The next generation doesn’t have it easy—not even when your mom is Maria Shriver, a Kennedy, and your dad is a movie icon. Patrick Schwarzenegger knows just how wide the shadow his father, Arnold, casts. But the 31-year-old is choosing interesting roles that brings a wonderful mix of self-irony and confidence like his portrayal in the cult series, The White Lotus.

When Patrick enters a room, energy follows through the threshold with him. Hugging the whole production team and slipping into every look without complaint, Patrick is incredibly open as he talks non-stop during the interview. Even through his meals, yes, even with a mouth full of food. Clearly, he has stories to tell and can’t wait for the world to listen.

ESQUIRE: Patrick, in Hollywood, on the streets, and even here on set—the fear from the recent devastating wildfires is still lingering. Did everyone in the Schwarzenegger clan get through it ok?

PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER: Luckily, yes. It was intense! My fiancée Abby and I live in Santa Monica and had to evacuate. My dad also had to leave his home. He packed up all his animals and hit the road. In the end, thankfully, everyone was safe.

ESQ: Were you able to reach your dad? Reportedly, he doesn't own a phone.

PS: That's true—my dad doesn't use a smartphone. But he has this huge iPad, so I always reach him via video call.

ESQ: We saw you both at the world premiere of the new season of The White Lotus. When you stepped off the plane in Thailand, knowing you were now part of this iconic series—that must have been a big moment for a young actor.

PS: Definitely. Every step before that had already been so exciting—from the audition to the table reads with Mike White, the director and mastermind behind the show. Then everything happened super fast. Suddenly it was like, "Ok, we're starting in four weeks!" I'd be living in Thailand for over six months, on this island, Ko Samui, that I had never even heard of. I had no idea what to expect. When I arrived, some of the cast was already there. The whole hotel was buzzing with people working on this project. Such a surreal experience.

ESQ: So you didn't know anyone then?

PS: I only knew my on-screen mom Parker Posey because we had worked together on The Staircase. Oh, and one of the cameramen.

ESQ: Not even your on-screen brother? In the very first episode, you're already talking about masturbation—butt-naked.

PS: Nope. We literally met [for the first time] at breakfast.

ESQ: That has to be a challenge, especially being Arnold Schwarzenegger's son. People carry assumptions and expectations.

PS: Challenge isn't even the right word—it's honestly nerve-wracking. Even if I forget where I come from, the first day on set is always this mix of total nerves and positive excitement. That first moment someone yells "Action!"—it never loses its magic for me.

ESQ: The Staircase was an important milestone: a high-calibre cast, an interesting role. Suddenly you weren't just Arnold's son any more.

PS: Yeah, a huge step for me.

ESQ: Personally, I was impressed by your role in Gen V, the The Boys spin-off. Your role is some sort of the great hope of a new superhero generation. All eyes are on you and then boom, you explode like a firework by the end of episode one. Blood and guts everywhere. Dream over. There's this unavoidable meta-layer—the enormous pressure, the high expectations.

PS: During COVID, I spent a lot of time thinking about my career. I told myself that I wanted to work with interesting filmmakers and just learn. I didn't care if the role was small—a day, a week, or six months—I just wanted the experience. Then the Gen V script landed in my inbox. I still remember the audition. The team said, "You're the star of the show. Everyone's supposed to love you. You're the face of a new generation of superheroes. A great guy—and then we kill you!" Total shock moment. So The Boys. I loved it. However people still come up to me and say how sad they were about it.

ESQ: I once interviewed Sylvester Stallone—he's allergic to death; his characters never die. "I refuse to. I don't want to die!" he told me. Your dad's characters pretty much always survive.

PS: Yeah, it's been very different for me so far. In The Terminal List, I also die at the end of episode one. I've been getting a lot of messages from people hoping I wouldn't die in The White Lotus too. I could only say, "Wait and see." That's the cool thing about the show—you never know!

ESQ: Your fiancée Abby is a successful model. You've been together for 10 years. Then suddenly you were away for six months. How did you handle that?

PS: It wasn't easy. Abby works a lot—especially in New York and Europe. Thailand is totally off the grid. It's 23 hours from LA—you can't just hop on a plane. But she did come to visit twice. It was great—especially for her. She was on vacation while here, chilling at the Four Seasons. Meanwhile, I was like, "work hard, play hard".

ESQ: No spoilers but the relationship between the two brothers is central this season. You've two very different guys, two very different types of masculinity. How did you approach that theme? The character work was super interesting.

PS: My character Saxon is...

ESQ: Saxon—even the name!

PS: Haha, yeah the name says it all. Saxon thinks he knows everything. From his perspective, he wants to help his little brother; he wants him to "man up"... but I can't give too much away.

ESQ: He wants to dominate him with toxic ideas of masculinity.

PS: Exactly. But he genuinely believes he is a positive influence. He thinks his brother should toughen up, just have a lot of sex, hit the gym, and think about women, money, success, freedom—everything he sees as part of being a real man.

ESQ: You've clearly trained for the role. In some scenes, you look like a young Arnold. You even wear sunglasses that scream The Terminator. Your brother, on the other hand, is the opposite.

PS: Sam Nivola, who plays Lochlan, is physically totally different. It's a striking contrast: one is the alpha male, thinks he's got life figured out, works for his dad in finance, closes deals even on detox vacation, still popping Ritalin, chugging protein, and constantly hitting on people. The other is completely lost, unsure about his identity, his spirituality; doesn't know if he's into women. Over time, we watch them both grow—and kind of switch roles. That brother dynamic is so fascinating.

ESQ: You have a brother and a half-brother—were you able to bring your own experiences in?

PS: For sure! The bickering, the teasing, all that family dynamic—it's like a totem pole. Who's the stronger one? Who's the weaker one? How much responsibility do your parents give you? Mike [White], the showrunner, encouraged me to bring in personal experiences. Still, I'm fundamentally different from Saxon, and that family in the show has nothing to do with my real one.

ESQ: How do you deal with aggressive masculinity, especially on social media?

PS: I can deal with it easily—guess it's just my nature. Some people are more sensitive. I see stuff, I read some negativity. Does it make me happy? No. Do I think about it all the time? Also no.

ESQ: Is the noise on social media getting worse?

PS: Yeah, I have a feeling it's going to get harder as my career progresses. I got a message that said: "Why didn't you bulk up? You're wasting your genetics!" But I don't want to ignore how positive the feedback often is too. I got a ton of kind messages after Gen V.

ESQ: "You're wasting your genetics"? That's brutal.

PS: Yeah, thankfully I've got some distance from that. The more you put yourself out there, the more criticism you receive—but hopefully more praise too. We'll see how that changes now.

ESQ: If criticism gets too tough, you've surely got a good support system. People you love and who love you.

PS: I've got my family, Abby, my best friends. That's what really matters.

ESQ: How many roles have you been offered that your dad once played?

PS: Not a single one.

ESQ: Seriously?

PS: Nope. Nothing.

ESQ: Crazy. I guess not many of his films have been remade yet. I think they're currently shooting The Running Man with Glen Powell. Could be cool.

PS: Yeah, totally.

ESQ: Are you hesitant to step into Arnie's shoes?

PS: So far, I've wanted to carve my own path, make my own choices. But now? I can imagine working with my dad.

ESQ: If a producer came to you and said: Patrick, I want you to be the new Terminator—what would you say?

PS: I'd say yes. I had to stand on my own two feet first—and I did. I'm ready to play the Terminator. With or without my dad.

Photography: Doug Inglish
Styling: Avo Yermagyan
Grooming: Mira Chai Hyde at ASM MANAGEMENT
Digital-Tech: Maxfield Hegedus
Photography Assistant: Huey Tran
Production Coordination: Massu Nedjat
On-Set Producer: Denise Solis