Ah, true joy. For Schoenaerts, the phrase seems to act like a lit match on blue touchpaper. True joy, he says, is the chemistry that happens between actors and directors – ‘the symbiosis between minds’ in the moment the camera is rolling. ‘It’s between “action” and “cut” – that’s what I enjoy, and honestly most of what comes before and after I enjoy less. You ask a soccer player, what does he enjoy – and it’s when he’s on the pitch. The same goes for acting. And everything else is much less…’ He pauses. ‘Do you say “much less?”’ He repeats the phrase, toying with the paradox. ‘Much. Less. That’s fantastic! Much less interesting.’
He doesn’t want to get too philosophical about this, he says – ‘too esoteric’ – but for him the biggest joy is when you forget you’re playing a character, forget the intellectual challenge, forget you’re acting, ‘forget everything. Everything else is boring. Really. Art that doesn’t come from that absolute state of freedom where you’re channelling energy and sharing energy – all art that doesn’t come forth from that, I’m very suspicious about it.’