If you haven’t seen shows like Gen V, The Staircase, or The Terminal List, there’s a chance you hadn’t heard of Patrick Schwarzenegger until season 3 of The White Lotus. On the show, Patrick plays Saxson Ratliff, the eldest son of a dysfunctional southern family who seems more preoccupied with impressing women and making snide comments about his siblings’ sex life than actually enjoying his trip to Thailand.
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However, as Saxson’s character continues to shock and infuriate viewers in each episode, it might still be hard for viewers to see him as anyone but Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver’s son. After all, it’s a last name that’s hard to forget.
In a new interview with Variety, Patrick talked about being labeled a so-called “nepo baby” and why it might not do him justice.
“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 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end, or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on.”
In other words, people assuming that he gets everything handed to him is incorrect. He puts in the work, studies hard and gets rejected like everyone else.
And yet, people will always associate him with his dad. “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,” he admitted. “But that’s a small moment.”
While these first comments might sound a little tone-deaf, Patrick finished the interview by showing some gratitude to his parents. “I would never trade my life with anyone,” he said. “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.”
Not only have his dad and his mom supported him throughout his career, but they even attended The White Lotus premiere on Feb. 10.
On Feb. 16, Patrick also shared a video of Shriver learning that he was cast in the HBO show for the very first time. Alongside his sister Katherine Schwarzenegger and his fiancée Abby Champion, Shriver and her son broke down in tears.
But as Patrick continues to celebrate his new role, users on X aren’t exactly letting the actor get away with his comments. To many, being a hard-working “nepo baby” still doesn’t recognize the privilege they’ve been given in the industry.
“My nephew TJ was in every play in school, always playing the lead role,” wrote one user on X. “He also tried to get into Juilliard twice. He has so much raw talent. But his dad isn’t Arnold Schwarzenegger or a Kennedy for his mother. Sadly, people get the fame door opened because of birth..😐”
Another user suspected that just having Schwarzenegger as a last name is undoubtedly enough to draw casting directors in. “The name adding some weight to the cast, and knowing he doesn’t need top dollar to take apart,” one user wrote. “Definitely has advantages.”
Another user reflected on just how hard the industry is, something that they suspect Patrick might not understand. “I’d honestly love to know if Patrick Schwarzenegger even understands that there’re thousands of straight white males who have made at least the same effort to make it as a Hollywood actor and have gotten nowhere because of the climate, & their last name not being Schwarzenegger,” another user wrote.
Decidedly, the internet is not happy with Patrick’s comments over the “nepo baby” debate. Will that only fuel the hatred towards his character Saxson? We surely think so.
Before you go, click here to see the net worth of 15 mega-rich celebrity kids.
