He may be the captain of Station 126 on 9-1-1: Lone Star, but to Rob Lowe’s kids, he’s just their dad. (Albeit their very, very famous dad.)

Lowe plays Captain Owen Strand on 9-1-1: Lone Star, FOX’s procedural drama series following the personal and professional lives of firefighters, paramedics, police officers and other first responders at the fictional Station 126 in Austin, Texas. Strand is the captain of Station 126 and a former firefighter from New York City who was diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of being a first responder to the September 11 attacks, in which he lost his whole firehouse. He is also the father of Tyler Kennedy “TK” Strand, a firefighter at Station 126 and a recovering opioid addict.

Lowe has starred as Captain Strand since Season 1 of 9-1-1: Lone Star, which is a spin-off of 9-1-1. His son, John Owen Lowe, has also written several episodes. So who are Rob Lowe’s kids? Read on for what to know about his family and children.

How many kids does Rob Lowe have?

How many kids does Rob Lowe have? Rob has two children: sons John Owen and Matthew Edward. Meet his kids ahead.

John Owen Lowe

Born: November 6, 1995

John Owen Lowe is Rob Lowe and Sheryl Berkoff’s second child and youngest son. He was born on November 6, 1995. He graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology and Society in 2018. John Owen announced in an Instagram post in April 2020 that he was two-years sober at the time. “I haven’t been vocal about my sobriety on here just because I felt it was something I wanted to keep personal, but I had a change of heart today,” he wrote. “Two years in and I am more grateful than ever to have a community of support and friends who continue to build me up and hold me accountable. Making the decision to change your life is difficult at any age, but as a young person I hope that I can be a small example that it is possible and that things really do get SO MUCH BETTER.”

Like his father, John Owen is also an actor. He starred alongside his father in five episodes of FOX’s The Grinder, as well as the Netflix movie Holiday in the Wild. Rob and John Owen also co-created and starred in the Netflix series Unstable, in which they play father and son, Ellis and Jackson Dragon. Ellis (played by Rob) is the CEO and founder of a biotechnology company named Dragon, while Jackson (played by Kohn Owen) is Ellis’ son and a professional flautist.

John Owen has also written several episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star, in which Rob stars as Captain Owen Strand. In an interview with The New York Times in 2023, John Owen revealed that Unstable was based on his relationship with his father while working on 9-1-1: Lone Star. “I was writing on Lone Star. The proximity to my dad was driving me insane, the idea of never escaping his shadow,” he said. “I had a weekly phone call with my manager and agent where they basically served as de facto therapists. I would say, ‘I’m going crazy. I’ll never separate from him. Is this my destiny?’ They would laugh at my pain, but I thought to myself, Maybe there’s something interesting here, like, this might be a show. Then we got Victor Fresco involved, who really helped us structure it.” He continued, “[Unstable is] wildly cathartic for me. For sure. First of all, I get to make fun of him on a public platform. But it’s sweet and rewarding, honestly, to act with him.”

John Owen and Rob also described both of their Unstable characters as “pretty close” to who they are in real life. “Ellis is like 90 percent Rob, truly. I do believe that,” John Owen said. Rob added, “It’s definitely my worldview and essence, on steroids.”

As for what it was like to work together, John Owen told The New York Times, that the two have a “seamless” relationship as father and son. “We do have a seamless work flow. I’ve worked with him in different facets before this, but this is the most hands-on we’ve ever been. I’ve never shared carrying a show with him,” he said. “I learned a lot from him on Unstable. How somebody in that position carries himself, when so many people are counting on you to deliver day in and day out. I was impressed. That’s as much of a compliment as I’m going to give you right now.”

John Owen, however, did acknowledge the downsides of starring with his father. “He does have a lot of charisma. In a scene, if people aren’t bringing it, he’ll suck attention into himself. He’s a black hole of energy and positivity,” he said. “I use that. There’s two ways to match an actor doing something like that: One is to try and meet them where they are; the other is to just let them go. And that’s really what Jackson’s doing, because that’s what I do in real life around him. Even in the writing, I’ve helped craft set pieces that are built for him to be the spectacle.”

Matthew Edward Lowe

Born: September 24, 1993

Matthew Edward Lowe is Rob Lowe and Sheryl Berkoff’s first child and oldest son. He was born on September 24, 1993. Matthew Edward graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 2016, according to his Linkedin. He earned his law degree with a focus in entertainment and sports law from Loyola Law School in 2019. According to his Linkedin, Matthew Edward works as an investor at Miroma Ventures, an advisor with Proximity, and the head of U.S. talent at Komi. He is also the founder of LH Capital, an investment firm. Matthew Edward also filmed the A&E series The Lowe Files, along with Rob and his younger brother, John Owen Lowe. The show, which was cancelled after one season in 2017, followed the trio as they investigated unsolved mysteries within the United States.

He told People at the time about how the show allowed him, his father and his younger brother to spend quality time together. “I’m in law school, my brother is in school and my dad is always working, so the three of us don’t get to be together that often,” he said. “It really just felt like a fun trip we were on, and cameras just happened to be around.”

In an interview with People in 2022, Matthew Edward also revealed the “great relationship advice” his father told him. “He’ll say, ‘When I found your mother, I knew she was the one. I married my best friend, and it’s worked out perfectly for me. So take that advice.’… He gives little pearls of wisdom like that that I keep with me. Hopefully, I will end up in a 30-year marriage like him,” he said.

9-1-1: Lone Star airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

For more on 9-1-1, check out the gallery below to see the 9-1-1 cast salaries per episode, from Angela Bassett to Oliver Stark!