Actor
Matthias Schoenaerts Molded by Parents Despite Own Doubts
Matthias Schoenaerts, the acclaimed Belgian actor, has carved out an impressive career in film despite facing self-doubt early on. Born in 1977, he…
Matthias Schoenaerts, the acclaimed Belgian actor, has carved out an impressive career in film despite facing self-doubt early on. Born in 1977, he made a remarkable debut at just 12 years old in the Oscar-nominated movie Daens.
However, his path to success was shaped by his parents’ unwavering support and guidance. Despite his uncertainties, his parents recognized his talent and encouraged him to follow his path.
This article delves into his parents’ pivotal role in molding him into the acclaimed performer he is today, overcoming personal doubts through their belief in his abilities.
Who are Matthias Schoenaerts’ parents?
Schoenaerts’ father was Julien Schoenaerts (1925-2006), a renowned Flemish actor widely regarded as one of the greatest post-war actors in Flanders and the Netherlands. His impressive acting career spanned theatre, film, and television.
Some of Julien’s notable theatre roles included Kaspar by Peter Handke, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, and works by Sophocles and Plato.
His film/TV credits include Daens and De Leeuw van Vlaanderen. He struggled with bipolar disorder later in life.
Matthias Schoenaerts with his parents (Source: Instagram)
Similarly, Schoenaerts’ mother is Dominique Wiche (1953-2016), a costume designer, translator and French teacher. She hailed from the French-speaking Wallonia region of Belgium.
So Schoenaerts was born into a family with solid theatrical roots from his acclaimed actor father while also having exposure to the French language and culture from his mother’s side.
Matthias Schoenarts appeared on stage with his father at the age of nine
Schoenaerts was born into a family with deep theatrical roots, so it’s no surprise he caught the acting bug early.
At just nine years old in 1987, he made his stage debut alongside his father Julien in a production of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic novella The Little Prince.
It was a family affair with Julien directing and Schoenaerts’ mother, Wiche, designing the costumes. This must have been an incredibly formative experience for young Schoenaerts, sharing the stage with his renowned actor father.
Though he downplays the role now, calling it essentially a “wallpaper part,” he went on to act with his father again just a few years later at age 12 in the 1992 film Daens.
Matthias Schoenaerts refused to do what his parents did as a teenager
Despite his early exposure to acting by performing alongside his father at ages 9 and 12, Schoenaerts went through a rebellious phase in his youth where he wanted to forge his path away from his father’s legendary shadow.
He was terrified of never being able to live up to his father Julien’s towering talent and reputation, describing Julien as “a mix of Marlon Brando and Klaus Kinski” with an intense, volatile personality.
Their relationship became strained, with Schoenaerts recounting how they “fought like dogs” and even came to physical blows when he was around 13 years old.
Instead of acting, the teenage Schoenaerts immersed himself in the hip-hop culture – graffiti artistry under the tag “Zenith,” turntables, and breakdancing.
He embraced this countercultural lifestyle as a rebellion against following his parents into the theatrical world he had come to resent as a youth.
Even today, Schoenaerts still practices artistic outlets like large mural paintings to find peace and calm himself, perhaps connecting to those graffiti roots.
Matthias Schoenaerts’ father’s influence on him
Schoenaerts admits there was a point as a reckless 21-year-old when his life was veering down a dangerous path — he had been expelled from school. He was involved in graffiti and vandalism with a questionable crowd of friends.
However, a traumatic event involving his estranged father, Julien, proved to be the wake-up call that dramatically altered Schoenaerts’ trajectory.
He received the devastating news that Julien had suffered a psychotic episode and lay comatose, with only 24 hours to live, according to doctors. Despite their strained relationship over the years, he was overwhelmed with emotion at his father’s bedside, regretting they may never reconcile their issues.
Matthias Schoenaerts with his father (Source: )
Miraculously, Julien defied the odds and awoke after 72 hours, but in a vegetative state that medical experts warned may never improve. This started an eight-month journey where he and his mother became Julien’s tireless advocates and caregivers.
Through sheer love, dedication, and stubbornness, they rehabilitated Julien, teaching him to speak, eat, and walk in what doctors called “a miracle.” For Schoenaerts, it was a transformative experience that compelled him to overhaul his lifestyle and find purpose.
Even today, he speaks reverently of his parents as the people he loved most, with whom he shared his life’s most important moments and beautiful memories. Their losses have made life excruciatingly difficult.
But that brush with nearly losing his father too soon solidified Julien’s lasting impact. It motivated him to find the artistic path his parents had modeled while channeling their relentless determination and depth of love into his craft.
Father always encouraged him to choose his path
Despite coming from an acclaimed acting family, there was surprisingly little pressure on young Schoenaerts to follow those footsteps into the profession.
His father, Julien, took an extremely open-minded approach, wanting his son to discover his natural talents and callings organically.
As he reminisces, “My father was very free-spirited…He was like, ‘Let’s see where this kid ends up by nature. Let’s not try to navigate him into whatever we think might be good for him.’”
And for a long stretch, an acting career seemed an unlikely destination for Schoenaerts. He initially enrolled in film school but was expelled due to truancy and apathy, admitting, “I was lazy then.”
It wasn’t until age 21 that Schoenaerts was slowly drawn to the family business, enrolling in drama school around the same time he started booking minor acting roles on Belgian TV and films.
Even then, his father didn’t push him toward that path. As he recognizes, “I ended up doing something I thought I never would” in terms of acting.
Despite being difficult, Matthias still finds comfort in memories
Despite the often difficult circumstances of his childhood, Schoenaerts still finds profound comfort and meaning in memories connected to his hometown of Antwerp and those he loved most.
He vividly recounts getting his beloved chow chow puppy Brando from his mother. “My dogs were my great loves. The home situation was often difficult, and with my dogs I found security,” he reflects wistfully.
His parents, too, manifest in his subconscious when he slumbers. “I often dream about my parents too: that reunion is so intensely beautiful and warm…Those dreams are true to life, and the awakening is rock-hard,” he says, the emptiness of waking to find them gone again piercing his heart.
This city is his “zero,” his home, the one place he longs to plant roots in the transient life of a global film career. When his mother was ill, he treasured any moments he could spend with her here.
Now, his new permanent apartment offers respite — inspiration on the roof terrace admiring sunsets, quiet pockets of beauty to be slowly savored as David Lynch advised.