Patrick Schwarzenegger wants people to know it’s not smooth sailing in Hollywood just because of his famous last name.
Schwarzenegger spoke with The Sunday Times about his new role in the third season of the hit HBO series “The White Lotus,” acknowledging that many may accuse him of landing the part through his “nepo baby” status.
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” he told the outlet. “They’re not seeing that I’ve had ten years of acting classes, put on [high] school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on.”
He continued, “Of course, it’s frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, ‘I wish I didn’t have my last name.’ But that’s a small moment. I would never trade my life with anyone. I’m very fortunate to have the life and family that I have, the parents I have and the lessons and values they’ve instilled in me.”
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The 31-year-old is the third of the four children shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, including Katherine, Christina and Christopher. The couple split in 2011 after it was revealed Arnold had an affair and fathered a son with the housekeeper. They were officially divorced in 2021 after a lengthy property settlement dispute.
Patrick Schwarzenegger told the outlet he’s close with his parents, saying, “I hang with my family all the time. I live within a few minutes of my dad.”
He credits his famous father for getting him into acting “early, of course, given who my dad was.”
Father and son also train together whenever their schedules allow.
“We were both filming in Toronto recently, staying at the same hotel and worked out together every day,” he said.
He added that people question why he isn’t bulking up like his famous bodybuilder father.
“It’s frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, ‘I wish I didn’t have my last name.’ But that’s a small moment.”
People that don’t like me on social media will say, ‘Why aren’t you bodybuilding?’” Schwarzenegger said. “People always want you to do something else, but he’s undoubtedly been an influence in my life.”
The “White Lotus” role came up in 2023, and he auditioned immediately though he had his doubts.
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“I thought, there’s no way I’m going to get this, everybody is up for this,” he said. “I’ve been a massive fan of the show since day one. It was my dream goal, I think I manifested it.”
Schwarzenegger landed the role and learned he had to be in Thailand a week after proposing to his fiancée, model Abby Champion.
“I was like, ‘Eek, sorry, I’m gonna be gone the next seven months, so we’re going to have to push the wedding to next year,’” he joked. The ceremony is scheduled for later this year.
His wealthy finance bro character also required some nudity, which his dad chimed in on social media about.
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“I was so pumped to take a break from filming to celebrate @patrickschwarzenegger at the White Lotus Season 3 premiere. What a show!” Arnold wrote on Instagram ahead of the show’s premiere last week.
“I could claim to be surprised to find out he has a nude scene, but what can I say – the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Don’t miss it this Sunday – trust me.”
Schwarzenegger reacted to the headlines on X, reposting one and adding “Parents,” he said with two facepalm emojis.
Speaking with The Sunday Times, the “Scream Queens” star revealed he wasn’t sure how much he’d be baring initially.
“I didn’t know to what extent [there would be nakedness]. You do the auditions but you don’t see the full script so you don’t have all the details, then they ask you, ‘Are you comfortable with nudity?’ when you sign on,” he said.
“At the end of the day, this character, from start to finish, is ridiculous and the type of person who absolutely would walk around his room naked without a care in the world,” he continued. “He’s the guy who, whenever he sees a girl at the pool, he’s going to flirt with them whether it’s a mom or a 22-year-old.”
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