Patrick Schwarzenegger, who caught Hollywood’s attention thanks for his breakout work on White Lotus, has nabbed his first major role since the third season of the buzzy Mike White aired in April.
The actor, who is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, will star opposite Margaret Qualley in Love of Your Life, a romantic drama from Amazon MGM Studios.
The project has heat not only because it being directed by Black Panther cinematographer-turned-helmer Rachel Morrison but is being produced by Ryan Gosling and partner Jessie Henderson. The duo are producing via Open Invite Entertainment, formerly known as General Admission.
The script, written by Julia Cox (Nyad), is a weeper that follows a young woman, to be played by Qualley, who loses her husband and goes on a journey to find a way forward in her life.
Schwarzenegger will play an old friend and ex.
Sources say the drama will commence shooting in August in European locales.
The feature marks a teaming of up two powerful so-called nepo babies as Qualley is the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day, Four Weddings and a Funeral). Late last year, she earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in The Substance.
Schwarzenegger has been slowly building out an acting career over the years, and last fall starred in Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez as Tim Tebow. He also in recent years, appeared in HBO Max’s Emmy-nominated limited series The Staircase, Prime Video’s The Terminal List, and Prime Video’s The Boys spinoff, Gen V.
But it was his role as Saxon Ratliff, the douchey jock viewers loved to hate (and by the end, sort of loved), that earned him fans all over Hollywood.
The part opened several doors for the actor – he did a chemistry read opposite Natalie Portman for Netflix feature Good Sex, although he ultimately did not get the part – and turned down one or two parts as well, one of them being Street Fighter, according to sources.
He is repped by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Goodman Genow.