As far as Patrick Schwarzenegger’s parents go, White Lotus is the big time
The Schwarzenegger family were reduced to tears when Patrick landed his ‘dream job’ on The White Lotus.
Entertainment
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There were tears in one of America’s most famous families when Patrick Schwarzenegger landed a gig on The White Lotus.
The son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver is carving out his own career on the big and small screen, with this job a significant milestone given the popularity of the franchise and the calibre of its cast over the first two seasons.
“I have a video of when I told her (mum) I got the role and she just started bursting out crying at the table,” Schwarzenegger says.
“It was cute, and my whole family did because we are all major fans. It is a dream job.
“I’m a big fan of The White Lotus, have been of the first two seasons, and to work on a TV show that you love watching is dream come true.”
He continues: “Then when you get to come and travel to Thailand and stay in these hotels, it’s a total dream come true. And then to get to work with someone like Mike (White), I mean, he’s a true genius.
“And from an actor’s kind of point of view and perspective, to work with an actor director, it is amazing. He gets to bring a whole new perspective and it’s like you’re taking a master class in acting while being part of the show. So it’s a very unique, obviously, skill set that he has.”
White is the creator, writer and director of the series, for which season three premiered on Binge this week.
Schwarzenegger, 31, has previously been seen in many small and big Hollywood productions, most notably hit TV series The Staircase and movies such as Moxie, directed by comedian Amy Poehler.
No matter how famous or successful an actor, everyone has to earn their stripes on a Mike White set.
Schwarzenegger, despite his family pedigree, was no exception.
“I guess the best way to describe it is that there’s no way to compare it because, the only thing that was somewhat similar was I got to work with Amy Poehler, who is obviously a genius, an actor, director, writer,” Schwarzenegger explains.
“But Mike has such a different unique perspective on this project as a whole from being the creator, the writer, showrunning it, directing and then having the actor’s point of view and perspective.
“I’ve never met someone more hands on and, at the same time, hands off.”
By that, Schwarzenegger says White allowed the cast to bring their own ideas to the writing as well as the scenes themselves.
“I was like completely shocked that he was that engaging with us on that part, but then totally allowed us to do takes where we bring what we want to bring,” he says.
“I couldn’t imagine what it’s like from his brain. I wish every actor could experience a set like this or working with a director that also has an acting background because it’s so unique.” In The White Lotus, Schwarzenegger plays Saxon Ratliff, the eldest son of Timothy (Jason Isaacs) and Victoria (Parker Posey).
Sarah Catherine Hook is his younger sister, Piper Ratliff, who essentially encourages her family to come to Thailand as she’s on a journey of religious discovery.
Saxon is “a total extrovert, flirt, just thinks everything is his way or the highway”. His religion is “money and sex”. He is someone that believes in the “pleasures of life” and his sister is “deeper spiritually”.
“The dichotomy between the two is just a set-up for clashing, butting heads but at the same time he wants what is best for his sister, and he thinks that is the best way and that she’s totally lost,” says Schwarzenegger. “There’s a tension and that part of the relationship building between me and my sibling is centred around the idea of faith and her exploring Buddhism and why we’re coming to Thailand.
“It’s something that I don’t necessarily agree with and I feel like my sister is lost, that I’m the righteous one and I have the path that she should follow.”
It is these intense relationship dynamics, in this case familial, for which White is famous.
“I can’t give too much details about the plot of the family but, in general terms, it is a very loving, dysfunctional, fun family,” says Schwarzenegger.
The White Lotus season three will juxtapose the intense hedonism for which Thailand has become known, with the deep religious heritage of its Buddhist faith-based culture.
Schwarzenegger describes himself as a “faith-based person”.
“I am extremely connected to my own personal faith and thank God every single day that I’m here and get to work on a project like this with these types of people and this calibre cast and a project of this kind of stature,” he says. “But my personal views about faith and stuff are not connected towards Saxon’s.”
The White Lotus season three is now streaming on Binge
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