Patrick Schwarzenegger is giving fans some insight into how he really felt when he was told about his shocking nude scene in White Lotus, which came after the star delayed his own wedding to play the "dream role." The son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver admitted that he was blissfully naive about what his role in the third season of the beloved series would entail, even though previous iterations of the show are known to be racy.
The show, created by Mike White, dropped the first episode of its third season last week, which features the same shocking sex scenes it has become known for since its 2021 debut. For this season, Patrick has been named as the breakout star, which has a lot to do with his character Saxon Ratliff's surprising full-frontal nude scene in the first episode.
Following the shocking reveal, Schwarzenegger has opened up about how he felt when the show's creator, writer, and director told him the role meant he would have to go completely naked.
"I didn't know to what extent [there would be nakedness]," Patrick told The Sunday Times Style Magazine. "You do the auditions but you don't see the full script so you don't have all the details, then they ask you, 'Are you comfortable with nudity?' when you sign on."
What's most important, however is that Patrick fully backed White's vision for the character, insisting, "This character, from start to finish, is ridiculous and the type of person who absolutely would walk around his room naked without a care in the world. He's the guy who, whenever he sees a girl at the pool, he's going to flirt with them whether it's a mom or a 22-year-old."
Despite the provocative scenes, Patrick was still extremely enthusiastic for the role, claiming that he manifested the part. When the audition came up in 2023, Schwarzenegger says he couldn't wait, self-taping his audition for the role the very same day.
"I thought, there's no way I'm going to get this, everybody is up for this," he insisted. "I've been a massive fan of the show since day one. It was my dream goal, I think I manifested it."
Landing this dream role did come with sacrifices, causing the actor to delay his wedding to long-time girlfriend Abby Champion after landing the part just a week after he proposed. The seven-month shoot in Thailand meant the couple had to push back their nuptials, which are now set for later this year.
Still, with how Patrick talks about the role and everything that went into it, he seems more than happy with his decision to push back the wedding in order to make it happen.
