You wouldn’t necessarily guess it from his currently thriving hairline, but Rob Lowe has been in the Hollywood game for over 40 years. He started his career off with a role in the famous ‘80s ABC Afterschool Specials before breaking out as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders. Now, Lowe, who is more recently known for his TV work in Parks and Recreation and starring role in Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star, is taking us on a trip down memory lane just in time for the anniversary of St. Elmo’s Fire .
The 1985 classic just surpassed its 36-year anniversary last week and in celebration Rob Lowe shared an adorable black and white picture of himself with the cast back in the day. Check out the awesome throwback photo shared to his Instagram account:
The gang’s all there! Rob Lowe showed off an awesome picture from St. Elmo’s Fire when he was just entering his twenties alongside the rest of the ensemble cast. On the top left is Emilio Estevez, leaning on a young Demi Moore while Rob Lowe poses with sunglasses on her right. In the lower half of the picture you can see (from left to right) Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, and Andrew McCarthy.
When the drama focused on new college grads hit theaters, the cast became referred to as the “Brat Pack.” The nickname was given to a group of Gen X actors who were making their names known via coming-of-age movies in the ‘80s. It’s members also included The Breakfast Club cast, including Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald.
In Rob Lowe’s tribute to St. Elmo’s Fire 36 years later, the actor shared how proud he is to see the movie still holding a “special place” in hearts all this time later. He joked around about how old the movie is, quipping about the use of black and white in the photo. No, it was in color!
St. Elmo’s Fire hit theaters on June 28, 1985 to a strong box office opening despite some unamused critical interest. Rob Lowe went on to win the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for playing Billy Hicks, the saxophone playing frat boy and reluctant father. Although the movie does have its haters, it most certainly has a strong place in pop culture and in the corner of many ‘80s kids' hearts.
The post inspired Gwyneth Paltrow to comment “best movie ever” on Rob Lowe’s Instagram picture. Apparently the actress has shared her love for the movie with the Parks and Recreation star before, as Lowe told Entertainment Weekly in 2017,
At least in my career, Billy was the most succinct version of bad boy-man child that I've ever played. It's the most long-lasting. Not a day goes by that someone who should know better tells me they love that movie and Billy — like Gwyneth Paltrow, who can legitimately recite every line in the movie. It never ceases to amaze me the level of person who is obsessed. I think it was probably a lot of people's first guilty pleasure.
What a great reminder for fans to revisit St. Elmo’s Fire 36 years later. The movie was a huge early moment not only for Rob Lowe, but for Demi Moore long before G.I. Jane or Ghost. St. Elmo’s Fire is currently streaming on Starz and you can go down memory lane with more ‘80s movies streaming options here on CinemaBlend.
