Patrick Schwarzenegger burst into tears of delight and happiness when he told his loved ones that he had secured a role in The White Lotus season 3.
On Sunday, February 16, the 31-year-old actor uploaded a video of the poignant event on Instagram. In the video, filmed a few weeks after his engagement to fiancée Abby Champion in 2023, he tells his mother, Maria Shriver, and sister, Katherine Schwarzenegger, about the casting.
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“At first, I was told I had to keep it a secret, but my family kept noticing me acting weird,” his post said. “Maria assumed Abby and I were pregnant 🤣. She seemed to be happier than I was! Then I started weeping. She did. Katherine did. It was a domino effect. Remember, this incident occurred in a restaurant where other people were present.
Patrick previously told PEOPLE for February’s digital cover that learning he had landed a lead part on the blockbuster HBO anthology series “was the greatest day in history for me”—but he had to keep it a secret.
“Obviously, I’m going to tell my fiancée because we got engaged the week before, and I said, ‘Sorry, I’m leaving for seven months [to film in Thailand].'” “So that was perfect timing,” he told PEOPLE, laughing. Then, a week later, I went and had lunch with my entire family, and I told them about it.
Patrick also recounted watching the previous two seasons of The White Lotus with his family and how they encouraged him to audition for the third season, which starts on Sunday, February 16.
“My mother questioned why I hadn’t auditioned for the show whenever we watched it.” “Why didn’t you go out for this?” And my sister is like, “You need to call your agents right now.” This is ludicrous that you’re not on the program, that you didn’t even audition,” he said.
He later received an audition invitation via email but “didn’t tell anybody because I was like, ‘Whatever, everyone’s going to go out for this show. “I have such a slim chance of getting a call back,” he recalled thinking.
Patrick portrays Saxon Ratliff in season 3, the eldest son of Timothy (Jason Isaacs) and Victoria (Parker Posey), who works for his father’s firm. The family of five, together with Saxon’s siblings (Sarah Catherine Hook and Sam Nivola), are among the guests on holiday at a Thai resort who run into difficulties in paradise.
Patrick told PEOPLE that Saxon is a “complete flirt” and “alpha male.”
On February 10, the cast and Patrick’s family, including renowned father Arnold Schwarzenegger, attended the new season’s Los Angeles premiere at the Paramount Theatre.
After the event, Arnold shared an Instagram photo of the family on the red carpet, mocking his son’s naked performance in the show.
“What a show!” “I could pretend to be surprised to learn he has a nude scene, but what can I say—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Arnold, 77, said in the description. “Don’t miss it this Sunday—trust me.”
Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Lek Patravadi, Natasha Rothwell, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Aimee Lou Wood round out the season’s major cast.