Is the High School Musical star related to Rob Lowe in any way?
Zac Efron is not related to Rob Lowe, but the two look very alike – as fans and media outlets have often pointed out. Zac and Rob are quite close friends in real life, they often spend time together and Rob was very supportive of Zac when he went to rehab.
Read on to learn more about their friendship!
Zac Efron and Rob Lowe are Famous Lookalikes
Rob Lowe is a famous actor, producer, director who has been nominated for six Golden Globes Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Needless to say, Rob Lowe has been in the spotlight for a long time. He made his acting debut at 15 by starring in the sitcom A New Kind of Family. After doing some small TV roles in the early eighties, he plummeted to fame with movies like The Outsiders, About Last Night, and St. Elmo’s Fire.
Rob also became a teen idol very soon, a trait he shares with Zac Efron, who gained teen heartthrob status after his success in the High School Musical franchise – Rolling Stone even called him “the new American heart-throb.” But Rob and Zac have something else in common too: their faces! The two of them look so alike – and this fact, combined with their age difference – makes them look like father and son indeed, which is why fans are often confused about their relationship. However, this is a mere coincidence and the two are not actually related.
Interestingly, both Zac and Rob have also been compared to other celebrities when it comes to looking alike. For instance, it has been pointed out that Rob looks like The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, whereas Zac seems to look a lot like Glenn Ford, who rose to fame during Hollywood’s Golden Era.
Zac Efron Has Been Friends with Rob Lowe for a Long Time
Zac Efron may not be related to Rob Lowe by blood, but the two of them have been close friends for a long time. Zac even got into an alleged fight when attending Rob’s 50th birthday bash at Soundstage in L.A., where other big names like Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia DiRossi, Cameron Diaz, Oprah Winfrey, as well as most of the cast of Parks and Recreation – which Rob stars in – were also in attendance. It was reported that Zac, while sitting in his car, carelessly threw a bottle out of the window which smashed around a group of homeless people. A fight then started; Zac got punched in the mouth and the police were called, but there were no arrests made.
Despite this, Rob speaks fondly of his friendship with Zac. “He reminds me a little bit of myself when I was younger, and he’s a great friend to my boys as well. Anytime I can share my experiences with people, I like to do it,” he has said, adding, “He’s a smart, really talented guy, big future. He’s doing great. He’s been a good addition in my life.”
Rob Lowe Supported Zac during his Rehab
Zac Efron has been to rehab twice due to his struggle with cocaine and alcohol addiction. Growing up in the spotlight can be difficult, and in 2013, Zac’s squeaky clean Disney was ruined after he checked into rehab. After staying clean for a while, he relapsed while on the set on Seth Rogen’s movie Neighbors, which he also stars in.
Since then, Zac has been sober and has also spoken about going to therapy and joining Alcoholics Anonymous, and how it has changed his life. When opening up about his addiction, Zac said, “I just really want to never again have to take anything from the outside into me to feel good about my outside, to be comfortable in my present skin.”
Rob has this in common with Zac too; he also grew up in the spotlight, struggled with addiction, and went to rehab. Rob has been sober for over two decades now, and he was very vocal in his support for Zac’s experiences in rehab. When Zac checked in both times, it was done quietly and not publicized. When the knowledge did become public, Rob tweeted in support of Zac, “A thought: if you only find out a person has been to rehab weeks or months after they got out, they’re probably serious about recovery.”