Rob Lowe says Taylor Swift's stardom is ‘what I went through on a gazillion steroids’

Rob Lowe, the beloved actor and star of "Unstable," recently shared insights into his experience with peak Hollywood fame during the 1980s, drawing comparisons to the immense stardom of Taylor Swift today. 

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Lowe reflected on the overwhelming attention and frenzy that surrounded him during his time as a Hollywood It Boy.

Recalling the intense fandom of the Brat Pack era, particularly while filming "St. Elmo's Fire," Lowe revealed, "I remember them having to bring me on and off the set in a police car, and that wasn't the first or only time. People breaking into my grandparents' house in Ohio thinking I was going to be there." 

He went on to share more startling incidents, such as fans breaking into his home to steal his underwear and police being called after throngs of people waited in the snow all night while he was on a ski vacation. "The stories I have are mental, they're nuts," Lowe told PEOPLE.

Now 60, Lowe looks back on those years with a mix of gratitude and disbelief. "It was an incremental process to occupying that place in the culture that I did in the '80s, and it was a lot," he explained, noting his breakthrough roles in "The Outsiders" and "St. Elmo's Fire." 

While he appreciates those moments, he also acknowledges the challenges of being in the spotlight. "The unease I felt with it I could never put my finger on until many years later and a lot of self-reflection, which came with getting into recovery," said Lowe, who has been sober for 34 years.

Comparing his experiences to the stratospheric fame of today's stars, Lowe mentioned, "I watch that, and it's what I went through on gazillion steroids." 

He cited modern celebrities like Justin Bieber, Austin Butler, and Taylor Swift as examples of those living the life he once did but on an even grander scale.