Matthias Schweighöfer: How Family and Meditation Keep Him Grounded Despite Hollywood Success

In a recent interview with "Gala," the 44-year-old revealed what grounds him the most amidst the hustle and bustle of show business. And surprise! It's not yoga retreats in Bali or hours of meditating (although he does that too!), but something much more everyday: his children. Yes, you heard right. When the proud father of two, daughter Greta and son Valentin, comes home, it's the end of Hollywood glamour and stratospheric egos.

Pythagoras instead of red carpets

Imagine coming from an award ceremony where you were celebrated, and the next moment you're sitting at the kitchen table helping your kids with math homework. Matthias Schweighöfer knows this all too well. He describes this moment of reality brutally honestly: "The next moment you come home, and your children need to study math. Then you sit down and have to deal with the Pythagorean theorem - and suddenly the world is completely different again." Sounds like the ultimate reality check, doesn't it?

Roles stay on set

Although Matthias Schweighöfer immerses himself deeply in his characters – most recently lending his voice to the intergalactic ambassador Ambassador Tegmen in the new Disney/Pixar animated film "Elio" in two languages – he doesn't take his roles home. He clearly separates work from private life. It's more the time he spends with a character that changes him personally. But the reset button is pressed as soon as the revolving door closes.

His Zen moment against the hype

Besides his children, the Berliner has another ace up his sleeve to keep from getting carried away: meditation. He even learned the art of relaxation last year in a Zen monastery in Japan. For fifteen or twenty minutes, he simply sits in front of a white wall and "just sits there." It's really great, says Schweighöfer. A time-out for the mind and soul that helps him stay in the here and now.

What does true friendship mean?

Fitting the central theme of his new film "Elio," Matthias Schweighöfer also spoke about his definition of true friendship. For him, it means: "No matter when, no matter where in the world, no matter how much time passes - it should always remain the same feeling: loyalty, love, connection, trust. You can just be who you are. But you also definitely hear something if you're really off track." A credo that many would surely agree with.

It's clear: Matthias Schweighöfer remains a man firmly grounded despite mega-success and the flash of cameras. His family and conscious time-outs are his anchor in a world that could otherwise easily "beam him into the stratosphere." A role model in terms of down-to-earthness, as it is written in the book!

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.