White Lotus Fans Thanked Patrick Schwarzenegger In A “Funny” Way

It’s official: Tipping culture has gotten out of control. People are now sending money to their favorite actors, at least according to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s experience. The White Lotus star recently told People that fans sent him Venmo payments during Season 3 of the hit HBO drama.

A “Funny” Surprise

Schwarzenegger, who teamed up with his White Lotus co-star Aimee Lou Wood for a partnership with Venmo, shared the story during a joint interview. “I don’t know if this ever happened to you, Aimee — I sent it in our group text from White Lotus — but I have people that sent me money on Venmo during episodes of White Lotus,” he said.

Apparently, he received unexpected payments from “a lot of people.” Schwarzenegger said he thought it was “funny,” but he didn’t keep the money.

“I sent it all back, don’t worry,” he said.

Wood, on the other hand, said she did not receive payments.

It’s perhaps ironic that Schwarzenegger was the one who did, considering his character, Saxon, wasn’t very popular with fans at the beginning. However, he told CNN it was “a very big roller coaster ride,” where people went from “despising him” to Saxon “becoming one of the most liked and enjoyed characters by the end.”

Schwarzenegger further explained the “roller coaster” he experienced after portraying Saxon during a Variety Actors on Actors interview with his father, Arnold. “The first weeks, people came up to me and told me how much they hated me,” he said. “By the end of it, they came up to me saying how much they felt bad for me.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t share if or how that shift in attitude toward Saxon affected fan payments.

“A Learning Experience”

Beyond the tips, Schwarzenegger told CNN that he gained a lot from being on The White Lotus. “It was definitely a learning experience for me, being on this show,” he said. He noted that the hype surrounding the show was unique, saying the level of engagement was something that he’d “never been part of” before.

The show’s popularity has been a big positive for Schwarzenegger. In his Actors on Actors interview, he told his dad that “one of the best parts” of starring in The White Lotus is “the amount of people that get to recognize [his] work. “I’ve done so many shows that not so many people have seen,” he explained.