Latest news with #Austrian-German
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Europe's ‘nowhere place' is a quiet Italian gem with flights from £17
The town sits on the tip of the Adriatic (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Aperitifs at sundown, quaint streets, and Italian sunshine. No, we're not talking about Florence or Tuscany. Hop across the Adriatic from Venice and you'll find Trieste, a unique border town that you've probably never heard of — but one you're going to want to add to your city break list. While Trieste was once forgotten, hidden away in northern Italy and even described as a 'nowhere place', times have changed. Almost entirely surrounded by Slovenia, Trieste is a melting pot of cultures. The local dialect, according to Lonely Planet is a 'strange melange of Italian, Austrian-German, Croatian and Greek.' Ever since Slovenia's star began to rise, tourism in Trieste has also picked up. There's a thriving food and arts scene, and trendy hotel chain, 25hours, is set to open in the city this year. Sign up to The Getaway newsletter Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. As our favourite review on TripAdvisor says, it's a 'beautiful place both during the day and at night, but it never feels crowded or overrun'. Recently, the FT heaped praise on the city, describing it as 'the comeback kid'. So, if you want to get ahead of the curve, here's everything you need to know about Italy's next big holiday spot. Trieste is influenced by its culturally rich neighbours (Picture: Metro) How to get to Trieste Easily accessible from the UK, Trieste has an airport about 40 minutes outside the city centre. Direct flights run from London Stansted, with one-way Ryanair fares starting from £17 in July (that's based on taking the 7:35am flight on Tuesday, July 8). Best of all, the journey time is two hours. The only downside is that at the moment, direct routes are only operated out of Stansted. You can also fly from Gatwick, but that generally involves stopping in Rome or Krakow. What's the weather like in Trieste? As you'd expect from an Italian city, Trieste has a Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and colder winters. The best time to visit is during the summer, from June to September. The mercury reaches highs of 30°C in July. Trieste deserves some attention (Picture: Getty Images/Westend61) It's worth keeping in mind that the area often feels the effects of the Bora, a wind that blows from the mountains into the Gulf of Trieste, which on occasion, can get pretty gusty. It's said that locals like the wind because of the intense emotion it sparks; when it's a calm day, they long for it to return. Italians, eh. Where to stay in Trieste Travelling in the shoulder season, in May or October, is a good idea if you want to nab a bargain hotel stay and run into fewer tourists. prices for a 3* hotel, rated 'very good' or above, from £73 per night in September. Things to do in Trieste Any trip to Trieste should start with a wander through the historic centre, which has interesting shops and quaint cafes. This area is also home to the city's top cultural attractions, including the cathedral and the waterfront Piazza Unità d'Italia, which is said to be modelled on Venice's St Mark's. In a way, it might be even more beautiful, and is the largest square overlooking the sea in Europe. Stazione Rogers is an abandoned petrol station that swapped unleaded for aperitifs, and is now a thriving cultural centre. As well as being the perfect place for sundowners overlooking the water (with DJs and live music until 2am) there's also a space for art exhibitions and gigs. The Piazza Unità d'Italia at dusk (Picture: Getty Images) Trieste is proud of its literary heritage; he legendary Irish author James Joyce lived here while writing Ulysses, and you'll spot the plaques signaling his various homes (he was often evicted for refusing to pay rent) across the city. There's a Joyce museum, and the Literature Trieste Museum is also set to open this year. Or, head to a book shop and while away a few hours reading with a coffee. San Marco is a popular spot. For views that stretch across the sea, visit the Faro della Vittoria, a lighthouse which is open to the public (for free). Every October, the Barcolana regatta sees the waters fill up with sailing boats. Tourists should also take a trip to the must-visit fairytale castle, Miramare Castle, which sits atop a rocky cliff. From panoramic views to subterranean marvels, the Grotta Gigante is a vast underground cave about 20 minutes outside of Trieste. One of the chambers, the Grande Caverna, is 98.5m high, and 76.3 m wide. Visitors can take tours all year round. If you have enough time, you can also take a day trip over to Slovenia, and visit Lake Bled, which is less than an hour's drive away. Food and drink in Trieste Don't book a flight to Trieste expecting only to eat pizza and pasta. We know, this is Italy (and of course, you can order it here) but the influences of its surrounding nations have had a big impact on how the Trestines eat. Buffets are a big thing here, a tradition which harks back to when the city was under Austrian rule. Think cured meats, smoked sausages and cheese. It's said you haven't really been to Trieste unless you've indulged at a buffet. Jota is also a popular local dish, essentially a Slovenian soup made with sauerkraut, potatoes, and beans – often with added pancetta. Seafood is also a favourite. You're likely to spot sardine dishes on the menu, but it's always worth asking about the catch of the day. And of course, you can wash your meal down with a grappa – the notorious liqueur which hails from the north of Italy. If alcohol isn't your thing, Trieste is Italy's biggest consumer of coffee (and gets the crown of Italy's 'capital of coffee') with the famous brand, Illy, hailing from the city. But, make sure you know what you're ordering. In Trieste, an espresso is a 'nero' and a cappuccino is a 'cafelatte'. And make sure you ask for it in a glass – locals say it tastes better that way. How expensive is Trieste? According to Budget My Trip, you can expect to spend about £88 per day in Trieste, covering food, drink and activities. Trattoria alla Sorgente, a seafood restaurant popular with locals, lists its price range as around £22 – £44 per person. For the all important buffet, Buffet Da Pepi has been serving hungry customers since 1897. For one person, a mixed charcuterie platter is just €8 (£6.85). Attractions are affordable too. Many are free, and entry to the Miramare Castle, for example, is €12 (£10.30). This article was first published on 22 April 2024 and has been updated. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ Arrow MORE: Major US fast food chain to open in London Heathrow airport – a European first Arrow MORE: TUI relaunches UK flights to forgotten year-round sunshine destination after 3 years Arrow MORE: I tried to do Cannes on £30 a day – a champagne town on a Fanta budget
Local Germany
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Can Germany turn back asylum seekers at Austria's border?
Germany says it plans to tighten border checks and turn back more asylum seekers. But can it legally do that, and what happens if Austria refuses to take them back? Germany's designated Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt recently announced plans to increase border checks and rejections of asylum seekers, raising alarms on both sides. The proposal, set to begin on Wednesday, has already been met with pushback from Austrian officials and legal experts who warn that such rejections may violate EU law. But how does this all work in practice, and what could it mean for people seeking asylum, or for relations between the two countries? What exactly is Germany proposing? Dobrindt, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), said Germany would step up 'refoulement'—the turning back of migrants—at the border with Austria, especially at key crossings like the Deutsches Eck. While Germany already conducts passport checks and spot inspections on trains arriving from Austria, this new policy is expected to involve more aggressive enforcement and a greater number of returns. READ ALSO: Does an Austrian residency permit allow you to ignore the Schengen 90-day rule? However, officials have not yet detailed exactly how these tighter controls will be implemented or how they would comply with European regulations. How will this affect travellers? If you're crossing the Austrian-German border and are not an EU citizen, it's smart to carry proper identification like a passport and a visa if you have one. If you run into border controls, expect delays, and traffic. And if you're seeking asylum, know that EU law gives you the right to apply, but actual enforcement may vary depending on political pressures. Advertisement Is this even allowed under EU law? Not in the way Germany seems to suggest, according to Walter Obwexer, a European law expert at the University of Innsbruck, Der Standard reported. Under EU law, people who apply for asylum at the border must be allowed to enter the country and have their request assessed. 'Turning back third-country nationals at the EU's internal borders who apply for asylum at the border is unlawful and contradicts current EU law,' Obwexer told the Austrian daily. This means that unless someone is not applying for asylum or is trying to enter without a visa and does not qualify for protection, Germany is not legally entitled to send them straight back to Austria. Advertisement What is Austria's response? Austria's Ministry of the Interior has pushed back firmly against the idea. In a statement to Der Standard, the ministry said it expects Germany to 'adhere to the European legal order' and warned that Austria would not accept deviations from that standard. In other words, Austria could simply refuse to take people back if Germany turns them away unlawfully. That could create a legal and logistical stalemate at the border, especially if there's no agreement on who is responsible for the person in question. If Germany were to go ahead with rejections that violate EU law, Austria has a few options. According to Obwexer, one of them would be to lodge a complaint with the European Commission and potentially trigger infringement proceedings against Germany. READ ALSO: IN NUMBERS: Why are hundreds of travellers refused entry to Austria? But legal action takes time, and in the short term, the real question is what happens to asylum seekers who are caught in the middle. 'There is no 'no man's land,'' said Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz, a migration expert with Asylkoordination Österreich. He told Der Standard that Germany and Austria would need to find a political solution in such cases. Are asylum seekers already being turned back? Yes, although not always lawfully, critics say. 'There are always stories from people that they are turned back by Germany despite having applied for protection,' Gahleitner-Gertz explained. These anecdotal reports suggest that rejections already happen, often without full transparency or oversight. The latest announcements may therefore be more political than practical, he added. 'The politicians in both countries simply want to show that they are doing something about migration.' Despite the heated rhetoric, migration numbers are relatively low right now. According to Austria's Interior Ministry, only 4,600 asylum applications were registered by the end of March this year. READ NEXT: EXPLAINED: What happens if you overstay your 90-day limit in Austria?
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Patrick Schwarzenegger was born to scandalise The White Lotus
There has always been a shrewd, knowing quality to Mike White's casting on The White Lotus, his darkly comic anthology series in which wealthy people do ugly things in beautiful places. The five-star resorts it's set in are, after all, the kind where a successful actor might well be found holidaying. That irony affords him a little fun. So it was that in the first two series, set in Hawaii and Italy respectively, the role of Tanya McQuoid, an eccentric and glamorous older woman who's wilier than she looks and most at home in the company of gay people, fell to Jennifer Coolidge – an actress who fits that bill perfectly. In the second, checking into the part of Dominic, a suave and sybaritic New Yorker intent on investigating his Sicilian heritage, was The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli – a suave and sybaritic New Yorker deeply proud of his Sicilian heritage. The third series of The White Lotus started last week, with a new setting in Thailand, and an (almost) entirely new array of characters White had to cast. One was Saxon Ratliff, a young, gym-obsessed nepo baby with a geometric jaw, an eye for the ladies, a close relationship to his siblings and a father, played by Jason Isaacs, he clearly idolises. Once again, White chose very shrewdly. So step forward Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, who meets that particular set of criteria with aplomb. Yes, he's the son of. Yes, he's a right hunk off the old block. And on the evidence of the first few episodes, he may end up this series' standout star. He's already responsible for the first viral moment, in that nude scene. 'At the end of the day, this character, from start to finish, is ridiculous and the type of person who would absolutely walk around his room naked without a care in the world,' Patrick said recently. His proud father had a slightly different take: 'I could claim to be surprised, but what can I say – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.' Schwarzenegger Jnr is about as close as you can get in America to minor royalty. His mother is the journalist Maria Shriver, whose own mother was Eunice Kennedy, sister of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Her father was Sargent Shriver, a member of his own political dynasty and the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in 1972. As for Patrick's father, he is, of course, the Austrian-German superstar strongman, action movie icon, one-time billionaire, seven-time Mr Olympia and 38th governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it goes on: his sister, Katherine, is a bestselling children's author; her husband is Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World star Chris Pratt. Patrick's casting in White Lotus was practically demanded. 'Every time we would watch, my family would just be yapping at me: 'Why aren't you in this show? Why didn't you audition for this show? You need to talk to someone to get you on this show,'' he told Vanity Fair. He recently posted a video of the moment he told the family he'd finally got a part. It's heart-warming stuff – they burst into tears, their pride in him achieving what will surely be his big break obvious – but you cannot fail to notice the setting. The Schwarzeneggers, sans Arnie, are enjoying a nice long lunch on a terrace, a gorgeous ocean vista behind them. It could almost be a scene from White Lotus. Patrick has already been asked about this, of course: the fact that, if anything, he was born into far greater wealth and influence than even the characters in a show built around satirising the super-rich. 'I think there are similarities and crossovers there, except this family is so far away from what my family was growing up – or probably any normal family is [...] You try to think of [things] in your own personal life: things you can draw on and through to bring elements of this character to life,' he said. 'There was a storyline that I related to, and resonated with, of living in the father's shadows. This character had a very successful family, a very successful father. He worked under his father; he was always trying to make a name for himself, make a path for himself, was constantly vying for his dad's attention and acceptance and approval.' The third of Arnie and Shriver's children, after Katherine and Christina, Schwarzenneger was born in 1993. At the time, his father had just moved beyond his box office peak – the zenith, Terminator 2: Judgement Day was released in 1991 – and into his lucrative but lazy action comedy era. The young Patrick was obsessed with those movies, sleeping in the trailers on the sets of Terminator 3 or Batman & Robin, and enrolling in acting classes while at the prestigious Brentwood School. Later he was coached by Nancy Banks, who taught scores of Hollywood A-listers, including Margot Robbie, Jennifer Anniston, Emma Stone and Josh Brolin. He was what you might generously call a 'high achiever'. By 10 he'd appeared in the film The Benchwarmers; by 15 he'd started a clothing line; by 17 he'd begun modelling, including in a Tom Ford campaign featuring other celebrity offspring such as Gigi Hadid and Ian Mellencamp. In acting, however, he insists he didn't use his father's connections. 'My dad was like, 'Let me introduce you to an agent or manager,' but I purposefully didn't use his agent or manager,' Patrick once told the Los Angeles Times. 'I didn't want to feel like I was getting used by – not used – but that the reason I was getting things was because of him. And he totally got that.' Whether casting agents might have put two and two together based on the bone structure and surname is a mystery. On winning his part in The White Lotus, he's since said: 'I know there are people who'll say I only got this role because of who my dad is... 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.' Being a Schwarzenegger has not always been easy. Throughout his life, Arnie's bulk has blundered his way into controversy. Allegations of sexual misconduct dogged his initial campaign for governor in 2003, and in 2011 his 25-year marriage to Shriver ended when she confronted him about fathering a son in 1997 with their long-time housekeeper, Patty Baena. The product of that affair, Joseph, was born five days after Shriver gave birth to their youngest son, Christopher. Memorably, Clive James described Arnie as looking 'like a condom full of walnuts', such were the ludicrous contours of his bodybuilder physique. Throughout the 1990s, plenty of desperate screenwriters considered cloning him (one even managed it, for the science-fiction box office bomb The 6th Day). In Patrick, who has an all-American, Kennedyesque look to him, Arnie hasn't replicated himself. Awkwardly, Joseph, who he supported throughout his childhood, is the one who took on most of the Schwarzenegger genes. That upbringing, and that face, mean Patrick's early roles have been of a type. In 2013 he played 'Romeo' in an Ariana Grande video. A few years later, after he matriculated at the University of Southern California and then graduated to dating Miley Cyrus (he's now engaged to model Abby Champion, delaying their wedding to shoot The White Lotus), he played supporting roles in various teen dramas before starring in Moxie, Amy Poehler's Netflix coming-of-age drama, and Gen V, a satirical superhero series. In both, he was a handsome, arrogant, privileged sort – or, in the latter case, 'a 22-year-old big name on campus who possesses thermonuclear power and pure charisma' – who could do with being taken down a peg or two. In The Staircase, he was Todd, the son of Colin Firth's Michael Peterson, the real-life writer convicted of murdering his wife. And in American Sports Story he was Tim Tebow, the former professional American football player. Clearly, the young Schwarzenegger gives off 'clean-cut frat boy scion' or 'charismatic former athlete', or both. In Hollywood, it is possible to be too conventionally good-looking. He is also possessed of near-superhuman earnestness. That his heart is in the right place is unquestionable: in 2020, he and his mother, who campaigns for Alzheimer's awareness, set up MOSH, a brain nutrition and wellness brand. In the same year and two weeks into the pandemic, he posted a social media video from a supermarket, urging us to be kind and marvelling at the human spirit shown by a woman who'd just offered him some loo roll. He turned it down, which was probably wise for a man whose father is worth $1.1 billion. Nor is he shy of impressing this healthy sense of perspective on others. Every January, he once said, he invites a group of friends over to watch Simon Sinek's TED talk about focusing on the 'why' instead of the 'what' – and keeps a whiteboard by his bed on which he lists his family, friend, finance, faith, physical, mental and work goals. 'My first thing is taking three minutes out of my day to not use my phone and just be thankful that I'm healthy and alive,' he said. 'People laugh at that, but I'm like, 'OK, you wake up and you look at Instagram.'' One of those goals, of course, eventually became 'getting cast in The White Lotus'. According to Vanity Fair, Schwarzenegger was once told by Pratt, his box-office-gold brother-in-law, that the first few seconds of an audition are the only bit that matters. Following that advice, he got the role of Saxon – described to him as 'this kind of douchey, flirty finance guy that was a despicable human' – by 'for lack of a better word, eye-f------g, or kind of checking out the camera, and then approaching it as if the camera was a girl. They thought that was really funny and weird and cool.' Schwarzenegger, it seems, knows his appeal, has worked out how to subvert it, appreciates the value of occasionally mislaying your shirt, and is clearly far smarter than he looks. The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. After The White Lotus, he'll be back. The White Lotus is on Sky Atlantic at 2am & 9pm on Mondays, and streaming on NOW Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why Patrick Schwarzenegger was born to scandalise The White Lotus
There has always been a shrewd, knowing quality to Mike White's casting on The White Lotus, his darkly comic anthology series in which wealthy people do ugly things in beautiful places. The five-star resorts it's set in are, after all, the kind where a successful actor might well be found holidaying. That irony affords him a little fun. So it was that in the first two series, set in Hawaii and Italy respectively, the role of Tanya McQuoid, an eccentric and glamorous older woman who's wilier than she looks and most at home in the company of gay people, fell to Jennifer Coolidge – an actress who fits that bill perfectly. In the second, checking into the part of Dominic, a suave and sybaritic New Yorker intent on investigating his Sicilian heritage, was The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli – a suave and sybaritic New Yorker deeply proud of his Sicilian heritage. The third series of The White Lotus started last week, with a new setting in Thailand, and an (almost) entirely new array of characters White had to cast. One was Saxon Ratliff, a young, gym-obsessed nepo baby with a geometric jaw, an eye for the ladies, a close relationship to his siblings and a father, played by Jason Isaacs, he clearly idolises. Once again, White chose very shrewdly. So step forward Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, who meets that particular set of criteria with aplomb. Yes, he's the son of. Yes, he's a right hunk off the old block. And on the evidence of the first few episodes, he may end up this series' standout star. He's already responsible for the first viral moment, in that nude scene. 'At the end of the day, this character, from start to finish, is ridiculous and the type of person who would absolutely walk around his room naked without a care in the world,' Patrick said recently. His proud father had a slightly different take: 'I could claim to be surprised, but what can I say – the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.' Schwarzenegger Jnr is about as close as you can get in America to minor royalty. His mother is the journalist Maria Shriver, whose own mother was Eunice Kennedy, sister of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Her father was Sargent Shriver, a member of his own political dynasty and the Democratic Party's nominee for vice president in 1972. As for Patrick's father, he is, of course, the Austrian-German superstar strongman, action movie icon, one-time billionaire, seven-time Mr Olympia and 38th governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it goes on: his sister, Katherine, is a bestselling children's author; her husband is Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World star Chris Pratt. Patrick's casting in White Lotus was practically demanded. 'Every time we would watch, my family would just be yapping at me: 'Why aren't you in this show? Why didn't you audition for this show? You need to talk to someone to get you on this show,'' he told Vanity Fair. He recently posted a video of the moment he told the family he'd finally got a part. It's heart-warming stuff – they burst into tears, their pride in him achieving what will surely be his big break obvious – but you cannot fail to notice the setting. The Schwarzeneggers, sans Arnie, are enjoying a nice long lunch on a terrace, a gorgeous ocean vista behind them. It could almost be a scene from White Lotus. Patrick has already been asked about this, of course: the fact that, if anything, he was born into far greater wealth and influence than even the characters in a show built around satirising the super-rich. 'I think there are similarities and crossovers there, except this family is so far away from what my family was growing up – or probably any normal family is [...] You try to think of [things] in your own personal life: things you can draw on and through to bring elements of this character to life,' he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Patrick Schwarzenegger (@patrickschwarzenegger) 'There was a storyline that I related to, and resonated with, of living in the father's shadows. This character had a very successful family, a very successful father. He worked under his father; he was always trying to make a name for himself, make a path for himself, was constantly vying for his dad's attention and acceptance and approval.' The third of Arnie and Shriver's children, after Katherine and Christina, Schwarzenneger was born in 1993. At the time, his father had just moved beyond his box office peak – the zenith, Terminator 2: Judgement Day was released in 1991 – and into his lucrative but lazy action comedy era. The young Patrick was obsessed with those movies, sleeping in the trailers on the sets of Terminator 3 or Batman & Robin, and enrolling in acting classes while at the prestigious Brentwood School. Later he was coached by Nancy Banks, who taught scores of Hollywood A-listers, including Margot Robbie, Jennifer Anniston, Emma Stone and Josh Brolin. He was what you might generously call a 'high achiever'. By 10 he'd appeared in the film The Benchwarmers; by 15 he'd started a clothing line; by 17 he'd begun modelling, including in a Tom Ford campaign featuring other celebrity offspring such as Gigi Hadid and Ian Mellencamp. In acting, however, he insists he didn't use his father's connections. 'My dad was like, 'Let me introduce you to an agent or manager,' but I purposefully didn't use his agent or manager,' Patrick once told the Los Angeles Times. 'I didn't want to feel like I was getting used by – not used – but that the reason I was getting things was because of him. And he totally got that.' Whether casting agents might have put two and two together based on the bone structure and surname is a mystery. On winning his part in The White Lotus, he's since said: 'I know there are people who'll say I only got this role because of who my dad is... 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.' Being a Schwarzenegger has not always been easy. Throughout his life, Arnie's bulk has blundered his way into controversy. Allegations of sexual misconduct dogged his initial campaign for governor in 2003, and in 2011 his 25-year marriage to Shriver ended when she confronted him about fathering a son in 1997 with their long-time housekeeper, Patty Baena. The product of that affair, Joseph, was born five days after Shriver gave birth to their youngest son, Christopher. Memorably, Clive James described Arnie as looking 'like a condom full of walnuts', such were the ludicrous contours of his bodybuilder physique. Throughout the 1990s, plenty of desperate screenwriters considered cloning him (one even managed it, for the science-fiction box office bomb The 6th Day). In Patrick, who has an all-American, Kennedyesque look to him, Arnie hasn't replicated himself. Awkwardly, Joseph, who he supported throughout his childhood, is the one who took on most of the Schwarzenegger genes. That upbringing, and that face, mean Patrick's early roles have been of a type. In 2013 he played 'Romeo' in an Ariana Grande video. A few years later, after he matriculated at the University of Southern California and then graduated to dating Miley Cyrus (he's now engaged to model Abby Champion, delaying their wedding to shoot The White Lotus), he played supporting roles in various teen dramas before starring in Moxie, Amy Poehler's Netflix coming-of-age drama, and Gen V, a satirical superhero series. In both, he was a handsome, arrogant, privileged sort – or, in the latter case, 'a 22-year-old big name on campus who possesses thermonuclear power and pure charisma' – who could do with being taken down a peg or two. In The Staircase, he was Todd, the son of Colin Firth's Michael Peterson, the real-life writer convicted of murdering his wife. And in American Sports Story he was Tim Tebow, the former professional American football player. Clearly, the young Schwarzenegger gives off 'clean-cut frat boy scion' or 'charismatic former athlete', or both. In Hollywood, it is possible to be too conventionally good-looking. He is also possessed of near-superhuman earnestness. That his heart is in the right place is unquestionable: in 2020, he and his mother, who campaigns for Alzheimer's awareness, set up MOSH, a brain nutrition and wellness brand. In the same year and two weeks into the pandemic, he posted a social media video from a supermarket, urging us to be kind and marvelling at the human spirit shown by a woman who'd just offered him some loo roll. He turned it down, which was probably wise for a man whose father is worth $1.1 billion. Nor is he shy of impressing this healthy sense of perspective on others. Every January, he once said, he invites a group of friends over to watch Simon Sinek's TED talk about focusing on the 'why' instead of the 'what' – and keeps a whiteboard by his bed on which he lists his family, friend, finance, faith, physical, mental and work goals. 'My first thing is taking three minutes out of my day to not use my phone and just be thankful that I'm healthy and alive,' he said. 'People laugh at that, but I'm like, 'OK, you wake up and you look at Instagram.'' One of those goals, of course, eventually became 'getting cast in The White Lotus'. According to Vanity Fair, Schwarzenegger was once told by Pratt, his box-office-gold brother-in-law, that the first few seconds of an audition are the only bit that matters. Following that advice, he got the role of Saxon – described to him as 'this kind of douchey, flirty finance guy that was a despicable human' – by 'for lack of a better word, eye-f------g, or kind of checking out the camera, and then approaching it as if the camera was a girl. They thought that was really funny and weird and cool.' Schwarzenegger, it seems, knows his appeal, has worked out how to subvert it, appreciates the value of occasionally mislaying your shirt, and is clearly far smarter than he looks. The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree. After The White Lotus, he'll be back.
