Rob Lowe’s Son Rejects Him for New Series

Rob Lowe recently faced a surprising moment when his son, John Owen Lowe, turned him down for a role in his new series. During a Zoom interview with Decider, Rob shared that John Owen had just sold a show to Amazon after an intense bidding process.

“It’s one of the best parts I’ve ever come across, mostly about a 50-year-old guy,” Rob explained, emphasizing his ongoing collaboration with Atkins. He recounted John Owen’s response: “Dad, it’s time to spread my wings.” Can you believe that? Rejecting your own dad!

In a light-hearted tone, Rob joked, “You don’t love it? You financed his college!” He continued, “Go ahead and chase your dreams, but remember, I’m here if you ever want to come back to reality—just know I’ll charge you double!”

While Rob didn’t mention the show’s title during the chat, this week brought an announcement from Amazon MGM regarding The Kingdom of God, a dark comedy that John Owen created, wrote, and will star in as showrunner. Chris Pratt is onboard as a co-executive producer. The premise centers on a relentless real estate mogul whose attempts to calm America’s heart put both his empire and family at risk.

The relationship between Rob and John Owen seems solid both on and off screen. They previously collaborated on the Netflix series Unstable, which, unfortunately, was canceled after just two seasons. It followed John Owen’s introverted character helping his quirky father cope after a devastating family loss.

Rob reminisced about their time on the show: “I really enjoyed it, and so did Johnny. I’m proud of what we created, and it’s still available on Netflix.” He’s got a point—it was a heartfelt series.

This isn’t their first joint project. Back in college, John Owen helped out as a writer and had a recurring role in Rob’s Fox series The Grinder. He also appeared alongside Rob and his older brother, Matthew, in an exploration of unsolved mysteries called Lowe Files. Plus, John Owen contributed to several episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star, where Rob has starred as Captain Owen Strand for five seasons.

While John Owen may not want Rob in the lead role for this new Amazon project, they’re busy developing a couple of films together. Rob expressed his excitement: “It’s a dream for any parent to collaborate with their kid. Of course, it is a dream—at least, I think it is!”