Rob Lowe Reflects On Several Wake-Up Calls Amid His 34-Year Sobriety Journey

It has been over three decades since Rob Lowe overcame his addictions — an achievement influenced by multiple signs.

The "Parks and Recreation" star recently reflected on his sobriety journey, revealing the ten moments that positively impacted his life. He confessed that giving up alcohol wasn't easy; however, he succeeded by taking "baby steps."

Rob Lowe has been vocal about his dark past and proudly celebrates how far he has come in his sober lifestyle. He marked 33 years of sobriety with a shirtless picture in 2023.

The 60-year-old actor opened up about his sobriety journey in a candid cover story, sharing that his 34 years of a non-alcoholic lifestyle began with small steps. In his words:

"Getting sober was an incremental decision. It's baby steps until you're ready. You can't do it until you're really ready."

Lowe explained that his admission into a Sierra Tucson rehabilitation facility in 1990 was a process of self-reflection influenced by several wake-up calls. One life-changing moment occurred while watching one of his "heroes," Warren Beatty.

The Hollywood veteran's 1975 romantic comedy "Shampoo" struck a chord with Lowe, who told PEOPLE, "It's a great movie, but at the end, he's a bon vivant, charming playboy left with nothing."

"It affected me tremendously and [was] the first glimmer of your conscience, your destiny, God, going, 'Psst, pay attention to this,'" the actor claimed.

Another pivotal moment for Lowe came in the form of a scandal. His now-infamous sex tape with two young women around the 1988 Democratic Convention forced him to reflect on his lifestyle.

"[The fallout] definitely changed my life at the time, and, in hindsight, I realized it was another step that led me to recovery and reevaluating my life," he confessed, adding:

"But the thing that really changed me was not being able to show up for my family and myself."

Following the backlash was his grandfather's tragic heart attack in 1990. Lowe revealed his alcohol addiction severely plagued him at the time, and he ignored his mom's desperate call.

According to Lowe, the final straw was his reaction to his grandfather's health scare. "I remember like it was yesterday: My mom telling me [on the answering machine] to 'pick up, pick up' because my grandpa had had a heart attack."

"I couldn't deal with it in the state I was in, and I needed to go to sleep to wake up so I could deal with it," the 60-year-old recalled. He noted that he immediately turned to tequila, saying: 

"Who doesn't keep a bottle of Cuervo Gold by their bedside table? That was the final wake-up call. I've been sober ever since."

Lowe noted he was "so ready" to reform his image and shed his hard-partying days. "It was relieving, and it was scary, [but] I learned the tools to change your life if you have the self-honesty to do it. I felt, 'Oh, okay, I'm not alone. I'm not crazy,'" he claimed.

The Hollywood icon concluded his candid reflection with important advice to those in similar situations. Using his journey as an example, Lowe stressed that one cannot achieve sobriety for any other reason than themselves.

"I didn't have any doubts [and] I wasn't like, well, maybe I'll be sober for a little bit," he explained, noting that he knew he was done with that lifestyle and needed to change.

The 60-year-old stated no matter the type of addiction a person has, "You cannot stop for your job, your wife, your family, your parole officer because you screwed something up." He added: "You only are going to stop when you're ready, period."

Like his 34-year sobriety journey confessions, The Blast reported that Lowe marked last year's achievement with a walk-down memory. Taking to Instagram, he shared a shirtless picture of himself swimming in the ocean alongside the words:

"33 years ago today, I found recovery and a tribe that has sustained me on my incredible, grateful journey. My life is full of love, family, God, opportunity, friends, work, dogs, and fun."

The Hollywood veteran also encouraged others battling addictions never to give up, claiming they could achieve "hope and joy" as long as they were determined to work for it.

How will Rob Lowe celebrate his 35th sobriety milestone?