Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Who Is Elle Fanning's Ex-Boyfriend? All About Max Minghella Elle Fanning and Max Minghella were together from 2018 to 2023 By Desiree Ossandon Desiree Ossandon Desiree Ossandon is a former contributor at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 4, 2023 02:00AM EDT Max Minghella and Elle Fanning. Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Elle Fanning and Max Minghella have called it quits. The actress confirmed their breakup in April 2023, saying that she's still "a hopeless romantic." The former couple first connected on the set of 2018's Teen Spirit. They sparked relationship rumors when they were spotted on a stroll together in London while Fanning was 20 years old and Minghella was 32. While the actors were known to keep their romance on the private side, the actress spoke about The Handmaid's Tale star in April 2019, telling Entertainment Tonight that he was "such a good friend." The couple also made their red carpet debut that same year at the 2019 Met Gala, where they posed for photos together. In December 2022, Fanning and Minghella stepped out again at the Los Angeles premiere of Babylon (Minghella appeared in the film alongside Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt). So, who is Elle Fanning's ex-boyfriend? Keep reading to find out more about Max Minghella and his relationship with the actress. He's an actor, writer and director Gary Miller/FilmMagic Minghella may be best known for playing Nick Blaine on The Handmaid's Tale, but that's far from his first acting gig. He also appeared as Divya Narendra in The Social Network and played Richie Castellano on The Mindy Project. Beyond that, Minghella also works behind the camera and was both the writer and director of 2018's Teen Spirit. In April 2019, he told WWD, "I would definitely say I feel more useful directing than I do acting, if that makes sense. I wouldn't cast me in something, but I would maybe hire me to direct something. I'm much better behind the camera than I am in front of one." On the other hand, when asked about directing by Interview in June 2021, he replied, "First of all, acting is my thing. I've directed one movie and no way do I have the authority to speak about any of this." He comes from a show business family The actor has said that his interest in show business came from his family. His mother, Carolyn Choa, is a choreographer who has done work for the English National Opera and New York's Metropolitan Opera. When Minghella was young, Carolyn worked in the British film industry. Minghella told Esquire in May 2019 that "film has been the one thing [they] both connect over and love." He also said that it was his mom who "introduced [him] to all of the significant filmmakers." Minghella's father, Anthony Minghella, died in March 2008 at the age of 54. Before his death, the elder Minghella was an Oscar-winning director who was behind movies like The English Patient, Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr. Ripley. When asked whether his dad would have predicted his desire to become a director, Minghella said, "I really would be interested to ask him that now. He knew that I was shooting stuff because he would like to look at my little things. I'd be editing a final cut and he would peek over my shoulder. But I think he really did see me as an actor." He's English with an Italian and Chinese background Raymond Hall/GC Images Minghella — whose full name is Max Giorgio Choa Minghella — was born in the Hampstead area of London. Despite the size of England's capital, in May 2021 he told Bustle that Hampstead made him feel like he "grew up in a very small town." Both of Minghella's parents came from immigrant families, with one side being Italian and the other Chinese. "My mother's a fascinating, wildly intelligent person who — I don't know how to say this — she's very Chinese," Minghella told Esquire. "She's of a different culture and really carries that with her." He went to university in the United States Say Cheese!/GC Images Before working in Hollywood, Minghella studied history at Columbia University. He told Interview how he ended up at a university in the United States, saying, "I hadn't finished school in England, so I didn't have the qualifications to go to university in England unless I went back to school… The most logical way to continue my education was to do it in America and just take the SATs." When asked why he decided to pursue higher education, he said, "Honestly, probably the guilt of having very academic parents. I think they were slightly ashamed. I've always been a terrible student, but they really hoped that I would be better, and I kind of hoped for them." "It was, in retrospect, an apology, probably, for being a high school dropout and becoming an actor young and naively," he continued. "But I'm so grateful for the experience — whatever motive I had to go, it definitely was a great thing. I made key relationships in that time. It also rescued me from a lot of bad career decisions." He's worked with Fanning Michael Kovac/Getty While Minghella wrote and directed Teen Spirit, Fanning starred in the film as Violet, a Polish teenager who wants to be a pop star despite the obstacles in her way. In April 2019, Minghella told Entertainment Tonight that Fanning was "the only actress who could have carried" the story due to the "incredible list of requirements." "You have to be able to sing, you have to be able to dance, you've got to, you know, be able to speak Polish convincingly, do the British accent, play the age range and carry the movie with an incredibly nuanced performance," he said. " It's a lot for one person, and she just handled everything with such discipline and professionalism and she never complained." Fanning also talked about Minghella, saying, "I mean, we just really love working together. That was, like, very special." He loves pop music Rich Polk/Getty Fanning told Entertainment Tonight in April 2019 that Minghella "loves pop music." In fact, she called him a "pop whore." When it came to his pop-focused film Teen Spirit, which features a soundtrack packed with popular music, she said, "All those pop singers — like, he's really obsessed with that world, so it's a perfect film that he made." Max Minghella Reveals The Handmaid's Tale Cast Sings Taylor Swift Karaoke on Set Minghella confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he's a fan of the genre and mentioned "Dancing on My Own" by Robyn, specifically. He also told WWD in April 2019, "I love Robyn, I love Carly Rae [Jepsen]'s work, I love Ariana Grande. I also love Taylor Swift, which I know is controversial to say. I love melodic pop music and big sounding music." He and Fanning sparked relationship rumors while in London BACKGRID In August 2018, the pair were seen in London and as they walked together with smiles on their faces, Minghella used his phone while Fanning held onto him with her hands on his shoulders. Although the two weren't trying to stay out of view, their reps did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment at the time. They made their first public appearance at the Met Gala in 2019 Kevin Mazur/MG19/Getty Minghella and Fanning decided to make their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2019 Met Gala. Minghella wore a blue suit while Fanning opted for a peachy Miu Miu ensemble to suit the Camp theme. Fanning announced their breakup in April 2023 During an interview with Harper's Bazaar U.K., Fanning confirmed that she and Minghella had split. Still, the actress shared that she's hopeful when it comes to future relationships. "But I'm a hopeless romantic. I believe in love at first sight. Call me crazy, but I believe in those things. I feel that it's my destiny," she said. Close