[Editor’s note: The following contains some spoilers for The White Lotus.]

Summary

Season 3 of HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ explores complex family dynamics at an upscale resort in Thailand.

Patrick Schwarzenegger discusses his audition, figuring out who Saxon is, and collaborating with creator Mike White.

The actor portrays a character who struggles with who he is and faces unexpected shift in power that changes everything.

From writer/director Mike White, the eight-episode third season of the HBO series The White Lotus is set at an exclusive Thai resort, where rest, relaxation and pampering are plentiful. Among the guests are the Ratliff family, including eldest sibling Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), whose goal seems to be getting himself and his younger brother Lochlan (Sam Nivola) laid. Intensely focused on his goals and convinced that being rich and handsome will help achieve them, Saxon thinks he has it all figured out, until he doesn’t.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Schwarzenegger dug into Season 3, his character, and working with White. He talked about not knowing anything for the audition, the way White collaborates with his cast, how he could relate to having a father that casts a shadow, having Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey as his TV parents, the desire to keep viewers suspicious about all the characters, what he thought about the kiss between Saxon and Lochlan, and what he loves about working in ensembles and how they tend to involve very unusual family dynamics.
Patrick Schwarzenegger Was Impressed With How Mike White Likes To Push Boundaries With Each Season of ‘The White Lotus’

“He doesn’t want anything to be the same.”

Collider: There’s such a mood and an atmosphere with this show because of the constant music and sound and all the things that are going on, but you’re not hearing that while you’re shooting it. Did you know what this was going to be, once it was done?
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER: No, I didn’t. The cool thing and the amazing thing about Mike [White] is that he doesn’t want anything to be the same. He was like, “Okay, we’re going to have like a little bit of the music that we’ve done in the past, but I want to do all new stuff. I want it to be darker. I want to challenge (composter) Cristobal [Tapia de Veer] to make new music.” The intro music is very different. It’s more funeral-esque. Everything is just different. But when you’re filming it, you don’t know these things. You don’t know the full vibe, but you understand that he’s trying to keep threads from the other seasons. He does such a good job. It’s really cool to watch it from a consumer point of view because it’s all new.
We last spoke for American Sports Story and we briefly talked about this show then. You said when you were auditioning, you didn’t really know the script or the story. So, what did you know? What did they tell you about the character? What did you actually have to work with in the audition? Did they tell you anything?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I didn’t know anything in the audition. I knew zero about where the character would go. I knew zero about the storyline. All I knew about this character was a logline. And then, you have to try to make it your own version and what you think the character is going to do. You take a swing and you see what they think, and that’s what I did.
When you do that, do you just follow gut instinct? Do they give you specific direction when you’re doing it? How do you even know if you’re on the right track?
SCHWARZENEGGER: You just take a swing. It’s instinct when you read the lines and you get an idea of who the character is. You just really try to say, “Okay, this is what I think, this is how I’m reading it, this is how I’m digesting it, this is the physicality of the character, this how he’ll talk, this is how he’ll look at people, this is how he looks at a girl versus a guy, and this is how he does X, Y and Z. You try to build the point of view and perspective of each person towards him. That’s what I tried to do in the audition, and I guess they liked it and went from there.
You’ve worked on other TV shows before this, but it’s rare that a person who creates a show also writes and directs every episode of that show and does so season after season.
SCHWARZENEGGER: It’s amazing. It’s such a blessing to have worked with Mike White and to work with someone that is the writer, the director, the showrunner, the creator, and has such a vision for the whole project. It just makes my life, as an actor, a lot easier.

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What is that experience like, working and collaborating with Mike White? Does he just give you the scripts? Do you have conversations about them? Is it very collaborative?
SCHWARZENEGGER: It’s a real mix. When I got the role, they sent me all the scripts and I read them, and then Mike wanted to have a meeting, so we did. He brings his ideas and what he’s looking for in the character, but then he really lets you play. And even on set, he lets you do versions that are your interpretation, and then he comes in and fine tunes it. He’s like, “I think it’s more like X, Y and Z,” or “Why don’t we try one where you’re more giggly and make it more fun and lighthearted.” It’s a combination of the two, but he’s very collaborative. He’s not fanatic, if you want to switch up some stuff. He’ll also just be behind the camera and just yell out words for you to say and you just try it.
‘The White Lotus’ Patrick Schwarzenegger Wanted To Humanize Saxon Within His Disturbing Family Dynamic

“He is trying to be a good older brother.”

Image via HBO

What was it about this character that you connected with? Were there things about him that you could identify with? Is he a fun character because he’s not at all like you? How did you view this guy?
SCHWARZENEGGER: On the surface, he’s good-looking, douchey, says-what-he-wants, no-filter type of character. But it was important for Mike to have a person that people also rooted for and enjoyed and laughed at and laughed with. He didn’t want someone that everyone just hated. He wanted to have some humanizing elements. There was some stuff that I could relate to. The character works for his dad. He’s stuck in his father’s shadow and he’s always trying to get his father’s approval. Stuff like that resonates with me, in a different way, in my life. He’s trying to be a good older brother and a good older sibling. He doesn’t articulate his words in the best way, but at the end of the day, he is trying to help his siblings. And there’s a really great, funny, disturbing family dynamic between it all. It’s very different from my family, but still, having siblings helped with understanding the character and point of view towards your siblings. There were a lot of things that I did understand, and there were a lot of things that had nothing to do with me.
You joined the series, not only as part of an ensemble, but also as a whole family, which includes Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey. What was your reaction to finding out that they would be your parents for this? How was it to figure out that family dynamic?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I had worked with Parker before, on The Staircase for HBO, so I had a little bit of familiarity with her. Jason, I’d never met, but we had a lot of great bonding. We all hung out together. We all had a lot of dinners. We did a lot of family activities while we were in Thailand. The siblings hung out and had dinners all the time. We just found ways to really create that fun family dynamic between us all. One of the best things about working on the show, besides getting to work with Mike, is that you know he’s going to surround you with such forceful, amazing actors and actresses that you can’t wait to find out who else is playing roles. When I heard it was Jason and Parker, it was so great to be able to work with them and learn from them, as well. Jason would always help me with things and give points of view or perspective. He’s really great.

8:29

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There are so many different characters on this show, and you’re all coming in and out and crossing paths with different people at different times. What are some of the most memorable moments for you, with other cast members that were outside of your little family bubble?
SCHWARZENEGGER: It was a really odd set because you’re working with the people that you work with, and then when you’re not working, the other people are working. You really are hanging out and spending the most quality time with the people you’re actually working with. There were days that you’d work a couple of days in a row, and then there times that you wouldn’t work for a week. And set was at the hotel, so you could always stop by. You could always go hang out. You had the weekends off, so you’d be hanging with everybody. We were definitely hanging and seeing everybody all the time, but we were closest with the people our scenes were with.
Creator Mike White Wanted To Keep Viewers Suspicious of All the Season 3 Characters in ‘The White Lotus’

“What is he capable of?”

Image via HBO

When it comes to your character, there are these constant little moments throughout the season that are a little bit uncomfortable, whether it’s the way that he talks about being horny, or sleeping naked and having his brother see him, or just the constant way he talks to people about sex. There’s also the manic behavior when he’s looking for a blender. Was all of that really intentional and talked about? Did you have conversations about finding the level of all of that?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I wanted the audience to think that he’s funny and fun, but he also gets super serious about certain things, and he’s got these certain moments where he is a little manic and kind of crazy. I wanted a blend of that because I wanted to keep some suspicion alive for what this character could do. What is he capable of? That’s what Mike wanted with all the characters. He wanted a little bit of suspicion, as to what could happen. He wanted people to wonder, “What’s going to happen with this character? What about with the other characters? Could this be the murderer? Could this be the person that gets murdered?” He always wanted that thought amongst all the different characters. So, I purposely played him in a way that was a little manic, a little crazy, a little bit fun, and all those different things.
As a viewer, he’s hard to get a read on. It’s hard to know exactly what kind of relationship he’s had with his family or whether he’s actually had real relationships with women. What do you think it is that he actually wants and cares about? Does he even know?
SCHWARZENEGGER: No. I think that he thinks he knows what he wants. Over the course of the series, he starts to learn more and more about how lost he really is. He’s the one that’s the most confident in himself at the start. He’s the one that understands that he has a job, he’s making money, he’s getting girls, and he’s got his life figured out. And then, he starts to question everything. He starts to question his sexuality, what he does for work, who he loves, what he loves, his relationship with his dad, what’s going to happen with his dad, and all these different things. He shows up there as the most confident in the most sound, and ends up the most confused and out of whack.
The scene in episode four with Jason Isaacs sitting there with the robe on, and then flashes full frontal in front of his family, what was that like to shoot?
SCHWARZENEGGER: It’s so White Lotus. It’s so ridiculous and fun. We had a good time filming it. Jason is such a hilarious guy that it was just funny.
That Kiss Between Saxon and Lochlan Is a Turning Point in ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3

“That kiss is a shift of power.”

Image via HBO

What was your reaction to the kiss in episode five between Saxon and Lochlan?
SCHWARZENEGGER: It’s a shift in power. The first four episodes, I’m the one that knows everything. I’m the confident one. I’m the one telling Lochlan, “Walk with your back straight up. Drink the protein shakes. Let’s get you laid. Let’s get some girls. Let’s do this.” And then, that kiss is a shift of power. That’s a turning point for Saxon.
When Lochlan initiates it, your character seems a bit surprised by it.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah. It gets weirder. Brace yourself.
This season started off in a big way with the shooting, but we don’t know who the shooter is yet or exactly what happened and why. Did you know who was responsible? You said that they gave you all the scripts, but did they hold that back?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I skimmed through the pages, and then I really dug into my character’s journey and my family dynamic and the things that mattered to him. I didn’t want to get into all the other characters because I wanted to be surprised by it. I didn’t want to know. I’m such a big fan of The White Lotus that I still wanted to have the experience as a consumer.
You don’t get to join a TV show that often that you go into as a fan of. Did being a part of this change your perception, at all?
SCHWARZENEGGER: It does take a little bit of the magic away because you know some stuff that’s going to happen. And obviously, you’re watching yourself in a different way than you would watch Joe Schmo play the role, so it does. But at the same time, I didn’t read everything. Watching episode four, I started to see everything coming together and what could happen and I was starting to theorize. It was really fun for me to have that moment of, “Oh, shit, this is really getting unreal.” But yes, there is that part where you’re watching yourself and you’re critiquing yourself because you wish you’d done things differently. You also know all the actors really well, and that obviously changes things.

7:54

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When it came to doing this, are you somebody who gets nervous the first day on set? Do you get nervous when you start a project? Does it all go away once you’re actually shooting?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I was definitely nervous. I was so nervous for the audition. I was so nervous for the director session and the read with Mike because I had never met him and I didn’t know anything. It was such a big audition and a big role, and I wanted it so bad, that it was really nerve-wracking. And then, once I got to the set, the first days were really nerve-wracking. Working with all these big actors and working on such a big set and project, there are stakes there. But once you start and you get going and you really get to hang out with everyone and meet everybody, at the end of the day, everyone wants it to turn out great. All the other actors want it to be great. Mike wants it to be great. The producers and the crew want it to be great. We’re all there for the same reason and the same mission, and you start to bond with everybody and get close. Then, it just becomes a fun work environment.
After doing this, did it change what you wanted to do next in your career?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I love ensembles. I know most actors want to just do the leading man or woman roles, but ensembles are really fun. You get to work with great actors and actresses, you get to learn, and you get to meet great people and become friends with people. The White Lotus has to be an ensemble. It’s so fun because you’re learning about so many different types and groups of people, and why they all come to this location. I think it’s great. Gen V was also an ensemble. The Staircase was an ensemble. I enjoy them.
You seem to be drawn to ensembles that involve unusual family dynamics.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah, they’re very far from normal.

The White Lotus

Release Date

2021 – 2024

Network

HBO

Showrunner

Mike White

Directors

Mike White

Writers

Mike White

The White Lotus airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. Check out the Season 3 trailer: