‘9-1-1’ Star Rob Lowe Reveals the On-Screen Kiss That Left Him Terrified, and It Was Not With Demi Moore
Rob Lowe has spent decades as one of Hollywood’s go-to romantic leads. From the Brat Pack era to network TV, he has kissed a long list of famous co-stars on camera. That makes the question of Rob Lowe’s best on-screen kiss a tough one to answer.
Host Andy Cohen put him on the spot during a game of “Plead the Fifth” on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ on Sunday. Cohen ran through Lowe’s notable on-screen kisses, including Demi Moore, Rashida Jones, Kim Cattrall, Calista Flockhart and Meg Tilly. The 62-year-old did not need any time to think.
Lowe named Nastassja Kinski without hesitation. The pair co-starred in the 1984 film ‘The Hotel New Hampshire’, and Lowe explained that at that moment in time she was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He also admitted he felt intimidated, saying he was very, very scared.
‘The Hotel New Hampshire’ is a comedy-drama directed by Tony Richardson and adapted from John Irving’s 1981 novel. Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges and Paul McCrane also appeared, along with Wilford Brimley and Seth Green. The film was considered a box office failure, but critics praised it as a faithful adaptation.
Lowe was young at the time, and Kinski was already an established star. Lowe was dating the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ actress Melissa Gilbert while he was making the movie. It is easy to see why the scene stuck with him.
Lowe’s screen romances are well documented, and the Moore connection is the best known. The pair starred in ‘About Last Night’ in 1986 and appeared in ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’. On Kelly Ripa’s ‘Let’s Talk Off Camera’ podcast in 2024, he revealed that he and Moore briefly had a thing in the 1980s, before she got engaged to Emilio Estevez.
The two have stayed friends. Lowe said they are in a group chat about a possible ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ sequel, which he said is moving along more slowly than he would like, as the team tries to find the right writer and story.
Offscreen, Lowe’s most important relationship is with makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff. The pair met on a blind date in 1983 but did not start dating until 1989, and they married in 1991. They share 2 sons, John Owen and Matthew Edward.
Lowe credits Berkoff with helping him get sober and turn his life around. On the 2023 podcast ‘Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi’, he said she is his best friend, and that a marriage built on friendship lasts when everything else ebbs and flows. He added that marriage doesn’t so much take work as forgiveness and knowing which battles to fight.
The interview covered plenty more. Lowe was also asked to rank the Brat Pack films, and he shared that a Netflix documentary about his life is on the way. It promises an honest look at the triumphs, scandals and unforgettable moments of his decades in Hollywood.
He is busy on TV as well, as the host of ‘The Floor’. For fans of 1980s cinema, though, the biggest takeaway may be the Kinski answer. Among a long list of co-stars, it was ‘The Hotel New Hampshire’ that stuck with him.
Which Rob Lowe on-screen romance would you pick as his best?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments.
