Matthias Schoenaerts

Matthias Schoenaerts was born on December 8, 1977, in Antwerp, Belgium. His mother, Dominique Wiche, was a costume designer, translator, and French teacher, and his father was actor Julien Schoenaerts. He started his acting career at age 13, appearing alongside his father in the Belgian film “Daens” (1992), which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Schoenaerts initially attended film school but was later expelled. He subsequently enrolled at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Antwerp, graduating in 2003. By this time, he had already gained notice, being named one of “Europe’s Shooting Stars” by the European Film Promotion organization. His early work included roles in Belgian television and films such as “Meisje” (2002), “Any Way the Wind Blows” (2003), and “Ellektra” (2004).

A significant turning point in Schoenaerts’ career came with his role as Filip in Erik Van Looy’s “Loft” (2008), which became the highest-grossing Flemish film in Belgium. This was followed by a critically acclaimed performance in Michaël R. Roskam’s “Bullhead” (2011), where he played Jacky Vanmarsenille, a cattle farmer involved in illegal hormone and steroid trade. For this role, he underwent a notable physical transformation, earning numerous awards, including the FIPRESCI Award for Best Actor at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and a Magritte Award for Best Actor. His work in “Bullhead” also contributed to the film’s Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012. Following this, he gained international attention with his leading role opposite Marion Cotillard in Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone” (2012), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned him a César Award for Most Promising Actor in 2013.

Schoenaerts continued to expand his career into Hollywood and British productions. Notable roles include Eric Deeds in Michaël R. Roskam’s “The Drop” (2014), Gabriel Oak in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” (2015), and Hans Axgil in Tom Hooper’s “The Danish Girl” (2015). He received the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2015 for his contributions to cinema. Later work includes playing Booker in Netflix’s “The Old Guard” (2020) and its sequel “The Old Guard 2” (2025), and Corporal Herbert Zubak in the TV mini-series “The Regime” (2024). He is slated to appear as the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills in the DC Universe film “Supergirl” (2026).