The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger shuts down ‘frustrating’ ‘nepo baby’ claims

The White Lotus season three star Patrick Schwarzenegger has waded into the “nepo baby” dicourse, stating that it’s “frustrating” for people to believe he only gets acting gigs because of his famous father.

Patrick Schwarzenegger is the son of six-time Terminator star and two-time governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, John F. Kennedy’s niece. Yet, speaking to The Sunday Times, he argued that he has a burgeoning acting career because of the years he spent in acting classes, rather than because of his family ties. 

“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” he told the publication.

“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.”

He went on to share that he has previously wished he had a different surname, in order to remain more anonymous in his search for acting roles.

“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. But that’s a small moment. 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.”

The actor, who has also starred in streaming hits including American Sports Story and Gen V, has previously said that he opted not to use the same talent manager as his father.

“I didn’t want to feel like I was getting used by – not used – but that the reason I was getting things was because of him. And he totally got that,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

Over the past few years, countless stars have had to defend themselves against the accusation of being a “nepo baby”, a term which suggests someone in the public eye only achieved the profile they have through nepotism, as they have famous family members.

Performers including Ben Platt, Roman Kemp, and Lily Allen have previously addressed the claim that they benefit from nepotism.

Schwarzenegger is currently fronting arguably his biggest role to date in The White Lotus, in which he plays Saxton, the eldest child of the Ratliff family.

Over the course of the first two episodes, Saxton’s storyline has centred on his odd and “creepy” relationship with his younger brother Lochlan (Sam Nivola), with some viewers believing a full-on incest plot between the two is on the cards.

The White Lotus is streaming on HBO on Sundays in the US and Sky Atlantic and streaming platform NOW in the UK on Mondays.

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