If you’ve caught this season of The White Lotus, then you surely know what we mean when we say that you most definitely, under no circumstances want to be a Saxon. The eldest son in the Ratliff family, played expertly by Patrick Schwarzenegger, has left viewers feeling uncomfortable from the debut episode of the season. His brazen attitude, cockiness, frat-boy energy and overall creepy vibe left a bad taste in our mouths from the start—and as his storyline has progressed, so has his cringe-factor. That being said, for a character to ignite such a feeling of discomfort from an audience, it’s safe to say that the 31-year-old actor is doing a great job bringing his role to life—but his mom has a message for the viewers at home who think her son is anything like his slimy on-screen counterpart in real life!
If the name didn’t give it away, Patrick is the son of famed bodybuilder, politician and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and author and journalist Maria Shriver. While Shriver is in awe of her son and the love he’s receiving, she’s quick to clear up that his character couldn’t be farther from her son’s true character. “Patrick is not like Saxon,” she told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY. “I just want to clear that up because people say, ‘Is Patrick like Saxon?’ I’m like, ‘Do you think I would’ve raised a Saxon?’,” the mom of four joked.
Despite the constant questioning, Shriver couldn’t be prouder of her son in his breakout role. “I’m really happy for him,” she said on the show. “He’s worked so hard. He takes acting classes, he gets rejected a lot, and this is finally the role of his life. And he’s having a great time with it, and everybody wants to talk to me about it.”
While Maria’s busy with her own endeavors lately, promoting her latest book, I Am Maria: My Reflections and Poems on Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Your Way Home, she’s happy that in addition to her newest body of work, people want the scoop on her son and his moment in the spotlight. “I’m going to change the name of the book to I Am Patrick’s Mother because all anybody wants to talk to me about is Saxon,” Shriver joked. “I’ve changed my whole book tour to be home to watch the finale,” she shared. “I want to have a viewing party, but he told me he has to work, so I’m going to have my viewing party without Saxon.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger ties a bit of his real self into his character
Being the son of one of the most famous figures in Hollywood certainly has both its perks and its downsides, but for Patrick, this was something he’s used to his advantage when bringing Saxon to life. In an interview with IndieWire, Schwarzenegger revealed, “We talked, Mike and I, about what kind of things we could draw upon. And I told him that I think a vital part to Saxon’s story is that he’s constantly vying for his dad’s attention and really wanting to prove himself to his dad. That whole storyline is important, because it’s what makes Saxon a little bit more human and relatable. And it’s something that I could relate to from his perspective, as well.”
Tune in to the final episode of The White Lotus this Sunday at 9 and see what’s in store for Saxon!
