Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t mind being outshone by his “White Lotus” star son, Patrick Schwarzenegger.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Times published on Saturday, the “Terminator” actor spoke about his journey through Hollywood, politics, and fatherhood.
Schwarzenegger has five children, four of whom he shares with his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, a journalist and niece of former US President John F. Kennedy. Their eldest son, Patrick, has followed his father into acting.
Reflecting on his son’s breakout role in the widely popular HBO series, Schwarzenegger said he now finds himself proudly living in his son’s shadow.
“Patrick never asked me a question about acting. But he came many times to me and said, ‘I just did an interview with this magazine and two-thirds of the questions were about you.’ But I was just in New York and a journalist comes up and says, ‘What’s it like being the father of Patrick Schwarzenegger?'” Schwarzenegger told The Times.
Instead of being the center of attention, Schwarzenegger said people now approach him to talk about his son.
“I walk into the gym now and it used to be the girls would come up and give me their contact. And then after ‘White Lotus’ comes out, the girl comes up and says, ‘Here’s my contact, give it to Patrick,'” he said.
The former governor of California added that it’s “wonderful” to see his son’s success.
“If I go to my grave and know that my son has outdone me, I’m in heaven,” Schwarzenegger said.
But having famous parents in Hollywood isn’t always a good thing.
In February, the younger Schwarzenegger said that he sometimes wishes he had a different last name so that he doesn’t get called a nepo baby.
“Of course, it’s frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, I wish I didn’t have my last name. But that’s a small moment. I would never trade my life with anyone,” he said.
In April, the “White Lotus” producer, David Bernad, revealed that the showrunners almost didn’t cast Patrick Schwarzenegger because of his last name.
In early June, the father-son duo appeared on Variety’s “Actors on Actors,” where the younger Schwarzenegger said he once considered using an alias but ultimately decided against it.
“I’m glad you kept the name, because now I can take credit,” the elder Schwarzenegger said. “You joined a very short list of people: You know, Jamie Lee Curtis — I think she’s one of the greatest actors in history. If you show you have the substance, you can get rid of the whole idea of nepotism.”
A representative for Schwarzenegger did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
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