Arnold Schwarzenegger has confessed that if his son Patrick outlives him he’d be ‘in heaven’.
The Terminator star, 77, has had an illustrious career from bodybuilding to the big screen, but his son Patrick has recently exploded onto the acting scene.
Patrick, 31, had his breakout role as Saxon Ratliff in the third season of White Lotus and his dad Arnold couldn’t be prouder.
In fact, speaking to The Sunday Times, Arnold said the tables have turned and now instead of Patrick being asked about him in interviews, the former governor of California now has people coming up to him to talk about his son.
As he gushed over Patrick’s success, Arnold added: ‘If I go to my grave and know that my son has outdone me, I’m in heaven.’
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Arnold Schwarzenegger has confessed that if his son Patrick outlives him he’d be ‘in heaven’ (Seen together in February)
The Terminator star, 77, has had an illustrious career from bodybuilding to the big screen, but his son Patrick has recently exploded onto the acting scene (Arnold seen in April 2024)
He said: ‘I was just in New York and a journalist comes up and says, “What’s it like being the father of Patrick Schwarzenegger?”
‘All of a sudden, everything has changed around, I walk into the gym now and it used to be the girls would come up and give me their contact – and then after White Lotus comes out, the girl comes up and says, “Here’s my contact, give it to Patrick.”‘
It comes after Arnold gave a shoutout to ex-wife Maria Shriver when he cracked a joke at Amazon’s Upfront presentation in New York City last month.
The actor, who typically plays some kind of strongman, is softening his image in the upcoming holiday film The Man With The Bag, which he spent part of the winter filming in the Big Apple.
Arnold will star as none other than Santa Claus in the comedy co-starring Awkwafina and Alan Ritchson.
In the plot, Kris Kringle loses his magic bag and has to turn to Vance, a guy on the Naughty List (Ritchson) to help get it back.
While speaking about the project the holiday veteran made reference to another one of his hit films and appeared to take a playful jab at Maria, 69.
‘Jingle All The Way was the greatest Christmas movie of all time,’ the Emmy winner declared unabashedly.
Patrick, 31, had his breakout role as Saxon Ratliff in the third season of White Lotus (Pictured) and his dad Arnold couldn’t be prouder
In fact, speaking to The Sunday Times, Arnold said the tables have turned and now instead of Patrick being asked about him in interviews, the former governor of California now has people coming up to him to talk about his son (Seen in June)
‘They play it the whole month of December,’ he said, adding , ‘I know because my ex-wife calls me about the residual.’
It was the first time he had made a comment about the former NBC journalist in about two years.
The couple, who had what appeared to be a Hollywood fairytale romance were married for 25 years before their relationship crumbled under the news of Arnold’s unfaithfulness.
Maria filed to divorce in 2011 after The Expendables actor admitted to fathering a child, Joseph Baena, 27, with the family housekeeper.
The former couple, who finalised their split in 2021, share four children, Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 37.
In her memoir, I Am Maria, which was released in April, Maria wrote about her pain at the breakdown of her marriage.
‘It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart.’
The result of those feelings, was her first work of poetry.
Arnold gave a shoutout to ex-wife Maria Shriver and had a jolly little laugh when he cracked a joke at Amazon’s Upfront presentation of coming movie’s and films in New York City last month
‘I started writing from a deep place within,’ she explained.
‘Through my poetry, I’ve found a woman who was terrified of not being able to live up to her family’s legacy—scared of not being big enough, a good-enough daughter, sister, wife, mother, journalist.’
For his part, Schwarzenegger has accepted the new parameters of their relationship as co-parents and grandparents.
‘My chapter with Maria will continue on forever. Even though it’s a different relationship, there’s no reason for me to feel anything but love for her,’ he told People in 2023.
