Charles Davis "Chad" Lowe II (born January 15, 1968) is an American actor and director. He is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in Life Goes On as a young man living with HIV. He has had recurring roles on ER, Melrose Place, and Now and Again. Lowe played Deputy White House Chief of Staff Reed Pollock on the sixth season of 24, and played Byron Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars.
Early life Charles Davis Lowe II was born on January 15, 1968, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Barbara Lynn Wilson (; 1939–2003), a teacher, and Charles Davis Lowe, a trial lawyer. His parents divorced when Lowe was young. He has an older brother, actor Rob Lowe, and two half brothers from the second marriages of his parents, the producer Micah Dyer (maternal) and Justin Lowe (paternal). Lowe was baptized in the Episcopal Church. He is of German, English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry.Stated on Who Do You Think You Are?, April 27, 2012
Lowe was raised in a "traditional midwestern setting" in Dayton, attending Oakwood Junior High School, before moving to the Point Dume area of Malibu, California, with his mother and brother. He attended Santa Monica High School, the same high school as fellow actors Holly Robinson Peete, Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn, Chris Penn, and Robert Downey Jr.
Career Lowe began his acting career in the 1980s when he appeared in a number of television films. Lowe co-starred with Charlie Sheen in the 1984 CBS Television drama Silence of the Heart. In 1988 he co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Urich in the made-for-TV film April Morning, which depicted the battle of Lexington in the American Revolutionary War. Lowe played the titular character in the short-lived sitcom Spencer, which he left after six episodes.
From 1991 to 1993, he starred in Life Goes On, for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1993.
Lowe had recurring roles on Melrose Place, Popular, Now and Again, and ER, and guest-starring roles on Touched by an Angel, Superman, CSI: Miami and Medium. Lowe's feature film appearances have included roles in Nobody's Perfect, True Blood, Quiet Days in Hollywood, Floating, and Unfaithful. In 2000, he portrayed iconic singer John Denver in the television film Take Me Home. That year he also wrote and directed the short film The Audition. Lowe made his feature film directorial debut in 2007 with Beautiful Ohio. Lowe has directed episodes of Bones, Brothers & Sisters, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Hack, Without a Trace, and Pretty Little Liars.
In April 2010, Lowe replaced Alexis Denisof as Aria's father, Byron Montgomery, in Pretty Little Liars.
Personal life While filming Quiet Days in Hollywood, Lowe met actress Hilary Swank. They married on September 28, 1997. On January 9, 2006, Lowe and Swank announced their separation, and in May 2006, they announced their intention to divorce. The divorce was finalized on November 1, 2007. Swank infamously forgot to thank Lowe during her acceptance speech after winning her first Academy Award in 2000 for Boys Don't Cry. Upon winning her second Oscar in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby, Lowe was the first person she thanked.
In January 2007, a representative announced that Lowe was dating producer Kim Painter. Their first daughter was born in May 2009. Lowe and Painter were married on August 28, 2010, in a small ceremony in Los Angeles. Their second daughter was born in November 2012; she died by suicide at age 13 on September 29, 2026. Their third daughter was born in March 2016.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1984Oxford BluesComputer HackerUncredited1988Apprentice to MurderBilly Kelly1989True BloodDonny Trueblood1990Nobody's PerfectStephen/Stephanie1992Highway to HellCharlie Sykes1996DrivenLeGrand1997FloatingDougTrading FavorsMartyQuiet Days in HollywoodRichardThe OthersVTV Director1998Suicide, the ComedyJ.J.2000The AuditionUncreditedShort film2001Your GuardianParker Smith2002UnfaithfulBill StoneThe Space BetweenTicket ManShort film2003Red BetsyOrin Sanders2014California SchemingMr. Behrle2015EntourageChad Lowe20197 Days to VegasSheriff
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1984Flight 90: Disaster on the PotomacAl HamiltonTelevision filmSilence of the HeartSkip LewisTelevision film1984–1985SpencerSpencer WingerSeries regular; 7 episodes1986There Must Be a PonyJosh SydneyTelevision film1988April MorningAdam CooperTelevision filmCBS Schoolbreak SpecialMichael WellsEpisode: "No Means No"1990So Proudly We HailBilly KincaidTelevision film1991CaptiveJeff FrostTelevision filmAn Inconvenient WomanKippie PetworthMiniseries; 2 episodes1991–1993Life Goes OnJesse McKennaSeries regular; 35 episodes1993Candles in the DarkJaan ToomeTelevision film1995Fighting for My DaughterEricTelevision filmSiringoWinton PowellTelevision filmThe Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short ShowRob "That's Right" TardaTelevision filmDare to LoveStephenTelevision filmSnowy River: The McGregor SagaSam Taylor2 episodes1996ABC Afterschool SpecialsRogerEpisode: "Me and My Hormones"1996–1997Melrose PlaceCarter GallavanRecurring role; 8 episodes1997In the Presence of Mine EnemiesSergeant LottTelevision filmThe HungerNevilleEpisode: "A Matter of Style"1997–2005ERDr. George Henry4 episodes1998Target EarthCommander Fauk, Alien ChiefTelevision filmPoltergeist: The LegacyJosh MillerEpisode: "The Covenant"Touched by an AngelArthur BowersEpisode: "Miles to Go Before I Sleep"Superman: The Animated SeriesCosmic BoyVoice, episode: "New Kids in Town" A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1999The Apartment ComplexStan WardenTelevision filmPopularLuke Grant4 episodes1999–2000Now and AgainCraig Spence4 episodesThe Wild ThornberrysBuck the Ibex, Barking Deer #1Voice, 2 episodes2000Take Me Home: The John Denver StoryJohn DenverTelevision film2001Acceptable RiskEdward WellesTelevision filmThe Zeta ProjectWade PenningtonVoice, episode: "Crime Waves"Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJason MayberryEpisode: "Pique"Night VisionsAndy HarrisEpisode: "Hate Puppet2003HackJimmy ScanlonEpisode: "Brothers in Arms"CSI: MiamiScott MandevilleEpisode: "Blood Brothers"2004Without a TraceLawrence PierceEpisode: "Upstairs Downstairs"2005MediumDavid CallEpisode: "Being Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"Fielder's ChoicePhilipTelevision film200724Reed PollockRecurring role; 8 episodes2009BonesBrandon CaseyEpisode: "The Doctor in the Den"Ghost WhispererNathan WeissEpisode: "Cause for Alarm"2010Drop Dead DivaDaniel PorterEpisode: "Back from the Dead"2010–2017Pretty Little LiarsByron MontgomeryMain role (seasons 1-3)Special guest star (seasons 4-7); 52 episodes2011–2013; 2019Young JusticeCaptain MarvelVoice, 5 episodes2016Rizzoli & IslesCharlie DouglasEpisode: "Murderjuana"2017–2018; 2020SupergirlThomas Coville8 episodes2018Hailey Dean Mystery: 2+2=MurderClyde BennettHallmark Movies & Mysteries Television MovieHailey Dean Mystery: A Will to Kill2019Hell's KitchenHimselfEpisode: "Poor Trev"2022–2023 9-1-1: Lone Star Robert Strand 5 episodes
Director YearTitleNotes2000The AuditionDirectorial debut; short film2002The Space BetweenShort film2003Law & Order: Special Victims UnitEpisode: "Soulless"2004HackEpisode: "Extreme Commerce"2006Beautiful OhioFeature film2007–2015Bones13 episodes2008–2010Brothers & Sisters2 episodes2011–2017Pretty Little Liars15 episodes2014TwistedEpisode: "Danny Indemnity"2015Rizzoli & IslesEpisode: "Bassholes"2015–2018Life in Pieces6 episodes2016The GrinderEpisode: "Delusions of Grinder"StitchersEpisode: "Red Eye"NotoriousEpisode: "Chase"2017American HousewifeEpisode: "The Snowstorm"Supergirl2 episodes 2018 Light as a Feather2 episodes 2019; 2024 9-1-1Episodes: "The Searchers", "Buck, Bothered and Bewildered", "Confessions" 2019–2023 The Flash4 episodes 2019 High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Episode: "Blocking" 2021–2024 9-1-1: Lone Star6 episodes 2021 Titans Episode: "Purple Rain" 2023 Found Episode: "Missing While Homeless" 2025–2026 9-1-1: Nashville 4 episodes
Producer YearTitleNotes2005Celebrity CharadesExecutive producer2006Beautiful OhioProducer
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Results 1989 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special CBS Schoolbreak Special 1993 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Life Goes On Viewers for Quality Television Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series 2007 Sarasota Film Festival Debut Director Beautiful Ohio 2021 Garden State Film Festival Best Ensemble (Feature) 7 Days to Vegas
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