Rob Lowe hilariously discusses working with unimpressed son John Owen on new comedy ‘Unstable’

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Escaping the shadow of a profitable father is at all times simpler stated than performed.

Simply ask Rob Lowe’s son John Owen, who after getting a science diploma from Stanford College determined to observe in his father’s Brat Pack footsteps pursuing a profession as a Hollywood actor/author.

A part of John Owen’s protection mechanism for years has been hilariously trolling his father on social media.

Now the 2 have teamed up for brand spanking new comedy “Unstable,” which debuts Thursday on Netflix.

Relying on the place you’re at in life, the present is both a few extremely profitable father making an attempt to get one of the best out of his son or a free-spirited son compelled to cope with an equally universally admired and narcissistic father.

The eight-episode sequence deftly captures acquainted iconoclastic conversations many fathers painfully expertise after sons — with serial killer feelings — ship pointed jabs aimed toward taking down the patriarchy.

The latter — in all of its cringeworthy and nonstop-laughing glory — was on full show lately once we caught up with the Lowes to speak about “Unstable,” together with embarrassing morning routines and “Gordon Lightfoot.”

Howdy, Rob and John Owen. Congrats on “Unstable.” What was the unique thought for the present?

John Owen: Truthfully, it was realizing that individuals loved being part of me making enjoyable of my dad as a lot as I loved it. As soon as I began doing it in a manner that the general public may take part, it grew to become clear that there may be some story to inform there. It form of combined with this rising feeling within me that I wished to get out of my dad’s shadow but in addition felt this bizarre gravitational pull the place I used to be working with him and caught with him all over the place I turned.

Rob, wanting again over your resume, a lot of your characters have the identical comedic tone with a touch of irreverence. The identical goes on your “Unstable” character. Why is that?

Rob: I look again on the comedic actors and actresses — and even standups — that I really like, and so they finally develop a lane that they’re actually good in. If you happen to go to see Ricky Gervais, you understand he’ll be in a sure lane. If you happen to go to see, um, (turns to John) who’s one other nice standup proper now? You’re not serving to me in any respect. Why are you not serving to me?

John Owen: It’s so humorous since you say you’ve bought these (stand-up) guys. However you say, “This one after which, who’s the opposite?” (Laughs). OK, how about Dave Chappelle?

Rob: Dave Chappelle is one other nice one. I’ve realized via again within the days of “Wayne’s World” or “Austin Powers” or internet hosting “Saturday Night time Reside” the place my lane is. And my lane is comedy characters — like an precise character who’s a larger-than-life, exuberant and extremely articulate fool. (John Owen underneath his breath: “Hmmm”). Like that’s the place I stay.

John Owen, the present opens together with your dad’s character waking up, crying whereas watching animal movies on the web and dancing with himself earlier than heading to the toilet for self-affirmations within the mirror. How shut does that mirror your dad’s precise morning routine?

John Owen: To be sincere, I don’t wish to take into consideration his morning routine.

Rob: Is it that disturbing?

John Owen: That’s how I really feel it have to be, yeah. I feel it’s bought to be fairly near that minus the self-affirmations within the mirror.

Rob: However you understand there’s lots of mirror time.

John Owen: Yeah, it’s much more narcissistic (Rob: “Come on”) and self-validating.

Let’s pivot for a second. Regardless of being a comedy, the present additionally offers with grief.

Rob: I beloved that it was baked into the script. I’ve to offer lots of credit score to Victor Fresco, who’s our third co-creator. That was actually certainly one of his mandates. As an actor, it’s thrilling to have the ability to should pivot from onerous comedy to coping with grief in an actual manner that’s not a cartoon.

This query was initially going to be for Rob however let’s let John Owen reply: Why achieve this a lot of your dad’s characters have an annoying degree of confidence?

John Owen: Oh, effectively, I’m not even positive that’s within the script at instances. I really feel like that simply might be him making it his personal.

Rob: However is it confidence or is it joie de vivre? That’s French.

John Owen: Yeah, no, I feel that he discovered one thing that he believes he’s good at and like he stated, he sticks to his slender lane.

Rob: I don’t know if it’s slender.

John Owen: I’m simply saying what you stated. Did you say that?

Rob: I stated it was a lane. I didn’t say it was slender.

John Owen: OK.

John Owen, what’s one of the best recommendation your dad ever gave you?

John Owen: My gosh.

Rob: Have interaction your core.

John Owen: That’s precisely proper. That’s it. He did inform me as soon as that if I used to be going to pursue a profession in leisure, I ought to make it possible for I actually do need it. It’s necessary as a result of it’s an business stuffed with rejection and self-doubt and failure. So should you don’t adore it, it’s not enjoyable.

The present revolves across the biotech business. John Owen, you could have a background in science?

John Owen: I do. I labored in a stem cell biology analysis lab. I really like science, and I nonetheless do. I simply thought to steal my dad’s factor he likes to inform me — the world wanted another actor and author and one much less physician/scientist.

Rob: On the finish of the day, anyone can analysis most cancers. Come on. However, you understand, to have the ability to get up and have anyone put make-up in your face within the morning, it’s actually, I feel, a present to humanity.

John Owen: To be clear, he simply admitted that he wakes up and places make-up on his face each morning.

Rob: You suppose this face comes like this often?

John Owen: No, like I stated, make-up, docs, child’s blood.

Lastly, your characters carry out karaoke within the present. What are your go-to karaoke jams?

Rob: Oh, that is good for Cleveland. After I do karaoke, my music is “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Which was on its strategy to Cleveland. And there’s nothing fairly just like the buzzkill of doing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” after anyone has performed “Don’t Cease Believin’.” I’m doubling and tripling down on that. I’m not giving it up.

John Owen, what’s your music?

John Owen: Undoubtedly not that. In all probability one thing that different individuals within the room know.

Rob: Different individuals within the room know? Wait, would you please clarify to him that “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a authentic iconic American/Canadian traditional?

John Owen: No matter.