Lowe's own overuse of the word stood out to showrunner Michael Schur during his audition. Rob Lowe reflects on how 'Literally!' became his catchphrase — and it
Lowe's own overuse of the word stood out to showrunner Michael Schur during his audition.
Rob Lowe reflects on how 'Literally!' became his catchphrase — and it started before Parks and Rec
Lowe's own overuse of the word stood out to showrunner Michael Schur during his audition.
By Daysia Tolentino
Published on August 3, 2025 05:00PM EDT
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Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger on 'Parks and Rec'. Credit:
Colleen Hayes/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Rob Lowe has become known for saying "Literally!" — so much so, that he named his podcast after it.
On a recent episode of the podcast, Lowe discussed his use of the word with guest Howie Mandel. The actor shared that he said the catchphrase so frequently that it was a memorable part of his audition process for *Parks and Recreation.*
Although people associate it with his character Chris Traeger, Lowe said a gift from showrunner Michael Schur made him realize that the saying actually came from his own overuse of the word.**
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"When I wrapped, Mike Schur, the brilliant creator, writer of *Parks and Recreation*, sent me, framed, his original notes from our very first meeting," Lowe recalled. "And in the very first meeting, Mike has written, 'Says literally a lot.'"
But "Literally!" started earlier than that. The *West Wing *star said people have pointed out to him that he also says it in *Wayne's World. *One eagle-eyed *Parks and Rec* fan clipped this scene and shared it on YouTube, calling it a "Chris Traeger moment" in the '90s comedy.
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Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, and Dana Carvey in 'Wayne's World'.
Paramount/courtesy Everett
The Brat Pack icon said that he never noticed how often and how pronounced his use of "Literally!" was before. Now, Lowe is grateful to have a catchphrase because he's never had one before.
"It's an honor," he said.
He then flipped the conversation over to Mandel, asking if he has a catchphrase. The ex-game show host's answer?
"Deal or no deal," Mandel said.
Listen to the full episode of *Literally! *with guest Howie Mandel below.
Source: "AOL TV"
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