There’s no need to question how Patrick Schwarzenegger became an actor – it’s all in his name, after all.
The 31 year old is – of course – the son of actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnie forged his career from being a teen bodybuilder in Austria to becoming one of the most renowned stars in Hollywood, with people recognising him by just his name.
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But Patrick’s mother is in fact the bigger star, with her side of the family filled with notable names.
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s connection to the Kennedy family
Patrick was born in 1993 to dad Arnold and his wife Maria Shriver, who happens to be the niece of the late President John F. Kennedy, the most prominent member of the Kennedy political family.
She is the daughter of Eunice Kennedy, who counted JFK among other established siblings, including US Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, US Senator Edward Kennedy, and US Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith.
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Eunice was a philanthropist who was known for her vital role in establishing the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, as well as the Special Olympics.
Eunice’s husband was Sargent Shriver, who is a member of the equally politically prominent Shriver family, who are based in Maryland.
Sargent founded programs to help the US such as Peace Corps, Job Corps, Head Start, VISTA, Upward Bound, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for vice president in the 1972 presidential election.
Patrick has spoken about growing up with the political legacy on his shoulders.
He told Inquirer.net in 2018, “I don’t try to keep up with a certain image. I have learned a lot from the Kennedy side, from the history, my mum, grandmother and grandfather, especially.
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s family history
“And then finding ways to use what I’ve learned in my own life… no matter what your background is, it’s how you take that information in and use it in your own life. As far as what the Kennedy dynasty or mythology is, I just use certain components of it that can help make me a better person.”
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When it comes to his immediate family, Patrick is the third child of Arnold and Maria, with the couple first welcoming Katherine in 1989 and Christina in 1991. After Patrick came Christopher in 1997, and five days before him came Joseph Baena, the child Arnold welcomed from an extramarital affair with the family’s housekeeper.
Shriver filed for divorce from Arnold in 2011, which was finalised a decade later in 2021.
Patrick’s sister Katherine is also an actress, while his half-brother Joseph Baena took on their father’s legacy to become a body builder.
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Patrick Schwarzenegger’s relationship history
In regards to his personal life, the actor has been in a committed relationship with his fiancée, American model Abby Champion.
The pair never revealed how the met, but they were first spotted together in 2015 and made their Instagram debut in 2016.
In 2023, they got engaged, sharing a photo of themselves holding a cake with their faces on it and the word “Congratulations”.
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However, the pair are not in a rush to get married. In an interview with in Style in January, the actor shared, “We’ve been together [for] 10 years, so it’s like we’re basically married,
“But we’re better as humans together than we would be apart. We bring out the best in each other. I feel that I’m the best version of myself with her and I think she does as well.”
Before meeting Abby, he briefly dated singer Miley Cyrus in 2015.
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s career
Though Patrick is quickly becoming a household name with his role in The White Lotus Season 3, he has been an actor for years.
He started acting as a child with a small part in The Benchwarmers in 2006, and appeared in Grown Ups 2, Scream Queens, Gen V, and more.
He followed in his father’s footsteps with his love of acting, with it growing from an early age as he visited his dad’s film sets.
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“It was like a kid’s dreamland to go to the movie sets with him (his dad), watch him come in as dad, then transform into Mr. Freeze or the Terminator,” he told Inquirer.net.
“Then, I wanted to do more acting, and my dad was like, ‘You can start auditioning”‘ or ‘Why don’t you take acting classes outside of school?’ So I started doing that. My parents wanted me to get an education, so I finished my college degree. I got a business degree and a minor in cinematic arts and film.”
Despite his instantly recognisable surname giving light to “nepo baby” allegations by suggesting he had an easy path to stardom, he refuses to change the moniker.
“My dad is unique and one of a kind,” he said, “He conquered multiple career paths. So if I’m one-tenth as successful as he is, that would be amazing.”
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