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CNN Live Today
Interview of Rob Lowe, Actor
Aired April 22, 2002 - 11:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well for a health story, who else do you think you're going to talk to? How about "West Wing" star Rob Lowe.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK.
KAGAN: It works for me. He is launching a campaign to warn people about the side effects of chemotherapy. It is based on his father's successful battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and he joins us this morning from Los Angeles. Rob, a pleasure -- good morning -- thanks for joining us.
ROB LOWE, ACTOR: Good morning. It's great to be here.
KAGAN: Hey, your family has had more than its fair share of having to deal with cancer, haven't they?
LOWE: Yes. My dad, as you said, a two-time survivor of Non- Hodgkin's lymphoma and unfortunately both my great-grandma and grandma died of breast cancer.
KAGAN: And you have been speaking out on cancer issues for a while now based on that.
LOWE: I have been. I worked for a numbers of years as a spokesperson for breast cancer. And now I am helping to launch By My Side, which is a multimedia campaign to educate chemotherapy patients about the dangers of infections, because my dad got an infection when he was taking chemo. And it something he was completely uneducated about, totally unprepared for, knew about the other side effects, but this one is not only really, really serious, he didn't know anything about it.
KAGAN: Really? The doctors didn't bring it up when he went through this?
LOWE: No, they didn't. And you know, a lot of doctors -- clearly, you know, the doctors do an amazing job, and they saved my dad's life. But a lot of doctors take a sort of watch-and-wait attitude, because they want to wait and see if patients develop infections. But over 40 percent of people who don't do anything to protect themselves do get infections like my dad.
KAGAN: Hey, the good news is how is he doing? LOWE: He is great. He is. I mean, you see him on that tape. My god, he should be in movies.
KAGAN: Looking good.
LOWE: Yes.
KAGAN: That he should.
LOWE: I'm going to go practice law in Ohio and let him take over for me.
KAGAN: Good genes, Rob.
LOWE: Well, I'm a very lucky man.
KAGAN: But he is doing well, and as you said, he has beaten non- Hodgkin's lymphoma not once, but twice.
LOWE: Yes. He is doing fantastically, and he is a big part of this campaign. He is a part of the Web site, which is www.bymyside, and you know, people can go and get educated, because when you're going into chemo, believe me, we were there. You are just swamped, you know.
KAGAN: Yes.
LOWE: You know, they give you so much information. It's hard to really retain it. And this you can sort of do at your leisure.
KAGAN: Now when I was sitting there reading about your family, and you mentioned your great-grandmother and your grandmother and your dad. Speaking of genes, do you sit there and wonder kind of what you're made of and make any kind of lifestyle choices based on that?
LOWE: Well, you do. And happily, breast cancer is not something that most men suffer from, although some do; 100,000 cases last year. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is happily not hereditary, but when you have this experience, you definitely try not to eat your red meat. You try to exercise and you try to most of all keep stress out of your life. And based on that, I am going to quit show business officially today.
KAGAN: Well, good luck doing that, because your career is red hot right now.
LOWE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Good way to transition into "West Wing," because I know there are millions of fans out there who are just loving that show.
LOWE: Yes.
KAGAN: There is a different kind of "West Wing" coming on this week. It's like the television meets reality.
LOWE: Yes, it is. And -- hang on, I've lost the old earpiece, which is always -- I feel like I'm in broadcast news right now.
KAGAN: Can you hear me now?
LOWE: I got you perfectly.
KAGAN: OK.
LOWE: I'm going to be like the old-time war reporter and keep it like this. Yes, this week is...
KAGAN: Or Gary Owens (ph) on the old "Laugh In."
LOWE: This is a very -- this is a really interesting "West Wing," because we have President Carter, President Ford, I believe President Clinton, all the way down to the most junior White House staffers, the people who, you know, help get the president's bags and escort him in and out of the Oval, talking about their experiences in the White House. And then you will cut to clips from our show, which sort of speak to that. And apparently it's fantastic. I haven't seen it yet, but I hear it's amazing.
KAGAN: And that's Wednesday night, I think.
LOWE: Yes, it is, Wednesday at 9:00.
KAGAN: OK. Quickly, we were spying on you during the commercial break.
LOWE: Yes.
KAGAN: And you were working on your Aaron Brown imitation.
LOWE: Yes, I was. I have to admit I was.
KAGAN: Do you want to share with us? Come on.
LOWE: I'll give you just the beginning.
KAGAN: All right. Aaron Brown as done by Rob Lowe.
LOWE: OK. No, maybe (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I am (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Why do people think that way, do you think?
That's it, because that's as good as you're going to get this early in the morning in New York.
KAGAN: You know what? It was good enough -- good for giggle. I can only hope that Aaron and his producers are laughing.
LOWE: I'm watching you, Aaron.
KAGAN: Yes, that's good.
HARRIS: Want a job, man -- want a job?
KAGAN: There you go. LOWE: I'm there. You can call me anytime.
KAGAN: Thanks a lot.
LOWE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Rob Lowe, thanks so much -- congratulations on the success, and most of all, congratulations on your father's continuing good health.
LOWE: Thank you very much.
KAGAN: Appreciate it -- thanks for stopping by.
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