Matthias Schoenaerts: 'Loyalty is everything'

Actor Matthias Schoenaerts believes loyalty is the nicest gift you can give anyone.

The star stole hearts when he played the devoted Gabriel Oak in Far from the Madding Crowd in 2015. While he's currently single, he's a real softie at heart and doesn't rely on material goods to make other people feel special.

"Yes, I am a romantic, but not in the way of candlelit dinners," he revealed to Germany's Cosmopolitan magazine. "It's more that I treat things in a sensitive way. I believe loyalty is the nicest gift you can give anyone. It's worth more than a poem, a song or any other type of art."

With such a caring attitude, many people wonder how 38-year-old Matthias has managed to stay single. "Everyone always asks why I'm not taken!" he laughed.

While he's yet to find Mrs Right, the star has some idea of what he's looking for in a woman. He let fans in on how they'd be onto a winner with him.

"I need someone with a real passion for life; a person who's on a quest for truthfulness," he shared. "I find that incredibly attractive. They also need to be pretty independent, like a cat. If I could be any animal, I'd be a cat. They don't rely on anyone. In a relationship you have to trust each other - becoming dependent on one another isn't healthy. Also, cats don't 'have' to do anything - how great is that?"

For now, there's only one important woman in Matthias' life: his mother. "She was always there for me, especially at the times I needed her most," he smiled. "She showed me how important I was to her and gave me those important feelings of self-worth. It's so important to love yourself. Life is a roller coaster and it's easy to lose your balance."