Joseph Baena
Born (1997-10-02) October 2, 1997 (age 28)
Alma mater Pepperdine University
Occupations
  • Film actor
  • bodybuilder
  • fitness model
  • real estate agent
Years active 2016–present
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Parents
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Mildred Baena
Relatives
  • Gustav Schwarzenegger (grandfather)
  • Katherine Schwarzenegger (half sister)
  • Patrick Schwarzenegger (half brother)

Joseph Baena (born October 2, 1997) is an American actor and fitness model. Joseph Baena is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Patricia "Patty" Baena.[1]

Early life

Joseph Baena is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Patricia "Patty" Baena.[2] At birth, he became the legal son of his mother's husband at the time, Rogelio Baena; they separated shortly after.

When Baena was 13, he—and the world—learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger was his biological father, after the media published this news the day after Schwarzenegger's final day as governor of California.[3] This achieved some notoriety in the tabloids, especially when Schwarzenegger admitted to conceiving him in an extramarital affair with his former housekeeper—while he was still married to Maria Shriver.[4][5][6] Baena decided to keep his last name instead of taking the last name Schwarzenegger.[3][4]

Baena is of Austrian and Guatemalan ancestry. He has one half-sibling from his mother (Jackie Rozo), and four half-siblings from his father: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher Schwarzenegger. His paternal half-brother Christopher was born 5 days before Baena, on September 27, 1997.[3]

In 2019, Baena graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, with a business degree.[5][7]

Career

Fitness modeling

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.[3] Upon taking up weight lifting, his father gave him the book The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, which Schwarzenegger had co-authored, to assist Baena with his training.[8]

In March 2021, Baena started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Checkmat Northridge.[9]

Realty career

Baena expressed an interest in starting a career in real estate on Instagram in May 2021.[10] 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.[7]

Dancing with the Stars

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 11th in the competition.[11] 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.'"[12] His body type, flexibility and fitness training are not particularly well adapted to dancing, which he personally foresaw as being challenging.[7][13][A]

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.[18]

Amateur Bodybuilding

On 28 March 2026, Baena competed in the 2026 NPC Natural Colorado State Championships in Men's Classic Physique and Open Bodybuilding.[19] He notably placed 1st in the "True Novice" and "Novice" Classic Physique divisions. He also placed 1st in the "Men's Bodybuilding - Open Heavyweight" division. He came 2nd in Open Class C, making him the runner-up to the overall.[20]

Filmography

Film

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
2024 Gunner Wally
TBA Encounters Tarrick Filming
TBA Lava Alex Post-production
TBA Athena Saves Christmas TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2022 Scam Squad Nico Miniseries
2022 Dancing with the Stars Himself 6 episodes of season 31
2023 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Robin Hood Episode: "Ehre unter Dieben"

References

Notes

  1. ^ After testing as COVID-19 positive, 29-year-old Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Daniella Karagach did not appear with her partner, Joseph Baena.[14][15][16] Having been potentially exposed, Baena had to mask up; he and Alexis Warr (a last-minute substitute troupe danceuse) advanced in the competition.[17]

Citations

  1. ^ Heffernan, Andrew (February 8, 2022). "Joseph Baena Found Out Arnold Schwarzenegger Was His Dad. Now, He's Learning from Him". Men's Health. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ Heffernan, Andrew (February 8, 2022). "Joseph Baena Found Out Arnold Schwarzenegger Was His Dad. Now, He's Learning from Him". Men's Health. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d VanHoose, Benjamin (February 8, 2022). "Joseph Baena on Not Using Dad Arnold Schwarzenegger's Last Name: 'He Doesn't Believe in Handouts'". People. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022. "My dad is old-school," Joseph Baena said about Arnold Schwarzenegger
  4. ^ a b D'Zurilla, Christie (February 9, 2022). "MOVIES Joseph Baena Won't Use Dad Arnold Schwarzenegger's Name to Pave His Way in Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Henderson, Cydney (April 28, 2019). "Arnold Schwarzenegger Congratulates Son Joseph Baena for Graduating: 'I'm So Proud of You'". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Ahamed, Mubhaswara (September 20, 2022). "Months After Their Million Dollar Divorce Settlement, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ex-Wife Maria Shriver Reunite for Son Patrick Schwarzenegger's Special Day". EssentiallySports.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Lemoncelli, Jenna; Thompson, Avery (September 19, 2022). "Hollywood Life Joseph Baena: 5 Things to Know About Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Who's on 'DWTS'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Rice, Lynette (August 8, 2022). "'Dancing with the Stars': Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Joseph Baena Joining Season 31". Deadline. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  9. ^ Jones, Phil (March 20, 2021). "Arnold Schwarzanegger's [sic] Son Joseph Baena Has Started BJJ". BJJ News. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Rice, Nicholas (March 24, 2022). "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Joseph Baena Celebrates Selling First Home as a Real Estate Agent: 'SOLD'". People. Peoplemag. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Giang-Paunon, Stephanie; Fink, Larry (September 20, 2022). "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Son Joseph Baena on 'Dancing with the Stars': Dancing's Not 'Part of the Gene'". Fox News. Retrieved September 20, 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  12. ^ Aham, Mubhaswara (September 21, 2022). ""Not Really a Part of the Gene": Arnold Schwarzenegger's Youngest, Starts His Quest to Achieve a Feat Even His Dad Couldn't". EssentiallySports.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Trainor, Daniel (September 9, 2022). "Why Joseph Baena Says His Fitness Might Actually Work Against Him on Dancing with the Stars". E-news. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022. Joseph Baena is no stranger to breaking a sweat, but the fitness nut says his early Dancing with the Stars practice has been challenging.
  14. ^ Lash, Jolie (September 26, 2022). "Joseph Baena's 'Dancing with the Stars' Partner Daniella Karagach to Miss Monday's Show After COVID Diagnosis". The Wrap. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022. A member of the dance troupe will fill in
  15. ^ "Why DWTS' Daniella Karagach Is Skipping Elvis Week with Joseph Baena". Us Weekly. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (September 26, 2022). "Dancing With the Stars pro Daniella Karagach tests positive for COVID and misses Elvis night". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Rice, Lynette (September 26, 2022). "'Dancing with the Stars': Find Out Whose Jive Wasn't Enough to Keep Her in the Competition After Week 2". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  18. ^ Banerjee, Shreyosi (September 16, 2022). ""Couldn't Keep Up With the Other Guys": Arnold Schwarzenegger's Bodybuilder Son Joseph Baena Opens Up About His Not-So-Fit Past Self". EssentiallySports.com. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Wright, Tracy (March 30, 2026). "Arnold Schwarzenegger's son dominates bodybuilding debut with multiple first-place wins". Fox News. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  20. ^ Taylor, Jeff (March 28, 2026). "Results - 2026 NPC Natural Colorado State". Muscle Quest. Retrieved April 1, 2026.