SALT LAKE CITY — If you’re familiar with the NBC comedy series “Parks and Recreation,” then there’s a good chance the name Chris Traeger brings a smile to your face.
He’s intensely optimistic, delivers his lines with an over-the-top sincerity and has a love for the word “literally.”
Turns out the actor behind that quirky character is one in the same.
“Parks and Recreation” producer Michael Schur created the character based on his first meeting with actor Rob Lowe.
“For years, I wondered how much of (Chris Traeger) was me and how much of it was him,” Lowe told the Deseret News. “And when I wrapped the show, (Schur) gave me a framed copy of his original notes from meeting with me about the character. And my favorite thing was (that) he wrote, ‘Says literally all the time!’ I thought they made that up; I didn’t realize it was me.”
Lowe will be bringing his humorous anecdotes to the Eccles Theater on Friday, Sept. 29, as part of a show titled “Stories I Only Tell My Friends.” The actor shared thoughts about the upcoming show and what audiences can expect.
Lowe was prompted to start his show after finding success with his two books, “Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography” and “Love Life.”
“People’s response and the reception of the books has been so positive that I was thinking of writing a third book, and as I sat down to do that, it occurred to me: Why not write a live show, that you can literally go out and tell the stories to people?” Lowe said. “We can all gather around this sort of proverbial campfire, be together and share this, as opposed to just writing the book.”
As the actor is currently busy shooting the A&E series “The Lowe Files” with his family, and “Code Black,” a TV drama on CBS, his one-man show is still in its beginning stages.
In fact, Lowe’s appearance in Salt Lake City marks only his second show.
And while he’ll share amusing experiences from his four-decade career in the film and TV industries — including stories from his time on NBC’s “The West Wing” and “Parks and Recreation” — the actor will also touch on more serious matters such as balancing family life with the high demands of Hollywood.
Lowe rose to prominence in the early 1980s when he starred alongside Emilio Estevez in Francis Ford Coppola’s film “The Outsiders,” and then later, “St. Elmo’s Fire.” He is considered a member of the “Brat Pack,” a group of young actors that frequently appeared together in 1980s coming-of-age films, according to cnn.com.
The actor briefly reflected on growing up with Estevez, Charlie Sheen and Sean Penn among others, recalling that as young teenagers, they would make short films together. He plans to unveil one of those films in his show Friday night.
Lowe is excited to bring his show to the Beehive State and is especially looking forward to the Q&A segment.
“The Q&A inevitably is the most fun of the show,” he said. “As fun as the show is, the Q&A always rocks. Because someone’s going to ask something that’s going to take it in a direction that you never thought it would go. … You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s the best part.”
One thing Lowe does know is that it would “literally” be “criminal negligence” to not go skiing during his stay in the Beehive State.
“I’ve been coming to Salt Lake and (surrounding) areas since 1976 to ski,” he said. “I’ve seen that whole area change and grow, and I’ve had friends live there. I look at the weather every day, and I saw it (recently) snowed at Snowbird, so I am all over the Wasatch love festival. I’m thrilled to be back. Utah has such a special place in my heart — it always has.”
If you go…
What: Rob Lowe presents “Stories I Only Tell My Friends — Live”
When: Friday, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.
Where: Eccles Theater, 131 Main St.
How much: $52.50-$200