Personal details
- Birth Date: 1969-01-03
- Height: 5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Birth Location: São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Professions: Actor, Producer, Director
Matheus Nachtergaele, born in São Paulo in 1969, is honestly one of those rare Brazilian actors who just slips into any character like he was born for it. The guy’s been everywhere—from gritty cinema to wild TV dramas, and he never phones it in. On TV, you might’ve seen him as Cintura Fina, the unforgettable trans character from “Hilda Furacão.” That role alone? Instant classic. Then there’s his turn as a tormented Catholic priest in “A Muralha,” set in the chaos of 1600s Brazil—dramatic as hell, and he totally nailed the frantic energy. Oh, and don’t forget “Da Cor do Pecado,” where he was this hilarious medium, Helinho. The man’s range is just bonkers. But honestly, it’s his film work that really put him on the map. He showed up in “Central Station,” that global hit from Walter Salles, and “City of God,” which everyone and their grandma has heard of by now. Both films are legendary, and Nachtergaele just blends in, giving depth to every scene. He’s also done “Midnight” (another Salles flick), and “Four Days in September” by Bruno Barreto—both worth a watch if you’re into Brazilian cinema. Awards? Yeah, he’s got those. Dude snagged Best Actor at the Grande Prêmio Cinema Brasil not once, but twice—for “Midnight” and “O Auto da Compadecida.” He also picked up the top acting prize at Cine Ceará for “Amarelo Manga” in 2003. Whether he’s cracking you up or making you cry, Nachtergaele just owns every role. Versatile, expressive, honestly can’t think of anyone else quite like him in Brazil’s movie scene.
Back when he was just 18 and got the cold shoulder from Antunes Filho, he packed his stuff and jetted off to Belgium. Ended up crashing with his cousin and hustling as a crooner in the smoky nightclubs of Brussels during the grind of the weekdays. But hey, weekends called for something a little fancier—he’d hop on the TGV, that slick French bullet train, and shoot over to Paris just to sing his heart out there, too. Wild, right? Every single week, making that hour-long trek, living out of a suitcase, chasing gigs, barely catching a breath between train rides and late-night serenades. That kind of hustle, it either chews you up or sharpens you, and honestly, he just kept pushing. No glitz, no glamour—just raw ambition, a suitcase, and enough grit to outlast the hangovers and heartbreaks that come with singing for strangers in foreign cities.
January 3, 1969
5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
56 years old