders (1983) – 7.1

The Outsiders is an iconic 1980s movie based on the book of the same name. It follows a group of lovable ruffians, referred to as Greasers, as they try to live their best lives with what they have and their tight-knit found family. The Greasers find a natural enemy in the wealthy and privileged Socs and many of the problems throughout the film stem from their rivalry. Rob Lowe portrays the main character Ponyboy’s older brother, Sodapop Curtis, and mostly has scenes with his best friend (Tom Cruise) and older brother (Patrick Swayze).

4 Contact (1997) – 7.4

Contact stars Jodie Foster as a doctor who works for the SETI program looking for extraterrestrial life. The film begins with a signal from presumed alien life and attempts to make contact with them and build a transport device to send a representative of the human race to interact with the aliens. The science fiction film escalates in its action and Rob Lowe has a small role in the film.

3 Thank You For Smoking (2005) – 7.6

Thank You for Smoking stars Aaron Eckhart as a tobacco lobbyist. Eckhart’s character is great at his job as he advocates for big tobacco in the political world, but things become difficult when his character begins to realize what he’s going is ethically wrong. He finds it difficult to continue to advocate for tobacco while raising a son and trying to be a role model for him. Rob Lowe has a small role in the political drama as a Hollywood agent.

2 Parks And Recreation (2009–2020) – 8.6

Parks and Recreation follows local government employees in Pawnee, Indiana in their daily lives and routines at work. The show has introduced some fantastic and well-developed characters that have different personalities and are hilarious and heartfelt within the series.

Rob Lowe portrays the relatable Chris Traeger in the popular sitcom as he’s introduced at the end of the second season and becomes a series regular.

1 The West Wing (1999–2006) – 8.8

The West Wing follows the idealistic team of federal government staffers who serve President Barlet (Martin Sheen) in the popular series from Aaron Sorkin. The show is a political drama that covers several real-life and important issues in politics and plays them out on the small screen with its fictional characters and had its fair share of hilarious moments throughout it as well. Rob Lowe portrayed speechwriter Sam Seaborn on the series for four seasons.

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