A third season of The White Lotus is upon us, meaning that a new cast of actors have been thrust into the spotlight. One is Patrick Schwarzenegger, who plays the role of Saxon Ratliff, an aggressively sexual frat bro from Durham, North Carolina. In a new interview, Schwarzenegger opens up about how it can be frustrating when his success is attributed to his successful parents, who just so happen to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California, and Maria Shriver, bestselling author and niece of former president John F. Kennedy.
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” he told The Sunday Times. “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.”
“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 continued. “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.”
Personally, I think Schwarzenegger plays the role of a spoiled, horny southern boy quite well for someone who grew up in California. Those ten years of classes really paid off.