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Chad Lowe: Career and Legacy of the Emmy-Winning Actor and Director
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In brief
Chad Lowe is an American actor best known for playing Jesse McKenna, a young man living with HIV, on the drama series "Life Goes On," a role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1993. Over the following decades he built a steady career in television and film and later moved into directing episodic TV.
Chad Lowe, born Charles Davis Lowe II on January 15, 1968, in Dayton, Ohio, is an American actor and director. He is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe. His father was a trial lawyer and his mother, Barbara Lynn Wilson, a teacher; after their parents' divorce, the family moved to Malibu, California, where Chad attended Santa Monica High School, according to Wikipedia and The Creative Coalition.
The Emmy-winning role on Life Goes On
The drama series "Life Goes On" aired on ABC from 1989 to 1993, according to CBS News. Lowe joined the cast in 1991, playing Jesse McKenna, a young man living with HIV — a storyline considered groundbreaking for mainstream television at the time — and remained in the role through the series' end in 1993, according to Wikipedia. For the role, Lowe won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1993.
Expanding into television and film
After "Life Goes On," Lowe took recurring roles on "Melrose Place," "ER" and "Now and Again." In October 2006, CBS News reported that Lowe would join the cast of Fox's "24" for its sixth season as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Reed Pollock, a politically savvy operative; the season premiered on January 14, 2007.
On film, Lowe appeared in "Oxford Blues" (1984) and "Unfaithful" (2002). He also voiced the character Cosmic Boy in "Superman: The Animated Series" and portrayed musician John Denver in the television film "Take Me Home" in 2000. From 2010 to 2017, he had a recurring role as Byron Montgomery on "Pretty Little Liars."
| Years | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–1993 | Life Goes On | Jesse McKenna (Emmy win, 1993) |
| 2000 | Take Me Home (TV film) | John Denver |
| 2002 | Unfaithful | Supporting role |
| 2007 | 24 (season 6) | Reed Pollock |
| 2010–2017 | Pretty Little Liars | Byron Montgomery |
Move into directing
Lowe made his feature directorial debut with "Beautiful Ohio" in 2007. He has since directed episodes of several television series, including "Bones," "Brothers & Sisters," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Pretty Little Liars," according to Wikipedia.
...the way I felt inside my skin was somehow the fuel that was burning to follow an artistic path...
In the same interview, referenced by the advocacy group The Creative Coalition, Lowe said actor Martin Sheen served as a mentor who offered guidance that changed the direction of his career.
Personal life
Lowe married actress Hilary Swank on September 28, 1997, after the two met while filming "Quiet Days in Hollywood," according to Wikipedia. In an October 2006 report on his casting in "24," CBS News already referred to him as Swank's "ex-husband," though Wikipedia states the couple's divorce was not finalized until November 1, 2007; the sources do not explain this discrepancy. Lowe later married producer Kim Painter on August 28, 2010; the couple have three daughters, according to Wikipedia.
Why he is remembered
Lowe's Emmy-winning performance in "Life Goes On" remains the role most closely associated with his career, cited by both Wikipedia and The Creative Coalition as the defining credit that established him in American television in the early 1990s. His subsequent work spanning recurring television roles, film appearances and television directing reflects a career that continued for decades beyond that initial breakthrough.
Questions
- What is Chad Lowe best known for?
- He is best known for playing Jesse McKenna, a young man living with HIV, on the ABC drama series "Life Goes On" (1991–1993), a role that won him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1993.
- Did Chad Lowe win an Emmy Award?
- Yes. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1993 for his role on "Life Goes On."
- Is Chad Lowe related to Rob Lowe?
- Yes, Chad Lowe is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe.
- Has Chad Lowe worked as a director?
- Yes. He made his feature directorial debut with "Beautiful Ohio" in 2007 and has since directed episodes of television series including "Bones," "Brothers & Sisters," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Pretty Little Liars," according to Wikipedia.
- Was Chad Lowe married to Hilary Swank?
- Yes. According to Wikipedia, they married on September 28, 1997, and divorced on November 1, 2007.
Sources
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