by Michael Hammer
photos by Jeff Katz

A conversation with Rob Lowe reveals that the boy heartthrob of the '80s has gone the way of Reaganomics and the Rubik’s Cube. Today, Lowe is a self-described "soccer dad" and husband, dividing his time between his home two hours outside of Los Angeles and the busy schedule of "The West Wing," his new television series, which airs Wednesday at 9 PM. on NBC.

Lowe stars in the White House drama from the creators of "ER" and "Sportsnight" that is the most talked about and best-reviewed show of the new season. "I'm grateful for the blessing of my wife and sons and the life we've made together," Lowe says. "I would have walked through walls to be a part of this show because of [writer /producer] Aaron Sorkin's writing, and the fact that the show's scripts are better than 90% of the movies being made, let alone the movies that might be right for me. However, another reason I wanted to do "West Wing" was that it wouldn't disrupt my family now that my kids are starting school."

Lowe extinguished his St. Elmo's Fire youthful hellion image long ago in 1990, when he starred as a deliciously malevolent sociopath in Bad Influence. Directed by Curtis Hansen (of L.A. Confidential), the role brought him the critical respect that he had been working toward throughout the previous decade. But perhaps more importantly, Lowe met his wife of eight years, Sheryl, on the set of the movie.

"Sheryl was the makeup artist on the film. We just clicked," he says. Sheryl gave him two sons (6 and 4), and the happiness and stability that he was searching for. "It's a good time," he admits. "I have a lot to be grateful for. This evening I was driving home after a 16-hour day on the set, and the sun was setting beneath a fog bank over the Pacific. I thought to myself, remember this time in your life. The work is grueling, but I'm part of something very special."

"The West Wing" is creating new memories for Lowe, but it also connects him to other periods in his life. In it, he plays Sam Seborn - an associate communications director for the President of the United States - a character, he says is as close to his own personality as any he's played since the commitment-phobic Danny in About Last Night.

"That's a snapshot of me at 24," he admits. "Danny's watershed moment was when he gave his girlfriend a drawer in his dresser. That was his idea of commitment. Sam's passionate about what he does. It's the only thing he wants to do. He can't believe he got where he is. He's thinking, 'I should be so grateful.' Yet, at the same time he's thinking, 'I busted my ass to get here,' and I feel the same way. He's who I hope I am today."

Seborn is bright, glib, funny, self-deprecating, and has intense respect and loyalty for the big guy in the White House. Lowe has all those qualities - along with a great admiration for the big guy on the set. In both cases, that guy is Martin Sheen. When Lowe was attending Hollywood High School, his running buddies were Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. His boss in "The West Wing" was their commander-in-chief.

"I feel like I'm working with my dad," he says of his relationship with the man who leads the league in presidents played. "When we were kids, he whipped us on the basketball court every day. He was proud of that. We have a court here on the lot, and we had a rematch for the first time in 12 years, and it took me back to when I was 15. 1 won't say who won this time. Working with him has actually spared me a lot of homework. I have an incredible subtext with him - let alone admiration."

His admiration for politics hasn't endured in the same way. Once an activist who openly stumped for candidates, his current disillusionment with the process has forced him out of the political arena. Not even a show as rooted in government as "The West Wing" can tempt Lowe to hit the campaign trail again. "Being on the show gives me all of the good of politics with none of the bad," he says.

"There is a level of disenchantment that I have with the [political] process that is enough to make me want to work for something that I can see and hold in my hands," he continues. "For example, raising money for the local school system to put computers in all the classrooms, where there were none."

When Lowe can escape the confines of "The West Wing," he finds time for two of his favorite hobbies - basketball and cigars. "I don't find running a full-court game of hoop and then smoking a cigar to be mutually exclusive concepts," laughs Lowe. "I play on my days off at the local 'Y' and there is a hoop at the studio that I can use as well." His favorite cigars? "The Montecristo #2, the Cohiba Robusto and the Romeo y Julieta Churchill in the metal tube."

Lowe has been a cigar fan for "ten or 11 years," when he would share a cigar with his grandfather on the golf course. "He passed away six years ago, and one of the ways I honor him is to enjoy a great cigar with friends or family," says Lowe.

Friends today include non-industry pals like coaches from my son's T-ball team," as well as colleagues such as Mike Myers and "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels. "Lorne and Mike were the first people to recognize that I could really play comedy. They saw what everyone else missed," muses Lowe. "Not only are they great sounding boards for me, but they're good friends."

Lowe met Myers and Michaels in 1990, when he hosted his classic episode of "SNL." Clips of Lowe as Arsenio Hall still crop up regularly on "Comedy Central" and SNL's "best of" specials. "Hosting the show is one of the most exciting things I've ever done, but," qualifies Lowe, "it's also completely frightening. The fear of the monologue alone has made grown men cry!"

This past summer's smash hit The Spy Who Shagged Me was the latest Myers/Lowe vehicle. "The set was very loose and everyone sensed that it was something special," he says. "Sometimes you'd have to really bite your lip to keep from cracking up." As for his dead-on Robert Wagner impression, Lowe says, "I grew up with him on TV. I just watched a lot of 'Heart to Heart' reruns!"

Now that Lowe is back on the dramatic radar with "The West Wing," are the days of movies with his funny buddies over? "Not a chance," says Lowe. "I think it's great that there's a whole generation of 10-year-olds that think I'm cool because I was in Tommy Boy."