Arnold Schwarzenegger Reacts to Son Patrick’s Nude Scene in The White Lotus

Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t just a Hollywood icon—he’s also a proud and occasionally stunned father. During a recent Actors on Actors sit-down with his son Patrick Schwarzenegger for Variety, things took a hilarious and personal turn when Arnold recalled watching Patrick’s nude scene in The White Lotus season 3.

“I couldn’t believe [it],” Arnold said. “I’m watching your show, and I’m watching your butt sticking out there. And all of a sudden, I see the weenie.” He said it with total disbelief, laughing as he told the story. But once the shock wore off, Arnold had a moment of clarity: “Well, Arnold, hello. You did the same thing in Conan and Terminator, so don’t complain about it.”

It was a full-circle moment for the action legend. “It was a shock to me that you were following my footsteps so closely,” he added, visibly amused.

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Patrick’s role in The White Lotus has been a breakout moment in his acting career. He plays a rich finance guy unraveling on a family trip to Thailand, complete with an incest plot twist and full frontal nudity. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you watch with your parents—unless, apparently, you’re a Schwarzenegger.

Patrick has spoken before about how the scene played out with his family. His dad thought it was funny. His mom, Maria Shriver, didn’t quite understand what was going on. His fiancée, model Abby Champion, was apparently so flustered she melted into her seat. Everyone had a reaction.

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But Arnold made it clear: “Your acting surprised the hell out of me. Not that I didn’t know you were good. But it was just unbelievable, the kind of stuff you did in the show.” The admiration was genuine. And honestly, a little parental embarrassment never hurt anyone.

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In the same interview, Patrick opened up about the reality of working in the shadow of famous parents. He admitted he once thought about using a different name to avoid the expectations and assumptions that come with being a Schwarzenegger.

“It took a while for me to get to a point where I was less worried about living in your shadow,” he told his dad. “Versus wanting to do it the way I thought I should do it.”

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Arnold’s response? Classic. “I’m glad you kept the name, because now I can take credit.” Then he got serious and name-dropped Jamie Lee Curtis, calling her one of the greatest actors in history. “If you show you have the substance, you can get rid of the whole idea of nepotism.”

Arnold’s take is simple—talent cuts through the noise. And Patrick, with his performance in The White Lotus, might just be doing exactly that.