Patrick Schwarzenegger Chats “The White Lotus,” Parker Posey

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Banana Republic has a brand-new face: Patrick Schwarzenegger! The dashing star is fronting the brand’s new capsule collection with HBO’s The White Lotus—which he also stars in as devious finance bro Saxon. At the collab’s official launch party, we caught up with Patrick on reactions to The White Lotus’s third season, shooting his BR campaign, and what he always packs when traveling!  

You filmed The White Lotus in Thailand for so many months. What has it been like to finally see the reactions from the episodes? 
It’s been surreal. It’s been a whirlwind. Honestly, it’s been amazing to be able to watch the episodes with friends and with family. They know that we were there filming for seven months, and it’s always really cool and great to watch a product actually come to life and to fruition, and to actually see it. You spend so long and so many hard months working on it, that it’s always fun to see the end product. And we’ve only just started! There’s only three episodes out so far, and I think the show really starts to take off next week. That’s when things really start to go…and the rest of the season is just mayhem.

Nicholas Duvernay and Patrick Schwarzenegger

Your character’s in a nuclear family, with Parker Posey as your onscreen mom. What was it like working with an icon like Parker? 
Parker’s amazing. I actually filmed with Parker a couple years ago on The Staircase for HBO, so we actually got to know each other a little bit on that project. Obviously, on this one, we worked together in much greater detail. We worked for seven months together. The whole family became really close. When you’re filming out there, you really start to gravitate and hang with the people that you’re filming with, and most of our scenes are with us, a family. She’s an icon. She’s so funny. I’ve said this to so many people, but there was one scene at a dinner table where I spit my water out during the scene because she was so funny and so out-there and ridiculous. She’s so talented, and I’m so happy for her that people are loving her role.

Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger

You’re also in Banana Republic’s new White Lotus campaign. What was your experience like on-set—and did you get to keep the clothes?
No! But now I do. When we did the set, it was all the sample pieces, so I didn’t get to keep those. But what I got to do, which was really fun, was when they had all the different sample pieces, we got to fine-tune how we wanted the look to look on [the] day. They had their whole creative team, the marketing team, the CEO, everybody there giving their input, and they allowed me to give mine and how I would wear it. That was a really cool part of the shoot as well. But now I finally get to go and rob this store tomorrow and do a little shopping spree.

Do you have any favorite pieces from the collection?
The outfit I have on now, this all-black set, I paired it with one of their suede truckers that is one of my favorite pieces. It’s not part of the White Lotus collab, but it’s one of my favorite Banana Republic pieces that they have. [The set] is perfect for upcoming spring, summer, resortwear, festival wear, casual. You can dress it up, dress it down. It’s got that perfect blend between what Banana Republic stands for and what The White Lotus stands for.

Patrick Schwarzenegger

What are your must-haves when traveling abroad?
Underwear, socks. Banana Republic actually has the best socks. They’re these cashmere-blend socks that are so soft. What else? Snacks. I always have my Mosh bars with me—that’s pretty much it. I’m guilty of not bringing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and stuff. I usually get it at the hotel. Those are my go-to’s. I make sure I have workout wear, underwear, socks, snacks, the essentials.

What do you have on tap for the spring? Are you filming? 
There’s some I’m working on that will hopefully be announced in the coming months. Right now, it’s focused on the show coming out these next eight weeks, going and promoting it as much as possible, and then promoting this, doing the collaboration and working on this brand.

All images: Yvonne Tran/BFA

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