Patrick Schwarzenegger Talks ‘The White Lotus,’ Fame, and Family

Ah, Patrick Schwarzenegger. If you’re of a certain age, you remember when his birth announcement made the celebrity magazine rounds. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver had a baby? The Terminator and a Kennedy? It was peak ’90s news. And now, here we are, talking about Patrick’s Hollywood hustle, not just the shadow of his famous lineage. Time does fly! 

Patrick recently sat down with Victoria Garrick Browne on The Real Pod and let us tell you—this isn’t the kid you might’ve imagined riding on Arnold’s coattails. He’s carving out a career with grit, grace, and yes, good genes. But don’t think it’s been all protein shakes and premieres. “I just got to focus on what makes me happy in life, really what I want to do, and where I want to go, and stop worrying about what other people are going to think,” Patrick says. 

The White Lotus: From Audition to Paradise

First things first—The White Lotus, season three. If you haven’t seen the memes, congrats on living under a rock. In the show, Patrick plays, as described by some TV enthusiasts in the Dear Media office, “a freak.” (IYKYK?) So how did he score his role? On the pod, he insists he’s not a nepo baby: It wasn’t handed to him on a silver platter.

“I was flying back from Milan,” he told Victoria, “And I got the audition on the plane. I was like, ‘I’m not getting off this plane until I have it down perfect.'” That determination paid off. Within hours of sending the tape, he got the call: “This tape is exactly what we’re looking for.”

But it didn’t end there. He had to endure a chemistry read with Mike White (creator and Survivor alum—yes, Patrick admits he hadn’t seen Survivor, and Mike roasted him for it). The read was the day after Christmas. “I didn’t want to tell my family,” Patrick confessed. “Every time we watched the show, they’d say, ‘Why aren’t you in this?’” He kept it under wraps until the official word came down. Then, cue the waterworks: “I started crying. It was like one of the best days of my life.”

Seven months of filming in Thailand followed. It’s a rough gig, laying on a beach at the Four Seasons while pretending to be stressed, but someone’s gotta do it. His fiancée, model Abby Champion, visited twice—“It’s a 24-hour flight,” Patrick laughed. “But it was worth it.”

Goals, GPS, and Growth

If you think Patrick’s just winging it—think again. Goal-setting is practically in his DNA, thanks to Arnold’s life lessons. “My dad always taught us: Have a vision. He’d say, ‘Why would you not have a GPS for your life?’” And it’s working for Patrick, balancing acting, business ventures (including his company, MOSH, with mom Maria Shriver), and philanthropy.

But don’t mistake his drive for a desperate attempt to outshine his dad. “Nothing against my dad,” Patrick Schwarzenegger said, “but his definition of success was career driven. Mine includes family, faith, relationships, my fiancée, [and] my friends. Of course, I want to be a huge movie star, but that’s on par with other areas I define as success.”

What’s Next for Patrick Schwarzenegger?

Aside from The White Lotus (which, if Patrick’s hints about his season are true, will be “wild” and “bigger than the past ones”), he’s doubling down on his acting career. “My ultimate goal is to be in the film space,” he told Victoria. “The people I look up to—they’re not posting shirtless selfies for likes. They’re building careers.”

And while Patrick’s Insta might be devoid of thirst traps these days, his “close friends” list gets the real content. (“There’s like 30 people on there,” he joked.) Priorities, people.

In the meantime, Patrick’s focused on his craft, his relationship with Abby (nine years strong!), and embracing the life he’s built—not the one the tabloids assumed he’d have. As he puts it, “I’m never going to convince everybody that I’m not just some rich kid coasting by. So why waste my energy? I’d rather focus on what makes me happy.” 

Consider us convinced, Patrick.