Sir Ian McKellen, the legendary actor best known for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and Magneto in X-Men, has reportedly split from his boyfriend Oscar Conlon-Morrey, a 30-year-old theatre actor and singer.
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The couple, who had a 54-year age gap, met in 2022 when Sir Ian attended a performance of Only Fools and Horses The Musical, in which Conlon-Morrey played the role of Dating Agent. They hit it off and soon became inseparable, attending various events and shows together.
They sparked engagement rumours in November 2022, when Sir Ian was spotted wearing a ring on his left hand during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. However, neither of them confirmed or denied the speculation.
According to a source close to the pair, they decided to end their relationship amicably in early 2024, citing busy schedules and different priorities as the main reasons. The source said: "They had a wonderful time together, but they realised they wanted different things from life. Ian is very focused on his career and Oscar is still young and wants to explore new opportunities. They remain good friends and wish each other all the best."
Sir Ian, who was knighted in 1991 for his services to the performing arts, has been openly gay since 1988. He was previously in a long-term relationship with Sean Mathias, a fellow actor and director, from 1978 to 1988. He has also dated Nick Cuthell, a New Zealand painter, from 2002 to 2005.
Conlon-Morrey, who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2017, has appeared in several musicals, such as Nativity!, The Book of Mormon, and Six. He is also a member of the vocal group The Four Harps, which performs Irish folk songs.
Neither Sir Ian nor Conlon-Morrey has commented publicly on their split yet.
