"One of my favorite scenes" - Patrick Schwarzenegger reflects on his controversial The White Lotus season 3 moment

Patrick Schwarzenegger's role as Saxon Ratliff in The White Lotus season 3 has caused quite a stir among viewers. In the first episode titled Same Spirits, New Forms, the oldest Ratliff sibling appeared completely n*de in front of his brother, Lochlan, before the credits rolled out.

The 31-year-old actor addressed the controversial scene in his interview with Vanity Fair on February 17, 2025, by saying:

"That scene was one of my favorite scenes. I just thought it was so awkward and brilliant at the same time."

He further added:

"And it just showcases who my character is. He is just like, “p***y, money, and freedom. Those are the things. That's all that matters in life."

The White Lotus returned for its third season on February 16, 2025, on HBO and Max. Like the first two seasons, Mike White serves as the latest season's writer, director, and executive producer. Patrick Schwarzenegger plays one of the guests staying at the titular hotel's Thailand resort along with his Southern family from North Carolina.

In addition to Patrick Schwarzenegger, HBO's black comedy series also stars Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Lalisa Manobal, Sam Nivola, Natasha Rothwell, and Aimee Lou Wood, to name a few.

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Exploring Patrick Schwarzenegger's role in The White Lotus season 3

Saxon, Piper, and Lochlan as seen in the HBO anthology series (Image via Instagram/@thewhitelotus)

The White Lotus season 3 episode 1 introduces Patrick Schwarzenegger's character, Saxon, as the oldest son of the wealthy businessman Timothy Ratliff and his wife Victoria. He works in his father's business and is seen as a typical frat boy with a brash attitude that often rubs people the wrong way.

His younger sister, Piper, is a college student majoring in religious studies at the University of North Carolina's Chapel Hill. She is much more subdued in comparison to her brother. Furthermore, his youngest brother, Lochlan, is a high school student, and Saxon's polar opposite in terms of personality and temperament.

After arriving at the luxurious hotel, the Ratliffs learn that they have to share three rooms between five members, leaving two siblings to share one room. Piper offers to share her room with Lochlan, but Saxon objects by calling it weird.

Saxon ends up sharing his room with Lochlan and, at night before going to sleep, gives his younger brother a pep talk about how his worth as a man is tied to his ability to attract women, money, and success.

He urges Lochlan not to end up like Piper, who he thinks is "pretty hot" but suspects hasn't done the deed yet. She seems drawn to the Buddhist way of life, which is centered on simplistic living rather than chasing superficial pleasures.

The conversation gets more weird when Saxon casually asks his teenage brother about his preference for adult video content. He also wonders aloud how he can pleasure himself over the next seven days, with his brother in the same room. Saxon heads to the bathroom na*ed for some privacy, while Lochlan watches him for an uncomfortably long time.

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What did Patrick Schwarzenegger's dad say about his n*de scene in The White Lotus season 3?

The Stowaway actor is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his ex-wife, Maria Shriver. Days before The White Lotus season 3 premiered, his father teased the se*ually-explicit scene by stating, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," in an Instagram post.

"What a show! I could claim to be surprised to find out he has a n*de scene, but what can I say - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Don't miss it this Sunday - trust me."

For the unversed, Arnold also bared it all in his career-defining role of the Terminator in the titular film franchise. He played a cybernetic assassin who went back in time to stop a woman from giving birth to the man who will save mankind from the artificial technology, Skynet, in the future.

Furthermore, Patrick Schwarzenegger revealed that he did not use a body double for the scene, while speaking to Esquire magazine on February 17, 2025.

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The White Lotus season 3 will premiere all its episodes on HBO and Max.