Why Golden Boy From Gen V Looks So Familiar

Some familiar faces pop up in the first episode of "The Boys" spinoff series, "Gen V." However, the focus is on a new crop of supes, hoping to earn respect and acclaim one day. It doesn't take long for viewers to meet the big man on the Godolkin University campus — Luke Riordan, a.k.a. Golden Boy. He's played by Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver. It's appropriate casting, as that kind of lineage likely made the Golden Boy actor a hit on any campus he attended.

"Gen V" is arguably Schwarzenegger's highest-profile project yet, and it comes at an interesting time when so-called "nepo babies" face greater scrutiny than ever. But the actor's been at this for a long time. A 2018 profile from The Los Angeles Times mentions how he would regularly go with his father on film sets, enjoying craft services and golf carts. Those experiences took a back seat when Arnold became governor of California, which required moving from Los Angeles to Sacramento, but Patrick always had a passion for acting and the movie business. 

Over the years, he's climbed the ranks, going from bit-part player to a full-fledged superhero. And here are just some of the projects you may have seen him in before. 

Patrick Schwarzenegger certainly has a similar physical build to his father, making him a prime candidate for jock-type roles. Viewers can see this on display in "Gen V," as Golden Boy is extremely jock-coded as the coolest kid at God U. But he's played these types of roles before, such as having a small role as a Jock Kid in "The Benchwarmers." But he had a far more substantial role as Jeff in 2015's "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse."

Much of the focus goes toward the "lame" scouts who crash the cool kid's party, namely Jeff. It's here that the zombie outbreak occurs, forcing the scouts to put their know-how to good use to survive. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Schwarzenegger described Jeff as an "alpha male," and he also discussed having to spend quite a bit of time in the makeup chair. He said, "It's a pretty amazing experience to have them work on you for three, four hours and you come out with these huge gashes."

It's yet another way he follows in his father's footsteps, as Arnold Schwarzenegger had to spend quite a bit of time with makeup application in the earlier "Terminator" movies. With good looks and a willingness to embrace absurdity, the young actor was well on his way to superstardom.

In the same year as "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse," audiences could've seen Patrick Schwarzenegger on "Scream Queens." It's pretty much a prerequisite in Hollywood at this point for any attractive, up-and-coming actor to at least have a guest spot on a Ryan Murphy show, and Schwarzenegger did his time on Season 1, Episode 10 — "Thanksgiving." He played Thad Radwell, the younger brother to Chad Radwell (Glen Powell). Powell would go on to appear in "Top Gun: Maverick," which many believe is better than the original.

But there was plenty more eye candy in the Radwell family, as there was another brother in the mix — Brad Radwell, played by Chad Michael Murray. Unfortunately, the Radwells, minus Chad, weren't long for the series as the entire family perished in a plane crash.

2015 was apparently the year of horror comedies for Schwarzenegger with both "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" and "Scream Queens." But as he'd demonstrate over the years, he could handle projects in any given genre.

After years of supporting roles, Patrick Schwarzenegger landed his first lead part in 2018's "Midnight Sun." He plays Charlie Reed, the romantic interest of Katie Price (Bella Thorne). In the film, Katie suffers from a rare medical condition known as xeroderma pigmentosum, which means she can't be exposed to direct sunlight. Katie struggles with telling Charlie about the condition, and she attempts to get into a romantic relationship with him while keeping her medical history hidden.

Schwarzenegger may come from a famous lineage, but he still had to audition for the lead role in "Midnight Sun" like anyone else. He talked with Today about the process and having a slight advantage (that actually had nothing to do with Arnold), "The audition was great because, like you do, you do the audition, and then you do the director's read, and then the chemistry read is when you go in with the leading actress or actor, and you read with them. And very fortunate for myself, Bella Thorne came and met me prior."

It's a fascinating insight in that it shows having the last name Schwarzenegger doesn't guarantee a part. He still has to go up against dozens of other actors, like so many trying to make it in Hollywood.

Patrick Schwarzenegger's penchant for taking on intriguing roles continued with the 2022 miniseries "The Staircase" on HBO Max. Based on a true story, the show follows crime novelist Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), who's accused of murdering his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette) when she's found dead in their home at the bottom of the staircase. Schwarzenegger plays Todd Peterson, Michael's youngest son, whom he had from a previous marriage. 

With a cast that also includes the likes of Dane DeHaan, Sophie Turner, and Michael Stuhlbarg, Schwarzenegger knew immediately he had to be part of this miniseries. He told People, "To be surrounded by this kind of talent and these level of actors and actresses was something that was like a dream come true for me." 

In particular, Schwarzenegger got to spend quite a bit of time in front of the camera with DeHaan, who plays Michael's brother, Clayton. The two are very different, both in terms of personality and physicality. Still, Schwarzenegger enjoyed bringing that dynamic to life, "That's what draws this dichotomy between the two characters and it makes it very evident on the screen. There's a very stark difference between [them]. I could never have played Clayton, and Dane was perfect for him."

"Gen V" isn't the first time Patrick Schwarzenegger may have looked familiar to Amazon Prime Video subscribers. He previously appeared on three episodes of the first season of "The Terminal List." He plays the youngest member of the squad, Donny Mitchell, and the series turns out to be a family affair. Chris Pratt, who plays the lead role of Lieutenant Commander James Reece, is also in the Schwarzenegger family by marriage. Following his divorce from Anna Faris, Pratt got together with Katherine Schwarzenegger, Patrick's older sister. The two married in 2019, and it didn't take long for the two actors to work together. 

But just because they're family doesn't mean Pratt was going to go easy on his brother-in-law. Patrick Schwarzenegger told People, "I remember when Chris said, 'Hey you know there's this young role, Donny Mitchell, you'll be the youngest in the platoon. But if you want to get this role, I need you to go and try to get into character and really get this.'" That involved gaining some weight and going through tactical training so that he could more accurately portray a SEAL.

Patrick Schwarzenegger may be young, but he already has an impressive resume under his belt. And while his last name undoubtedly brings some advantages, he's proven he's a capable actor repeatedly who pursues interesting projects. And "Gen V" will only bolster his profile further.