Patrick Schwarzenegger says playing crotch-grabbing alpha male Saxon was a ‘roller coaster ride’

Patrick Schwarzenegger is still coming off the “whirlwind of emotions” that was the making of “The White Lotus” Season 3.

Patrick Schwarzenegger is still coming off the “whirlwind of emotions” that was the making of “The White Lotus” Season 3. The actor, who is taking part in a new campaign for Venmo with costar Aimee Lou Wood, spoke to CNN recently about how his perspective has changed since the release of the show, which saw his character Saxon go from loathsome finance bro to a vulnerable young man who realized he has a lot to learn. “It was definitely a learning experience for me, being on this show,” Schwarzenegger said, adding that the viewership and engaged fandom – famous for its memes and fan theories -– was an experience “that I’ve been never been part of.” As for his character – a “grandiose alpha male that comes in grabbing his crotch and walking around naked,” in Schwarzenegger’s words – he acknowledged that there were indeed some parallels between himself and who he portrayed, particularly in how they each were received by the viewing public over the course of the season. “I think people did not like the character, and what happened was, a lot of people did not know who I was,” he said. “(They would) come up with their preconceived ideas of who I am or how I got the role” based, of course, on his famous last name. As the Mike White-created show went on, viewers learned that there was a lot more to Saxon than met the eye, and it was delivered via Schwarzenegger’s capable acting chops – family name notwithstanding.