| Joseph Baena | |
| Birth Date: | 2 October 1997 |
| Years Active: | 2016–present |
| Alma Mater: | Pepperdine University |
| Nationality: | American |
| Father: | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| Mother: | Mildred Patricia "Patty" Baena |
Joseph Baena (born October 2, 1997) is an American actor and fitness model, who is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California.
Joseph Baena is the biological son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Patricia "Patty" Baena.[1] He is the legal son of Rogelio Baena, to whom his mother was married at the time he was born. He is the maternal half-brother of Jackie Rozo; and the paternal half-brother of Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger. His paternal half-brother Christopher was born 5 days earlier on September 27, 1997. He is of Austrian and Guatemalan ancestry.
In late 2010, at the age of 13, Baena learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger was his real biological father, when the media revealed the fact the day after Schwarzenegger's term as governor concluded. In 2011, his birth achieved some notoriety in tabloids when Schwarzenegger admitted conceiving him in an adulterous affair with Baena's mother, who was a former household staffer while he was married to Maria Shriver.[2] [3] Despite being Schwarzenegger's son, he chose not to use the same last name.[4] [5]
Baena was featured on the cover of the Men's Health March 2022 issue, highlighting his fitness practices and his familial bonding with his father.[4] Taking up weight lifting, his father gave him the book The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding that Schwarzenegger co-authored to assist Baena with his training.[6]
Baena expressed an interest in starting a career in real estate on Instagram in May 2021.[7] After taking the necessary classes and passing the state boards, Baena successfully earned his State of California Realtor's License in 2022 and is currently affiliated with Aria Properties in Los Angeles, California.
In 2022, Baena was a contestant on the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars where he was paired with Daniella Karagach. They were eliminated 5th and placed in 11th of the competition.[8] Trying to distance himself from prejudgements, and creating his own grounds, "the young Arnold son says that he is not just breaking down the 'dance floor' but is also 'breaking the barriers in his family.'"[9] His body type, flexibility and fitness training are not particularly well adapted to dancing, which he personally foresaw as being challenging.[10]
Baena offered the opinion that physical fitness became his watchword because, "I couldn't keep up with the other guys." In a podcast interview, he confessed that he was both unfit and bullied. In college, he had an epiphany: "I was like the chubby kid in my... crew, and, um yeah. It wasn't until I joined swim my sophomore year..." When he could not run, leaving him unfit for soccer and basketball, he settled on joining the swim team.[11]
In 2019, Baena graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California with a business degree.[11]
In March 2021, Baena started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Checkmat Northridge.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Terminator 2 Remake with Joseph Baena: Bad to the Bone | The Terminator | Video short |
| 2022 | Chariot | Cory | |
| 2022 | Bully High | Eddie | |
| 2023 | Called to Duty: The Last Airshow | Lt. Andrew 'Bells' Harris | |
| Encounters | Tarrick | Filming | |
| Lava | Alex | Post-production | |
| Gunner | Wally | Filming | |
| Athena Saves Christmas | Filming | ||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Scam Squad | Nico | Miniseries |
| 2022 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself | 6 episodes of season 31 |
| 2023 | Robin Hood | Episode: "Ehre unter Dieben" | |