Joseph Baena is working hard to be his own man. The young actor and son of Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about his career and the challenges that arise when trying to make films when his father has left such an imprint in the industry. In a new interview, Baena talked about his dad and why he considers him “the smartest man alive.”

While speaking with E! News, Baena talked about his career and how despite having the support of his father, he still wants to figure things out on his own. “For me, he’s the smartest man alive,” said Baena. “And I look up to him so much, he’s one of my greatest inspirations. But I love figuring things out on my own. And, thankfully, I am mentally strong enough to not let the scrutiny get to me. It’s always been a thing that I’ve heard, ‘Don’t pay attention to the comments, don’t pay attention to what people are saying.’”

Baena also talked about the pressures of following in the footsteps of a parent that’s been incredibly successful with their career. “I think with anyone that’s had a high-succeeding parent, it’s just going to be difficult,” he said. Still, he realizes that this experience and these comments are something that he has “to live with” and overcome. “Know within yourself that if you’re putting in the work and you’re actually doing it, then none of that should matter,” he said.

Baena is the youngest of Schwarzenegger’s children, and graduated from Pepperdine University in 2019. He often shares photos with his dad, with the two spending time at the gym and on special occasions.