I was surprised to see you following so closely in my footsteps,” said the action star, who famously appeared nude in Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator, to his son.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was caught off guard when he saw his son, actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, appear nude in HBO’s hit series The White Lotus. The moment came up during their candid conversation on Variety’s Actors on Actors, where the father-son duo discussed their careers, Hollywood, and the topic of nepotism.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Arnold said with a laugh. “I was watching your show, and there’s your butt sticking out. Then all of a sudden—I see the weenie. What is going on here? This is crazy!”
The former California governor, known for his own iconic nude scenes in films like Conan the Barbarian and The Terminator, quickly realized the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
“Then I said to myself, ‘Well, Arnold, hello—you did the same thing in Conan and Terminator, so don’t complain about it,’” he recalled. “It was a shock to me that you were following in my footsteps so closely.”
The lighthearted exchange highlighted the unique bond between the two actors, and how even in a family of stars, surprises still happen—especially on screen.
The proud father continued, “Your acting blew me away. Not that I didn’t already know you were talented—but the depth and range you showed on the show was just incredible.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger made waves in Season 3 of Mike White’s critically acclaimed dramedy The White Lotus, portraying a privileged finance bro vacationing in Thailand with his Southern family. His character’s composed exterior begins to unravel following a shocking and controversial encounter with his younger brother, played by Sam Nivola.
Patrick has previously shared how watching the show with his family, including his mother Maria Shriver, led to a range of reactions—especially during his fully nude scenes. “We all had different reactions to seeing me completely nude,” he said with a laugh.
