Arnold Schwarzenegger's son explained what helps him avoid the temptations of Hollywood after starring in a phenomenal series
Arnold and Patrick Schwarzenegger, pictured together at an audience discussion held on December 6, 2025 at the Sun Valley Film Festival, PHOTO: Jason Merritt, Radarpics for SVFF / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger, already has more than 20 roles in Hollywood films and series, and says that being “a man of faith” kept him from temptation both before and after starring in the series that brought him to the forefront: HBO's popular “The White Lotus”, reports Variety.
“I'm here on this earth for a greater purpose and meaning than just acting,” Schwarzenegger Jr., 32, said at the Sundance Film Festival. “The film industry is a roller coaster. I've seen it myself, with my family members, with my friends. What's really important is that whether you're going up or down, however you're going, your faith is still there,” he added.
Patrick Schwarzenegger spoke during a question and answer session (Q & A) organized at the Sundance Film Festival by the Faith and Media Coalition initiative in partnership with Variety magazine. Asked to share a spiritual practice that could help the suffering world, Schwarzenegger talked about the daily prayer ritual he has with his wife, model Abby Champion.
“My prayers are something that has helped me every day of my life,” Schwarzenegger replied. “It's something that helps me and my wife. We do it together. I think there was a crazy statistic that says husbands and wives who pray together are 67 percent less likely to divorce or separate,” he explained.
I don't want to be the person who tells everyone to pray every day and that everything is going to be okay, but it's something that is central to my faith and gratitude… It's a refreshing moment in my day,” Schwarzenegger emphasized.
Patrick Schwarzenegger will star in a movie alongside Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem
Variety reports that the actor has been keeping an extremely busy schedule since being thrust into the limelight for his role as Saxon Ratliff in the third season of “The White Lotus,” which was filmed in Thailand. Schwarzenegger Jr.'s impressive physique was one of the things that drew attention to him.
He recently wrapped filming on the Amazon MGM Studios romantic comedy Love of Your Life opposite Margaret Qualley, which is set to hit theaters this fall.
Earlier in the week he flew to Spain for an eight-day shoot for Florian Zeller's upcoming film Bunker, in which he stars alongside Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
The film “follows the story of a couple married for 17 years. The husband is an architect and takes on a controversial project: building a survival bunker for a tech billionaire. This decision causes his wife to question their marriage,” according to the IMDb description. “Bunker” does not yet have a release date, but filming began in December in Madrid and London.
What Arnold Schwarzenegger's son says about his career in Hollywood
“My number one goal is to work with incredible writers, directors and actors,” Patrick Schwarzenegger told Variety. “I don't, as such, have an ego attached to the size of the role or the nature of the project,” he added.
Patrick Schwarzenegger is Arnold's son with the American journalist and writer Maria Shriver, to whom he was married for 25 years. The two, who divorced in 2011, have 3 more children together: Katherine (aged 36), Christina (34) and Christopher (28). Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shriver divorced after the actor revealed that he had another son, Joseph Baena (28), from an extramarital affair with the family's housekeeper.
Variety notes that Patrick Schwarzenegger's openness about his faith reflects a broader trend to encourage more nuanced discussions of religion in Hollywood.
The Coalition for Faith and Media recently released a research study that found 70 percent of Americans believe Hollywood stereotypes faith, while 82 percent of respondents said film and television should prioritize fairer and more complex depictions of faith and religion.
