Did you know what this was going to be, once it was done?
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER: No, I didnt.
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.
Everything is just different.
Image via HBO
Its really cool to watch it from a consumer point of view because its all new.
We last spoke forAmerican Sports Storyand we briefly talked about this show then.
You said when you were auditioning, you didnt really know the script or the story.
Image via HBO
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 didnt know anything in the audition.
I knew zero about where the character would go.
Image via HBO
I knew zero about the storyline.
All I knew about this character was a logline.
You take a swing and you see what they think, and thats what I did.
Image via HBO
When you do that, do you just follow gut instinct?
Do they give you specific direction when youre doing it?
How do you even know if youre on the right track?
The White Lotus is a television series that explores the interactions of guests and staff at an upscale tropical resort. Premiering in 2021, the narrative unfolds over a week, revealing underlying complexities and tensions among the resort’s seemingly ideal travelers and employees.
SCHWARZENEGGER: You just take a swing.
Its instinct when you read the lines and you get an idea of who the character is.
You attempt to build the point of view and perspective of each person towards him.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Its amazing.
It just makes my life, as an actor, a lot easier.
The sun continues to bring out the worst in the 1%.
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?
Its a combination of the two, but hes very collaborative.
Hes not fanatic, if you want to switch up some stuff.
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 hes not at all like you?
How did you view this guy?
SCHWARZENEGGER: On the surface, hes good-looking, douchey, says-what-he-wants, no-filter bang out of character.
He didnt 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.
Hes trying to be a good older brother and a good older sibling.
And theres a really great, funny, disturbing family dynamic between it all.
What was your reaction to finding out that they would be your parents for this?
How was it to figure out that family dynamic?
Jason, Id never met, but we had a lot of great bonding.
We all hung out together.
We just found ways to really create that fun family dynamic between us all.
Jason would always help me with things and give points of view or perspective.
You really are hanging out and spending the most quality time with the people youre actually working with.
And set was at the hotel, so you could always stop by.
You could always go hang out.
You had the weekends off, so youd be hanging with everybody.
Theres also the manic behavior when hes 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?
What is he capable of?
Thats what Mike wanted with all the characters.
He wanted a little bit of suspicion, as to what could happen.
He wanted people to wonder, Whats 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.
As a viewer, hes hard to get a read on.
What do you think it is that he actually wants and cares about?
Does he even know?
I think that he thinks he knows what he wants.
Hes the one thats the most confident in himself at the start.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Its soWhite Lotus.
Its so ridiculous and fun.
We had a good time filming it.
Jason is such a hilarious guy that it was just funny.
What was your reaction to the kiss in episode five between Saxon and Lochlan?
SCHWARZENEGGER: Its a shift in power.
The first four episodes, Im the one that knows everything.
Im the confident one.
Im the one telling Lochlan, Walk with your back straight up.
Drink the protein shakes.
Lets get you laid.
Lets get some girls.
And then, that kiss is a shift of power.Thats a turning point for Saxon.
When Lochlan initiates it, your character seems a bit surprised by it.
Did you know who was responsible?
You said that they gave you all the scripts, but did they hold that back?
I didnt want to get into all the other characters because I wanted to be surprised by it.
I didnt want to know.
Im such a big fan ofThe White Lotusthat I still wanted to have the experience as a consumer.
You dont 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?
But at the same time, I didnt read everything.
You also know all the actors really well, and that obviously changes things.
Offering a behind-the-scenes look at the seasons unique performances so far.
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 youre actually shooting?
SCHWARZENEGGER: I was definitely nervous.
I was so nervous for the audition.
And then, once I got to the set, the first days were really nerve-wracking.
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.
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 think its great.Gen Vwas also an ensemble.The Staircasewas an ensemble.
You seem to be drawn to ensembles that involve unusual family dynamics.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Yeah, theyre very far from normal.
The White Lotusairs on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
Check out the Season 3 trailer:
