Rob Lowe was 'a wreck', 'like a puddle' when son Matthew went to college: 'Tears flowed' (Exclusive)

The “Unstable” star tells PEOPLE that Matthew’s departure from college “felt like the end of this wonderful journey that I had as a father with Matthew and Johnny.”

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

From left: Matthew Edward Lowe and Rob Lowe attend the world premiere of Marvel Studios” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/9kPDBhcEEpJ3qkrUqoCG6w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/65c17a344c36c1dbdf08cb0dcce855ed” class=”caas-img”/>

It was anything but easy for Rob Lowe when his eldest son Matthew went to college.

TheUnstableThe star recalled to PEOPLE the “brutal” experience of flying to Duke University with Matthew – who turns 31 on September 24 – and his wife Sheryl to help him move in for his first year of college.

“It brought a lot of things to light,” he said during an interview for his August PEOPLE cover story. “And I thought, why does this affect me so much? Because Sheryl, I mean, was not untouched, but she wasn't me.”

“I mean, I was like a puddle. I had to wear sunglasses on the plane because the tears were running down my head. [face] all the time,” admitted Lowe, 60. “I couldn't see him sitting in his chair, on his little seat with a little book bag. I couldn't do it… It triggers something.”

Related: Rob Lowe Enjoys Life at 60: How the Midwestern Boy Went From Brat Packer to Sober Family Man with No Regrets (Exclusive)

“I was devastated… I realized this is a very, very, very common thing because people talk to me about it all the time now,” he added.

In fact, the 9-1-1: Lone Star The actor – who is also father of the couple's 28-year-old son, John Owen – wrote about the experience of sending his first child to a school in another country in his 2014 book. Love life.

“Since I wrote it, year after year it's been passed down to parents sending their kids away for the first time… I love nothing more than when dads come up to me crying and say, 'Your thing, sending your kid to school, I read it and then I sent my kid to school and cried in my car,'” he said. “And I love that because it reminds me how similar everyone is.”

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Actor Rob Lowe (M.) arrives with his sons Matthew Edward Lowe (L.) and John Owen Lowe (R.) to the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards, which take place on September 20, 2009 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California.” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xGoKQY_cmk7.VHFnOD_Glw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/60e9a156458ac1aa50c7d5d9f44af083″ class=”caas-img”/>

Related: Rob Lowe Says It's 'Shocking' to Be 60, But He Feels Like 30 and Is 'Busier Than Ever' (Exclusive)

The floor The presenter added that Matthew's departure for college felt like “the end of this wonderful journey I've had as a father with Matthew and Johnny,” but he has since realized that it was just the beginning of a new chapter.

“But now we're here many years later and we realize that wasn't the end,” he said. “They're back and they're not going anywhere.”

Lowe was proud to watch his boys grow up over the years. “Becoming a father was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “It remains the best thing that ever happened to me. And I think it's what I do best.”

However, he knows he's made some mistakes as a parent along the way. “There's no perfect way,” he noted. “We all screw up our kids in some way. That's what I've learned. But I feel very, very good that I was at a point in my life where I could put all my energy into it.”

Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty

From left: Matthew Edward Lowe, John Owen Lowe, Rob Lowe and Sheryl Berkoff at the premiere of "Unstable" will take place on March 23, 2023 at the Tudum Theater in Los Angeles, California.” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ATfqbaDPI1FSID8DNHiq0g–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MzI-/https://media .zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/3c823fa8938728cbecb5079cbb4d8a01″ class=”caas-img”/>

Related: Rob Lowe recalls stress-free, quiet wedding 33 years after marrying at friend's house: 'It was incredible' (exclusive)

For Lowe, the bond with his sons also extends to the professional sphere. He and John Owen jointly developed, co-directed and wrote the Netflix comedy “The Last Man.” Unstablewhose second season debuted in August. The pair play father and son Ellis and Jackson Dragon, and their characters' dynamics are inspired by their real-life interactions.

“I'm just so proud of Johnny and his ability to help create a show like this. And the idea that my kid grew up and wrote a show and a character for me is [amazing]he said, proudly pointing out his rapid development as an actor. “Johnny's work in Season 2 is on a whole new level.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Lowe is also professionally close to Matthew, who is a lawyer and businessman.

“Matthew and I have so many businesses that we do together. He currently works for Eldridge [Industries]and they own the Dodgers, and they own Chelsea [Football Club],” he said of his eldest son, who like his father is a history buff and shares Lowe's love of skiing and fishing.

“I've spoken to him on the phone four times today about different things,” he added. “So, I get the creative show business with Johnny and the business branding, investment opportunities with Matthew. I spend almost equal time with them professionally. [and] Personally, we were always close.”

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more People news!

Read the original article on People.