Patrick Schwarzenegger Has 1 Thing in Common With His ‘White Lotus’ Character

Utter the name Patrick Schwarzenegger, and most people will immediately think of his dad. The name conjures up a certain Austrian accent with quotable lines like, “Get to the chopper” and, “I’ll be back.” But the “Terminator” actor’s son is making a name for himself with his role in “The White Lotus.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon in ‘The White Lotus’ Is Also Following in His Dad’s Footsteps

The son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver shines in the latest season of “The White Lotus.” It’s a breakout role for the son of a Hollywood legend who has worked his way up from the bottom in roles such as Jock Kid in “Benchwarmers” (2006) and Frat Boy in “Grown Ups 2” (2013). 

In 2022, he portrayed Todd Peterson in HBO’s murder drama “The Staircase” and as a navy seal alongside Chris Pratt (who happens to be his brother-in-law) in “The Terminal.” His newest addition was the role of a look-alike quarterback, Tim Tebow, in FX’s “American Sports Story.” 

Now, the actor has finally landed what he describes as a “dream” role in season 3 of “The White Lotus.” Patrick Schwarzenegger portrays Saxon Ratliff as the firstborn son of a wealthy North Carolina family. Saxon happens to be the apple of his mother’s (Parker Posey) eye and works in the family finance business alongside his dad, Timothy (Jason Isaacs).

Saxon may be a party connoisseur with deep-rooted masculinity issues. Still, the character also loves his family, including younger siblings Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook), a college student, and teenager Lochlan (Sam Nivola). 

Similar to the younger Schwarzenegger, Saxon also is following in his dad’s footsteps but also dealing with wanting his father’s approval. “This idea that he’s living in his dad’s shadows – really vying for his dad’s support and approval – he has that kind of weight on him; that’s something I deal with in my day-to-day life,” he told USA Today. However, he also quickly makes it clear that’s the only thing he has in common with Saxon. “And then there were a lot of things that were just completely different.”

‘The White Lotus’ Season 3’s Saxon Is ‘Despicable’ but ‘Funny,’ Claims the Rising Star

“Saxon’s despicable, outrageous, lacks a filter, all these things,” Schwarzenegger said in the same interview with USA Today. 

“But at the same time, I wanted (viewers) to think he’s funny and spoke some truths – so that you kind of rooted for him, in a weird way.” 

Although he doesn’t have that much in common with Saxon, he shared an emotional Instagram post stating just how excited he was to land the role, which meant so much that he pushed his wedding to 2026 since he landed the role. Schwarzenegger has been busy honing the character, all the way down to the Saxon’s shoulders-back stroll. Now, fans will have to tune in to find out whether or not they can root for Schwarzenegger’s “despicable” character. 

New episodes of “The White Lotus” air Sunday nights on HBO and Max. 

Tell us! What do you think of Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon? Love him or hate him? Let us know in the comments below.