The year 2025 marked the turning point for Patrick Schwarzenegger, an actor who had spent years being identified as the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger established himself as a household name thanks to the popularity of season three of The White Lotus. However, this recognition and celebrity are the result of years of effort. The performer even thought about altering his name at one point because he thought it was in the way of his career.

Patrick Schwarenegger desired to alter his name

For the 2025 edition of Variety's Actors on Actors, Patrick and Arnold spoke about their careers, acting, and other topics. "I feel it in a variety of different ways," said Patrick, the younger actor, when Arnold questioned whether his well-known last name had ever made him feel like an impediment. The White Lotus's creator, Mike White, said that the idea that successful parents, like I have with you and Mom, bring additional baggage to the table, or what other people think, is included. If Mike chose me, he was concerned about what other people would think. As they did, they cared about that; people claimed that you and Mom were the reason I was cast in the part. In the beginning of my career, I questioned if using an alias was worthwhile. I spent a long time focusing on how I believed I should live my life rather than worrying about being overshadowed by you.

Prior to becoming a renowned multiple Mr. Olympia champion in the United States during the 1970s, Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career as a bodybuilder in Europe. Before landing his big role in The Terminator in 1984, he leveraged his notoriety to become an action hero in Conan. Along with Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone, Arnold was perhaps the most popular film celebrity in the world during the 1980s and 1990s. Patrick's start was, unsurprisingly, compared to his father.

Arnold Schwarzenegger responds

In response to Patrick's idea of changing his name, Arnold said, "I'm glad you kept the name, because now I can take credit." You are now among a select group of people, which includes Jamie Lee Curtis, whom I consider to be one of the best actors of all time. The entire notion of nepotism may be eliminated if you can demonstrate that you have the substance.

Patrick, the son of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, started his career in the early 2000s with small roles. In his adolescence, he played minor roles in Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Grown Ups 2, and Stuck in Love. He rose to prominence with a recurring role in Gen V after his debut lead role in the 2018 movie Midnight Sun, and then The White Lotus marked his breakthrough.

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