White Lotus star Patrick Schwarzenegger has revealed one of the more unexpected encounters he’s had since his breakout role as Saxon Ratliff on the third season of HBO’s hit series.
In an interview with W Magazine, Schwarzenegger recounted a surprising moment at the gym involving a parody of The White Lotus titled Tight Lotus — an adult film based on the show’s controversial incest subplot.
“I’ve had some really weird experiences the past 10, 12 weeks with White Lotus coming out,” he said. “Last week, I was at the gym with two of my friends, and a guy walked up to me and said, ‘I love your work, and I had to come over to you because my boyfriend just booked playing Saxon Ratliff in The Tight Lotus.’”
Naturally, Schwarzenegger was confused. “I said, ‘What is that?’ And he said, ‘Tight Lotus — it’s a new porno coming out!’ And I said, ‘Excuse me?!’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, he [my boyfriend] is playing you.’ I was like, ‘Oh my god!’”
Schwarzenegger has enjoyed a rising profile this year thanks to his role as Saxon, the entitled and obliviously privileged eldest Ratliff sibling. Though Saxon begins the season as a thoroughly unlikable character — embodying the worst traits of wealth and arrogance — his arc evolves into something more complex, even endearing, by the season’s end.
However, much of the media attention around Saxon has focused on the show’s most controversial storyline: his sexually charged dynamic with younger brother Lochlan. The storyline includes an eyebrow-raising scene where Lochlan checks out his naked brother, eventually culminating in a group encounter involving both men and two women at a party.
The parody’s existence is a testament to the cultural buzz around White Lotus season 3 — and how far fandom and satire can go in the era of prestige TV.
