Who is Matthias Schoenaerts? Supergirl star’s personal life explored amid prison sentence

Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts had built a reputation that stretched far beyond his home country. The Independent once described him as one of Belgium’s most internationally recognized performers, a status that grew from his breakout turn in the 2011 Flemish drama Bullhead, which earned an Academy Award nomination. His career later expanded to major global projects, placing him alongside Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, and Tom Hardy.

Back in 2015, Interview Magazine published an unguarded conversation between Schoenaerts and Hardy, offering a rare look at how he thought about his craft. Hardy asked him directly,

“So acting is more than a job for you, right?”

Schoenaerts didn’t hesitate:

“Yeah, I think I can say that.”

“How do you approach transformation into a character? Is that a break from being you?” Hardy continued.

Schoenaerts gave an answer that summed up his philosophy.

“I always tell the truth, even when I lie. That is really how I approach it,” he said.

He added that while the work might be artificial, the inner investment could never be. While Schoenaerts is supposed to star in DC Studios’ Supergirl film, he has recently appeared in the news for a different reason than acting. He made headlines this time due to reports noting a six-month prison sentence, placing renewed attention on his personal life and public standing.

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A Belgian court issued a six-month prison term for Matthias Schoenaerts over licence violations:

According to Deadline, which cited Belgian news agency Belga, Matthias Schoenaerts had been given a six-month prison sentence tied to multiple driving offences. The actor, who is set to appear as the villain in Supergirl next year, received the sentence in absentia because he didn’t attend the hearing. The ruling concerned two motorbike incidents in 2024, both involving a lack of a valid licence, despite an earlier ban issued in 2021 following a drink-driving offence.

Belga reported that Schoenaerts had been required to complete remedial exams but had not done so. He was also fined €4,000 and restricted by another one-year driving ban. Court spokesperson Luc De Cleir told the agency that the chances of him actually being jailed were “almost nonexistent,” adding that he had the right to appeal.

The national news agency said the actor already had 11 convictions for driving offences. Another incident came just last month in Pelt, where police said he had been driving without a licence, refused a breath test, and “behaved aggressively” as his vehicle was being towed. He spent several hours in custody, and the new allegations were still being examined.

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Matthias Schoenaerts shared how artists can make a difference:

In an interview with The New York Times on March 15, 2019, Matthias Schoenaerts opened up about his personal philosophy and approach to work. When asked about the secret of his own allure, he said,

“I like to be respectful toward people, and whether it’s a woman or a man or a crew member, I think kindness is very important. Not that I’m always kind. I can be the opposite of kind as well, but I don’t like version of myself. But I think I can obviously say that by nature, yeah, I have a kind heart.”

He was also asked whether artists could truly make a difference in a complex system. Schoenaerts replied,

“We live in such a complex world, in complex times. There’s so much polarization going on. People are reduced to numbers — but behind every number there’s a living soul with a beating heart. We’ve got to find a way to rehumanize people and let them become something else than a statistic. People need to care for each other. If we as artists can contribute to that notion, and we can help each other to get one step closer to the realization of that, then I think we’re doing good stuff.”

Kindness, respect, and the role of the artist were realms in which Matthias Schoenaerts’ comments gave insight into his personal philosophy. However, receiving a six-month prison sentence has the potential to shine a different light on Matthias Schoenaerts' actions. But even when legal troubles beset him, his words impart the importance of seeing the humanity behind every person. Only time will tell how Matthias Schoenaerts decides to face his newfound legal troubles.