The White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger has hit out at "frustrating" nepotism claims in the wake of his success on the show.
The actor, who is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, plays the role of Saxon Ratliff in the ongoing third season of the HBO anthology show.
Speaking in a new interview for The Sunday Times, Schwarzenegger addressed those who have suggested that he "only got this role because of who [his] dad is".
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"They’re not seeing that I’ve had ten years of acting classes, put on [high] school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on," he said.
"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."
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"I would never trade my life with anyone," Schwarzenegger added. "I’m very fortunate to have the life and family that I have, the parents I have and the lessons and values they’ve instilled in me."
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Before The White Lotus, the actor appeared in the likes of The Staircase, The Terminal List and Scream Queens.
In other news, fellow star Jason Isaacs – who plays Schwarzenegger's on-screen father Timothy – has revealed the "gamey" behind-the-scenes dynamic while making the season.
"Most people got on with each other – most of the time," he told The One Show. "But there were alliances formed and broken. There's an off-screen White Lotus as much as there's an on-screen [one], just with hopefully fewer body bags."
The third season is set in Thailand, following a new set of White Lotus hotel guests and their various dysfunctions.
The White Lotus airs on HBO and Max in the US and Sky Atlantic in the UK.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
