From the moment it was revealed who is famous father was, to developing a relationship with Schwarzenegger but remaining true to his roots on his mother’s side, here’s what you need to know about Joseph and his journey to fame, his own way.

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Joseph Baena was raised by a single mother, Mildred Baena

Born on October 2, 1997, Joseph was raised by Mildred in a single-parent household. Per ABC, Mildred worked as a housekeeper in the Schwarzenegger household for more than 20 years until she retired in 2011.

Joseph has also been outspoken about his background. His mum is Guatemalan-born and, in an interview with Men’s Health, Joseph spoke about growing up in Bakersfield, a suburban desert community about 160km north of Los Angeles. He said “we didn’t have much”, but vividly remembers learning to cook with his mum, celebrating their heritage through food.

The life-changing moment

He was in class in eighth grade when he was called out of school to leave. In his interview with Men’s Health, he said his mum just said “we gotta go, everyone is finding out about you and who your father was”. And then his life changed forever.

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As the press descended on their home, they were forced to flee and stay with family in Texas. For her part, Mildred said Joseph’s grandmother sat him down to tell him who his father was. His response? “Cool!”

But the media frenzy over Schwarzenegger’s infidelity to his then wife, Maria Shriver, wouldn’t settle. The famous couple called it quits after 25 years of marriage because of the revelation, with Schwarzenegger explaining in his Netflix documentary Arnold that he told Shriver about the affair in a counselling session.

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In detailing his affair with Mildred in Arnold, Schwarzenegger made it clear that while he is not proud of cheating on his wife, he is proud to be Joseph’s father and never wanted him to feel like he wasn’t welcomed in his world.

But their relationship has since evolved, with Joseph commenting in the podcast, “Now I’m so close to my dad and we joke around about everything.” In his Men’s Health interview, Joseph added that their relationship took time to grow, but they eventually bonded over fitness.

Reaching out for tips on how to build his shoulders, Joseph started training together with his dad when he was 18. Recent snaps Joseph reveal that his hard work and the tips from his dad have clearly paid off, with the similarities between them becoming even more pronounced. Now Joseph says his dad is an inspiration, showing just how far they have come.

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Making his way in Hollywood

Joseph’s career had a slow start, but the actor has reiterated to People magazine that he is willing to work his way to the top. He has starred in Lava, Chariot and Gunner, to name a few. While working on the film Bully High, he revealed to People that he was a victim of bullying from his then close friends for being overweight. He was also cast on season 31 of Dancing with the Stars. He said while dancing was not a skill, he was up for the challenge.

More than an actor, Joseph has also worked hard to establish his name as a bodybuilder, fitness model and property agent at Aria Properties. Oh, and he also DJs.

His honour is everything

Joseph admits that he could have easily adopted his father’s surname, allowing its influence to work in his favour, especially in the acting industry.

But he told Men’s Health that his dad doesn’t believe in handouts, saying hard work wins over easy passes. And Joseph couldn’t agree more. “I love the word honour,” he told the magazine, “and I’m very prideful in the sense that if I use my dad’s contacts or ask him for favours, I wonder what honour that is going to bring me?”