Who Is Chad Lowe? Inside His Career as an Actor and Director

Chad Lowe has built a successful career as an actor and director.

Since making his debut in the 1980s, the 58-year-old has openly shared his passion for both acting and directing.

In a November 2025 interview on Steve Kmetko's "Still Here Hollywood" podcast, he said acting became important to him at a young age after Martin Sheen described it as a "way of life." However, he admitted acting isn't his first choice.

"I think if I had to choose, I would choose to directing," Lowe said. "And I think finding, directing for me was when I really realized that was kind of what I was called to do. Now, I love being an actor, and as Martin Sheen said to me when he sold me on being an actor, he says, being an actor is a way of life."

He continued, "He said, being an actor is being able to put yourself in other people's shoes. It's about empathy, and it's about observing the way people behave. And I just was so in when he described it that way because it was so contrary to acting is about getting the job and being on magazine covers and winning a war. It was a way of life."

Scroll down to learn more about Lowe's career as an actor and director.

In the same podcast interview, Lowe credit Sheen with strongly influencing his decision to pursue acting.

"He's one of the best human beings. He also, as he was the, as he will say to you, he's a self-proclaimed windbag," he described Sheen. "You can't get a word in edgewise. So, for four hours he regaled me with stories about the public theater in New York City and Joe Papp, and how he felt I was an actor and I was 14 at the time. And hearing that from somebody that I really idolized was all I needed. And it also, he kind of presented a way into the business as an actor that seemed different. To circle back to your question that seemed very different from my brother [Rob Lowe]."

He and Rob acted together for the first time in a 2022 episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Chad's decades-long acting career began in the 1980s, when he started landing roles in television and film. His credits include Silence of the Heart, Take Me Home: The John Denver Story, Pretty Little Liars, April Morning, Spencer, Life Goes On, Melrose Place, ER, CSI: Miami, Supergirl and 24, to name a few.

Chad launched his directing career with his feature directorial debut, Beautiful Ohio, in 2006.

He went on to direct episodes of numerous television series, including 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, 9-1-1: Lone Star, Titans, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The Flash, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bones, Without a Trace and Life in Pieces, among others.

"Now I'm channeling my inner Martin Sheen," he opened up in the podcast. "But I think what happened for me with directing is it kind of brought all these things in my life to up to the surface. And I recognize that all of my experience has led to me being a director because I take great pride in helping guide a career."

Chad shared, "I take great pride in helping somebody find a beat or a moment in a performance like that I feel so much satisfaction in, I felt when taking it back to my ex when she went to New York City on my recommendation to read for Boys Don't Cry and got it. I mean, that's all she did it. But I certainly felt like there was real value in being there to help shepherd that along."

Chad's performance as Jesse McKenna in Life Goes On earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the Viewers for Quality Television's Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series.

In addition, his feature directorial debut earned him a Special Jury Prize for Debut Director at the Sarasota Film Festival in 2007.

In 2021, he and the cast of 7 Days to Vegas earned the Best Ensemble (Feature) award at the Garden State Film Festival.