Anecdotes

During one year he studied theater in São Paulo under the renowned director Antunes Filho. Before the opening of a play, Antunes considered him "not ready yet", which made him depressed. After being rejected by Antunes Filho, at age 18, he moved to Belgium and lived with his cousin.

He has a Brazilian-Belgian heritage.

Lost his mother Maria Cecília as a young child by suicide and went to live with his Belgian grandparents at a small farm in Atibaia, São Paulo, where he grew up. She left a bunch of poetry in which Matheus later transformed into a theatre play.

He is one of the most recognizable stars in Brazil. Having a reputation of one of the greatest Brazilian actors of his generation.

He was the only professional actor among the young cast of La cité de Dieu (2002). Director Fernando Meirelles had seen Matheus in a play and was having him in mind for a role in the film. After Matheus got famous for A Dog's Will (2000), Meirelles was considering not cast him anymore, because he only wanted unknown actors in the film. But Nachtergaele convinced the director to change his mind and cast him as Sandro Cenoura.