Rob Lowe Reflects on Fans Dressing Up as His St. Elmo’s Fire Character: ‘It Was Surreal’

Rob Lowe Reflects on Fans Dressing Up as His St. Elmo’s Fire Character: ‘It Was Surreal’

Rob Lowe has been a Hollywood fixture for over four decades, but even with his long list of accomplishments, nothing quite compares to the surreal moments of his ’80s stardom.

“It was crazy stuff,” Lowe tells PEOPLE. “It’s the kind of thing you look back on and think, did that really happen?”

Now 60, Lowe has a career that spans iconic films like The Outsiders and hit TV shows such as The West Wing, Parks and Recreation, and 9-1-1: Lone Star. Yet, despite his extensive resume, Lowe still fondly recalls his days as a member of the Brat Pack, particularly his role in St. Elmo’s Fire.

In the 1985 coming-of-age drama, Lowe played Billy Hicks, a saxophone-playing frat boy navigating post-college life alongside co-stars Emilio Estevez, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Andie MacDowell. The film, set around a group of recent Georgetown University graduates, became a cultural touchstone for a generation, and Lowe’s character, Billy, struck a chord with audiences.

The movie hit theaters on June 28, 1985, but it wasn’t until Halloween that same year that Lowe truly grasped the cultural impact of his role. Fans went so far as to dress up as Billy Hicks, complete with the character’s signature saxophone, shaggy hair, earring, and Hawaiian shirt.

“It was surreal,” Lowe recalls. “I was on a balcony, looking down, and I saw someone get out of a car dressed exactly like my character, saxophone and all. It was the first time I had ever seen someone dressed like me for Halloween.”

By the time St. Elmo’s Fire came out, Lowe had already made a name for himself, having starred in films like The Outsiders, but this Joel Schumacher-directed movie catapulted him to a new level of fame. Reflecting on his rise, Lowe says, “It was an incremental process to get to that place in ’80s pop culture, and it was overwhelming at times. But I’m incredibly grateful to have experienced that, because very few people get to be that person. Every decade brings a new wave of stars, and it’s fun to watch that happen, having been there myself.”

Rob Lowe Reflects on Fans Dressing Up as His St. Elmo’s Fire Character: ‘It Was Surreal’

Given the lasting impact of St. Elmo’s Fire on pop culture, a sequel seems like a natural step. Earlier this year, Lowe confirmed that talks about a possible follow-up are in motion, though still in “very, very, very, very, very early stages. So we’ll see.”

If a sequel does come to fruition, Lowe might have to brace himself for a new generation of fans dressing up as Billy Hicks once again.

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