Bodybuilder-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has achieved a lot in his career, but it’s his personal life he’s most proud of.
The former Governor of California is a devoted father of five. Here’s everything to know about his kids!
KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER
Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger Pratt is the eldest child of Arnold and Maria Shriver.
Born on 13 December 1989, her middle name is an ode to her maternal grandmother, Eunice Kennedy – the sister of President John F. Kennedy.
Despite being born into a political family, Katherine has always said she has no interest in that field.
“Absolutely not, politics is not my thing,” she told People in 2016. “I think if you grow up in it, you either love it or you’re like, ‘No thank you!’”
Instead, Katherine became a writer and was even a New York Times best-selling author by the age of 21 after publishing her first book, Rock What You’ve Got: Secrets to Loving You Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who’s Been There and Back.
Following the monumental success of her first book, she went on to release I Just Graduated… Now What?, Maverick and Me, and The Gift of Forgiveness.
“I love my daughter Katherine,” Arnold said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2022. “[She] is so wonderful and I’m so proud of her.”
Katherine is also married to Jurassic World star Chris Pratt. The couple tied the knot in June 2019 and have since welcomed three children together: Lyla, Eloise and Ford.
CHRISTINA SCHWARZENEGGER
Arnold and Maria welcomed their second child, another daughter, on 23 July 1991.
Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger followed in her mother’s footsteps and graduated from Georgetown University in 2013 with a degree in English. She later studied interior architecture at Parsons School of Design.
After she completed her academic studies, Christina worked as an editor at Gwyneth Paltrow’s brand Goop for three years, and is also a member of the Special Olympics Founder’s Council.
On top of that, she and her mother Maria also co-executive produced Netflix’s 2018 documentary Take Your Pills, which explored Christina’s experiences with Adderall addiction.
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER
Patrick Arnold Shriver Schwarzenegger is the third child and oldest boy in the Schwarzenegger clan, and was born on 18 September 1993.
Following in his father’s famous footsteps, Patrick is an actor. He is most well known for his roles in Gen V, The Staircase, and, most recently, season three of The White Lotus.
“Both my parents are proud of me,” Patrick told Today in 2020 about his acting career. “It’s pretty surreal ’cause I remember growing up and going to set with [my dad] and it was like my favourite activity.”
However, Patrick has had some naysayers claiming he only got his breakout role on The White Lotus because of his father.
“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is,” he told The Sunday Times.
“They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes … worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on.
“Of course, it’s frustrating and you can get boxed in, and you think at that moment, ‘I wish I didn’t have my last name’,” he said.
“But that’s a small moment. I would never trade my life with anyone.
“I’m very fortunate to have the life and family that I have, the parents I have and the lessons and values they’ve instilled in me.”
CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZENEGGER
Arnold and Maria’s fourth and final child, Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger, was born on 27 September 1997.
Unlike his older siblings, Christopher has largely remained out of the spotlight. But what we do know is that he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In honour of the milestone moment, Arnold took to Instagram to share how proud he was of his son.
“Christopher, you are a champion and I love you,” he captioned the photo. “I know your graduation from Michigan wasn’t the big celebration you dreamed about for years, but walking across a stage isn’t what makes me so proud of you: it’s your compassion, your hard work, your vision, your critical thinking, and your selflessness that make me burst with pride. I can’t wait to watch you keep climbing and succeeding.”
JOSEPH BAENA
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fifth child was born on 2 October 1997, just five days after Christopher.
Joseph Baena is the son of Arnold and Mildred Patricia Baena, the Schwarzenegger’s long-time housekeeper.
However, Mildred kept his identity a secret for the first few years of life until Joseph’s resemblance to Arnold became obvious.
In his 2023 Netflix docuseries, Arnold, Arnold detailed his affair with Mildred, labelling his infidelity a “major failure.” However, the actor made it clear that he’s proud to call Joseph his son.
“It was wrong what I did. But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he is not welcomed in this world — because he is very much welcomed in this world,” Schwarzenegger said. “I love him and he has turned out to be an extraordinary young man.”
According to Joseph, the pair became close later in life.
“I also have to point out that with my relationship with my dad it took a little while for me and him to get really close and just [feel] like I can joke around with him and talk about anything,” he said on Sophia and Sistine Stallone’s Unwaxed podcast in 2022.
Nowadays, Joseph is a bodybuilder and budding actor, and is also a qualified real estate agent. Plus, he appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2022!
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