Rob Lowe sparked a controversy when he told The New York Times there is an "unbelievable bias and prejudice against quote-unquote good looking people."

The actor, who called himself "so goddamn pretty" as a teen idol, wasted no time today explaining what he meant.

Is Rob Lowe Eying a Future in Politics?

"It's a national tragedy," Lowe joked today on " Good Morning America." "Statistics show that worldwide a minimum of 20 to 30 people suffer from this and if I can't use my podium for good then what's the point of it, really?"

Lowe, who recently turned 50, is, more seriously using his "podium" - in the form of his second memoir, "Love Life" - to talk about the twists and turns in his decades-long career in Hollywood.

One of those twists includes passing on a role that could have put the former "Parks and Recreation" star in another "pretty" role, that of Dr. McDreamy on the ABC hit series "Grey's Anatomy." After Lowe passed, the role went to Patrick Dempsey.

"I tell that story because I'm talking about how all actors and all people come to places in their lives and they have a choice," Lowe said. "Do they make the right choice? Do they make the wrong choice? What goes into making those choices?

"So what's in that story is the thought process I had when I chose a different show over that," he said. "It's called 'Wish Sandwich' and it's one of my favorite chapters."

One choice Lowe says he does not regret making in his Hollywood career is taking on the role of Deputy White House Communications Director Sam Seaborn on "The West Wing."

"The best ever," he said of the role.

But Lowe, who revealed he would probably "go to law school" if he wasn't an actor, might have disappointed the show's legions of diehard fans holding out hope for a reunion or return of the show.

"I've heard nothing about that, but I would be in makeup and hair immediately," he said. "That would be so great."