Rob Lowe has revealed how he messed up his chances with Madonna by turning down a dance with her.

The 49-year-old actor has told in his new book Love Life - the sequel to his bestselling 2011 memoir Stories I Only Tell My Friends - how he went on a date with Madonna, but ended up blowing it.

Rob recalled meeting the queen of pop after a show in Los Angeles in 1984, according to the New York Post.

Rob wrote: "She was cute and she was young and she was single, and so I sat front-row... she was a revelation.

"'Madonna would like to see you backstage,' a security guard said as the house lights came up.

"She had flawless skin and eyes that imparted secrets... she asked what movie I was working on and so I told her a little about St Elmo's Fire, which I had just finished. 'I play the bad boy,' I said. Madonna just smiled. She seemed to like that."

The Parks And Recreation star revealed months after their first encounter he and Madonna made a date to meet at the Palladium, which he describes as "a giant dance club that was filled with rabid 'boy-toy' doppelganger fans of both sexes. It was a madhouse."

Rob told how he made the long trek through the "grabbing and pawing" crowd to the VIP section.

"Madonna and I were discussing where we would sneak off to at the end of the evening when she suddenly jumped up and said, 'Let's dance!'... 'I'll wait here,' I said.

"'Suit yourself,' she replied as she waded beyond the velvet rope into the fray.

"'You're crazy,' I said, half meaning it. 'No I'm not,' she said... 'I'm just not going to let success f*** up my fun'."