It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a nepo baby in Hollywood, does not like to be reminded that they are, in fact, a nepo baby.
And Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of six-time Terminator star and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, is no exception.
On Feb. 16, the latest season of HBO’s White Lotus premiered to significant fanfare, and with it came the inevitable internet discourse surrounding its cast, the plotlines, and speculations about who will end up dead in this season. But for Schwarzenegger, the actor who plays the role of gymcel frat bro Saxon Ratliff, the discourse is taking a distinct nepo slant.
The term “nepo baby” refers to a person, especially one in the entertainment industry, who gains success and opportunities from familial connections, typically as the child of a famous actor or actress. Ever since the term rose to public consciousness in 2022, famous nepo babies everywhere have had to address the accusation at least one point in their careers.
While some nepo babies, like Jamie Lee Curtis, openly admit to their family name helping them win roles in big productions, others like Ben Platt, Emma Roberts, and Maude Apatow pushed back against the accusations, claiming they achieved success through just as much hard work as anyone else in Hollywood. It appears that Schwarzenegger is putting himself in with the latter group.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Schwarzenegger spoke about how his family name often comes with “blessings and curses,” opening up about how frustrating it is that some people think he got his White Lotus role because of his last name.
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” Schwarzenegger said. “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.”
However, the actor acknowledges that certain privileges come with having Arnold Schwarzenegger as a father, describing how being on set with his father gave him a deep insight into the film industry at a very early age.
“Going to set with my dad, that’s where my first love for acting came from,” Schwarzenegger told People. “He would always pull me out of school early. I would get to go to Universal Studios—I’d watch him go in as Dad, come out as Mr. Freeze. I would sit there all day and just be fascinated with everything about film.”
Despite all the nepo baby discourse, Schwarzenegger is still one of the breakout stars for White Lotus fans this season, with many viewers wondering just how Saxon Ratliff, the gym-obsessed frat bro, will manage to survive the chaotic whirlpool of drama and dysfunction that come from the White Lotus vacationers this season.
