Patrick Schwarzenegger on Eating Spicy Food In Thailand: “I Felt Like I Was in ‘Babygirl'”

Chatting with Patrick Schwarzenegger on an almost-warm Spring Friday, his afternoon sounds a lot like mine–we’re both looking forward to the weekend and getting outside. But while he’s going on a run down the West Side Highway in New York City, I’ll anxiously await to see if his character gets killed off in the finale of The White Lotus. 

While Patrick is fending off rumors that accuse him of being just like his frat boy character Saxon on the hit series (which Brooks pokes fun at in their latest ad for their partnership), our conversation was far more grounded. The White Lotus was a dream role for Patrick, and he literally cried telling his mother he booked it. And since then, he’s kept the momentum going with standout performances in streaming hits like Prime’s The Boys spin-off series Gen V and Max’s true crime limited series The Staircase. 

While Patrick was ready for the opportunity, he wasn’t quite prepared for Thai spice levels. “I was blown away by what they thought was spicy,” he laughs. “I think it was one of my first days at the hotel, and the guy had to bring me a cup of milk.” He jokes, “I felt like I was in ‘Babygirl.’”

We caught up with Patrick to talk about filming for seven months in Thailand, working alongside Parker Posey again, Aimee Lou Wood’s astrology obsession, and how he uses exercise to stay grounded while bouncing across the globe.

This interview has been edited in length for clarity.

Okay so first, I'm from North Carolina, so I have to ask–UNC or Duke? 

*mouths “UNC” and “Tar Heels” a la Parker Posey’s character on The White Lotus*

I went to UNC, so that was the right answer. I was going to hang up if you said Duke, so I'm glad we don't have to end the call. 

I do want to ask, though–a central theme of this season of The White Lotus, and corresponding with Buddhist teachings, is that you're escaping pain through pleasure and then still finding pain on the other side of that anyway, because you can't escape it, you have to accept it. What was something that you had to push through to find joy or success either during shooting or just generally in your career?  

Yeah, that's quite observant. I think that's a literal quote by the monk in the show. That is really what part of it is about, these characters coming there and thinking they know who they are and what they stand for, and what happens when everything that they believe made them was taken away and stripped away, and who are they after?

But as far as me– of course, there's things. I guess you could complain about how hot it was, and how long the shoot was, and the days were long, or something like that. But honestly, it was just like every day I was there, it's hard not to be reminded how lucky and fortunate I was to be filming and walking back to my apartment hotel room on the beach in Thailand. You felt so spoiled. So anything that was negative, or annoying, or whatever, it was completely outweighed by how great it was to be able to film there and have this experience. When you've been in the industry and you've worked on other stuff, and you've filmed in the middle of nowhere, and you're staying at a motel, and then you compare it to this and you're staying at the Four Seasons on a beach in Thailand–you can't complain. You can't complain.

When I watch it, I'm like, “Dang, I just want to be a fly on the wall there.”

Well, that's exactly right. That's how I felt about watching season one. And then season two, it was just like, “oh, I would do anything to be in this show and get to just go and work. It seems amazing, different places and hotels”–and mind you, the first season was seven weeks. This was seven months. So it's a big difference. Obviously they shot that during Covid, and it was different parameters of what Mike [White] was allowed to do, but now it's like he has his wand and he can make whatever happen, happen.

Now he has all of it. Talking about filming, what was the most surprising thing that you learned about Thailand?

I mean, I guess how spicy some of the food was. When they told me, “Do you have a good spice tolerance?” And I said yes, I was blown away by what they thought was spicy. I think one of the first days I was at the hotel, and the guy had to bring me a cup of milk. I felt like I was in ‘Babygirl.’ My mouth–I was sweating. It was so hot.

It's not surprising, but just how genuinely nice the local people were. Thailand, from what I learned being there and from the extras that were on set, is a very diverse group of people. Of course, there are locals and stuff, but the variety of people that are there–I mean Ukrainians and Russians together; it was just a mix of so many different people. Thailand's very open with its passport and living situations. It was this hub for all these different groups of people.

Can you talk a little bit about your mental health state and how exercise fits in with everything? Do you do anything else, like meditation?

I can't lie to you: I don't. It's something that my mom, every time she sees me and sees my leg bouncing around, and I'm drinking three coffees a day, she says, “Honey, you need meditation.” And it's something I don't do, but I know how beneficial it could be. But I really do believe that working out is my form of meditation or therapy or however you want to word it.

That's your zen mode, yeah.

I really do enjoy it, and I just feel like a different person after. I feel like a different human on the days that I don't work out. I'm that kind of person when I'm on a long plane ride or something, when we were going back and forth to Thailand–that's why I actually love these shoes, the Glycerin Max–because I'm someone that will, on the layover, I'll get the 10,000 steps. I'm pacing around the airport back and forth and back and forth and back and forth because I hate just sitting still for a long time. But I think that there's obviously massive benefits on the physical side, but even on the productivity side, how much more capable and how much better production you can get out of yourself or out of other people and on set. I know there's been crazy studies about sets that have started the morning with a seven or 10 minute warmup workout or yoga or things of that nature, how great people feel for the rest of the day or the impact that it has for people's kind of mindset and mood for the rest of the day.

Why was the partnership with Brooks right for you?

It was a company, and specifically a product, that I used. I love working out. I enjoy running. I enjoy long walks. It’s an activity that I do with my mom and with my fiancé all the time. I love going to the gym. Obviously, for the physical benefits and trying to look good and feel good, but it's also the mental health side of it. It’s that part of the day that it's just me, myself, and I, and no distractions. It's a moment for me to really de-stress and to enjoy my me-time. It's kind of like my therapy in a way. And so it was kind of an organic partnership. I think that they knew I was a fan, and here we are. 

What is on your running playlist?

Well, right now, I'd be ashamed if I didn't mention Lisa. She just had her new album come out, and it's actually–I'm not just saying it because I'm a friend–her new album's really good. She had shown me some of the songs when we were out there, but now it's officially out. So as of recent, that's what I've been listening to.

And here, specifically, in New York, it's one of my favorite things to go over to the West Side Highway if it's a beautiful day out, and just walk or run along that path. And it's especially nice when it's sunny. 

Are you a sneakerhead? What are your go-to sneakers for lifestyle, and what do you like wearing to work out?

Yeah. If you saw my closet, you'd be like, dude, you're a sneakerhead. It's kind of ridiculous, but it really does depend if I'm going for a long walk or a long run. The ones that I have on, the Glycerin Max, where it's kind of the bigger sole here and you feel like you're just walking on a cloud and you feel like you're bouncing through the streets. For me, that's great. If I'm lifting and I'm doing legs or something, sometimes I'll do something that's lower profile or even go with my socks, honestly. I always switch it up. 

Right now, street-style wise, loafers are obviously having a really big moment. Maybe I’ll convince Brooks to make a loafer. Wouldn't that be cool? A loafer with just these big Glycerin Max soles would probably be pretty revolutionary.

I see the vision. Kind of fashion-forward. That's dope. 

You talked about comparing The White Lotus to other shoots…I'm also a big fan of TheStaircase, and this is the second time that you've worked with Parker [Posey]. 

You're right. In ‘The Staircase,’ I'm not talking with her, but she was one of the lawyers that was going against my father in the courtroom. And so we filmed for a couple of weeks, night shoots together, and we were all in that courthouse. We filmed there for eight and a half months. It was during Covid in Atlanta, and we worked one Saturday. It happened to be my birthday and it was a night shoot, and my mom sent me a vanilla cake. They cut it and Parker went and had the first slice and was just so–you know how Parker is with her body, and she was moving the fork around in the sky and like, “Oh my God, this is the best cake ever!” Like that. Just so over the top. It was something I'll always remember, and she brings it up to me anytime I see her. 

I've seen her now so many times. On the hundredth day I've seen her, “Do you remember, remember when we had that cake?” I was like, “Yeah, Parker, you told me that yesterday.” She's just like, “It was so good. Why aren't we having that in Thailand? Tell your mom to ship that to Thailand.” She's hilarious to work with. She really is one of the funniest humans to film opposite. 

I was also curious–Astrology is a big part of Aimee [Lou Wood] and Walton [Goggins]'s character dynamic. Did you guys talk about astrology? I saw some interviews where you're talking about it, but what's your star sign? Did that affect Aimee?

Aimee could tell you if you have a call with her–she'll tell you everything about my life. She really does know it all. I mean, one of the first things she said to me was, “What's my sign?” And I told her, “I’m a Virgo.”

“Okay, when were you born? What time? Can you find out what time you were born? Oh, that means you're this rising and this or this means this on this calendar and you're about to do this.” 

I don't know all the details, but yes, she knows it all. She's extremely intelligent when it comes to all the astrological information. 

Here’s what's on all the fans' minds with the Ratliff siblings: There's a very weird plot line happening or hinting at. What can you share? I don't want to spoil it, but what can we kind of expect out of that dynamic?

I can't say anything, really. Buckle up. It just gets crazy. [Episode] Five is probably my favorite episode.

I mean, it seems lit in many ways.

It does. It gets crazy. And there's this sequence of–it's like the music gets really good at the end of [episode] four. It gives you a little snippet of how the theme song gets bumped into a kind of club song, which is what I know everyone's been waiting for. 

They want this upbeat, fun song, and that comes and I feel like [episode] five, it just delivers. There's this five minutes of some of the best, perfect editing and cinematography and edits between this scene at the Villa and the scene at the Full Moon Party, and underwater shots and overwater. It's just edited so perfectly together with all these colors and the music. It's one of my favorite episodes.

Awesome. I'm stoked. Any dream project or role that you want to have next after ‘The White Lotus’? What are you looking forward to?

If I survive this season, season four would be cool. If Mike can bring me back, that would be awesome. 

Oh, that sounds great. I'm rooting for that. 

Check out Complex's list of The Best TV Shows to Watch on HBO Max Right Now and see where The White Lotus ranks on our list of The Top 20 HBO Shows Of All Time, Ranked.