Mircea Monroe is returning to The Rookie this week as Tim Bradford's ex-wife Isabel. Away from the police procedural, the 41-year-old has starred in the likes of Episodes, Hart of Dixie, and Impastor, and it was through her acting career that she met her famous boyfriend, Stephen Merchant. Keep reading for all the details on their romance…
In an interview with Mail Online, Stephen opened up about his first meeting with Mircea, which occurred at an awards show in 2017. Asked if he had a go-to chat-up line, the comedian joked: "I don't operate with the line, 'Hi, I'm Stephen Merchant. Would you like to see my BAFTAs?' It's not as sexy as you think. We just got talking, then we hit it off."
The English actor is best known as a co-writer and co-director of the British comedy series The Office, which he developed with his good friend, Ricky Gervais. Stephen has also worked as a co-writer, co-director, and co-star of both Extras and Life's Too Short. No stranger to Hollywood, fans may have spotted the 48-year-old in Jojo Rabbit, A Boy Called Christmas and The Big Bang Theory.
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After starting a relationship, Mircea and Stephen have now moved into a stunning mansion in the hills above Los Angeles. It was formerly owned by fellow A-lister, Ellen DeGeneres, and is reportedly worth £2.4million.
Asked how he and Mircea manage to run their working lives on both sides of the Atlantic, Stephen told Mail Online: "I'm lucky I don't have kids. My partner and I can do what we want, in terms of which country we're in. I love London and I love Britain. I also like coming here [Los Angeles] for the sun, for the people I know, for the city's creativity."
© Kevin WinterStephen has also credited Mircea for helping put an end to his life as an eligible bachelor. "Aside from the fact that she's great, hitting 40, there's something very pleasing about not having the endless concern about filling that part of your life," he said. "The life of a single person is a very lonely life. There's a lot of nights where you're watching DVDs on your own."
© David M. BenettWhile the couple is very private about their relationship and rarely post about one another on social media, they have been pictured at several red carpet events together. Most recently, Stephen and Mircea stepped out for the UK premiere of A Boy Called Christmas at the Natural History Museum on November 15, 2021.
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