Patrick Schwarzenegger, unlike his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is not into competitive bodybuilding. The 32-year-old is known for his acting talents, sharing the common passion with his father. The father-son duo sat down for a conversation last year to give a glimpse of their acting chapter.

They appeared together in Variety’s popular Actors on Actors series last year in June. The format is known for bringing performers together for candid conversations.

"I had the incredible opportunity to do Actors on Actors with my old man @schwarzenegger," wrote Patrick in an Instagram post on June 2, 2025. "With White Lotus just finishing - and Fubar Season 2 coming out next week - It was perfect timing."

For Patrick, the role came at a fitting time, when both actors had some downtime from their busy schedules.

Patrick's breakout role in The White Lotus had just wrapped up while Arnold was preparing for the release of Season 2 of his Netflix action-comedy series FUBAR.

An hour-long discussion without phones, moderators, or outside interruptions, something he noted has become increasingly rare today. However, Patrick's nervousness soon disappeared with a comment from the proud dad.

"Everyone is coming up to me in the gym and saying, 'Your son is fantastic,'" Arnold said. "Someone else comes up to me and says, 'I hated your son in the series.'"

The two spoke about their journeys in Hollywood, the directors they’ve worked with, their different paths in the industry, and even some of the moments from Patrick’s time on The White Lotus set.

Patrick Schwarzenegger Opens Up About Not Following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Shadow

During the press run for The White Lotus, Patrick admitted that the success of his family has sometimes complicated how people view his career.

As the son of Hollywood icon Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist-author Maria Shriver, Patrick acknowledged that assumptions about nepotism have followed him since the beginning.

In fact, the actor revealed that early in his career, he even considered using a different name to avoid the shadow of his family.

“There were times earlier in my career where I was wondering, 'Does it make sense to go under some sort of alias?'” Patrick said, explaining that it took years for him to focus less on comparisons and more on slowly building his own path in Hollywood.

For Arnold, it’s proof that talent eventually speaks louder than the last name.

“If you show you have the substance, you can get rid of this whole idea of nepotism,” Arnold said.

Share your favorite moment from the father-son interview on Actors in Actors.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar