Anya Taylor-Joy has literally been catapulted to A+++-list levels of fame thanks to her starring role in The Queen’s Gambit, yet she’s done a pretty impressive job protecting her personal life. To the point where despite us collectively thinking she’d reportedly married someone earlier this year (psst: that someone is Malcolm McRae), she actually just tied the knot in Venice, Italy. Plus, the actor also generally took her time before confirming their relationship to the public, which fair! Back in 2018, Anya talked to The Guardian about being a super-private person, saying, “There’s a beauty in being anonymous, there’s a reason why we’re actors.…We’re playing other people, so I think the idea of someone being interested in me—I’m quite a private person—is a bit daunting, but I try not to think about it.”
This is probably why Anya and Malcolm keep things pretty chill, but don’t think that means he hasn’t been there supporting her through a ton of exciting moments—like the 2023 Golden Globes.
Plus, with the recent news that they’re ~officially~ married (!!), things are obvi pretty dang serious. The good news is that we’re basically private investigators at this point (in our brains), so here’s everything we know about Malcolm, including details on his relationship with Anya.
Malcolm and Anya Were First Linked Back in March 2021
By which I mean…Page Six published photos of them making out in New York City before she hosted Saturday Night Live. And while Anya didn’t confirm that she and Malcolm were dating, she did reference having a “partner” to Elle in a March interview, saying, “My partner’s just come back from work, and he’s moving around all of his equipment.” Sooo, that feels like they were already together by then, so the actual timeline might be longer (heart-eyes).
The two kept quiet about their relationship for the next few months, but The Sun reported that the two were “practically living together” by July 2021. Which, I mean, IYKYK, amirite??
And Anya Raves About Him
After initially keeping quiet about their lurve, Anya spilled the beans in a March 2022 British Vogue interview (I’m basically just gonna put the whole quote):
“I said to my partner the other day,” she begins, lighting up a cigarette as we cross the bridge, “that he was my hobby. I see reading as something that I have to do.” And…did he like that? “He loved it because he’s the same. I’ve finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me reading. We’re basically 80 years old and 7 at the same time and it works really well.”
She also commented on how tough it can be to have a semi-long-distance relationship (she’s off shooting approximately a million projects) and said, “Yes, it is, but it’s also kind of great because when you’re together, you’re really valuing the time that you have. Everyday mundane activities are so full of joy. I love going to the petrol station with him and filling up the car and going to get breakfast.”
They’re Officially Married!
But first, we must discuss the alleged wedding that never was lol. According to Page Six back in July 2022, the couple reportedly got married during an “intimate courthouse wedding” in the U.S. before Anya had to head back to Australia to film the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, Furiosa. And while Anya never confirmed anything outright at the time, she did say this to Harper’s Bazaar in November of that year:
“I was very excited by the notion of putting a toothbrush down, knowing that I didn’t have to pick it up again. I have now not seen that toothbrush in about a year, but at the time it felt great. It’s fun to wake up and go to breakfast and service the car and sort out stuff…I know that sounds silly, but that’s what we’re craving. We’re craving just, like, life together.”
That said, the rumors could also be true and these two very well may have gotten legally married at the time before making things official official with a larger ceremony in 2023 for the ~vibes~. Per People, the couple tied the knot over the weekend in Venice, Italy, according to the Daily Mail, which obtained truly GORGEOUS pics of the wedding. Anya and Malcolm reportedly wed at the historic Palazzo Pisani Moretta, before celebrating with all of their friends and family at their reception.
Truly, I couldn’t love their love more if I tried!
They Share a Birthday (!!!)
According to Anya’s Insta, they were born two years apart on April 16. “Happy birthday to us, baby…thank you all for your love,” she wrote.
GAH.
They’re Insta Official
In July 2021, Malcolm made it all kinds of clear that they’re official by posting her photo on Instagram. The caption? “I’m besotted.”
Since then, Anya has posted him too—just with, ya know, a pic of them making out:
“👥 We’re the same shape. 👥 Happy v day lovers 💋,” read part of the caption. Living for this!
ALSO, in October 2021, Malcolm posted this selfie…
They Walked the Red Carpet in March 2022 (and Again in April)
Anya and Malcolm finally hit the red carpet together for the first time at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar party, and it was Worth! The! Wait! Just look at them:
Just a few weeks later, they strolled the red carpet again, this time in London for a screening of Anya’s new movie The Northman, and even showed some PDA too:
Malcolm’s Main Thing Is Music
He is in a band called More and often posts about it on social media:
He spoke about the band with Rain back in 2020 and said that his late father influenced his writing, specifically on the song “Elaborate Attraction”:
“My dad was an investment banker. He passed away when I was 18, but that song revolves around and is based on some of his life. He studied classics at an Ivy League school and so the reference to Joseph Campbell, that’s what we took the video from. We wanted it to be an antihero’s journey. All 17 points of Campbell’s hero journey…we wanted to make them super-menial tasks with an incredibly small reward for each task. It symbolizes what the song is about which, is nature versus nurture.”
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Oh, hi…he *also* wrote a song about Anya two days after they met. Just this past March, the singer shared that he wrote “Really Want to See You Again” about the actor when she was basically still a stranger. “I know that I’m high now but I’ve gotta get this out,” he sings in the clip. “I think we’re alike in ways that I can’t quite explain right, but I might, could with some time. If ever we were in the same place. I want what’s right, but I want without warning now, and I think we’re wanting something the same.”
Lol, @ Anya, how does it feel to be living my dream?!
He’s Also an Actor
But his screen appearances have been pretty limited. Malcolm’s most recent credit is in a short called How’dy!, which was released in 2020. However, this dude’s IMDb bio (written by a management team) offers a lot of helpful and somewhat amusing tidbits about his career, like the fact that he was discovered at age 12, won Overall Young Actor in 2006, is currently “testing for pilots,” and is also “investigating university options for the future.”
Thanks to this bio, we also know that Malcolm is “a triple threat with his own brand of charm, gusto, and sarcasm” and “sings pop, folk, rockabilly, rock, and musical theater.”
Cool-cool-cool, here he is hanging with a turtle:
Malcolm Moved to Los Angeles for a Relationship
Malcolm’s Spotify bio is full of info, including the fact that he moved to Los Angeles from Alabama because he was in love. Ahem: “Malcolm had only recently fallen in love with a young woman and followed his foolish heart, dropping everything to move to Los Angeles. Well, his heart was mistaken. The relationship was a disaster. But the music that followed wasn’t.” It’s called fate!
Also, Spotify features the fun tidbit that they headed to Seattle in June 2022 to perform with Haim and Sasami. NBD.
He Supported Anya at the 2021 Venice Film Festival
Despite not hitting any red carpets together at the event, someone who sure looks a lot like Malcolm was seen holding Anya’s hand at the Venice Film Festival in a cute video captured by her stylist Law Roach:
So he’s also just, like, the most supportive partner ever.
Their Street Style Is Impeccable Too
I mean, just peep these off-duty model vibes from both Anya and Malcolm:
This was taken in early April 2022 as they were checking out of their hotel after The Northman premiere, and just look at the coordination. Look at the leather jackets. Look at the casual-but-elevated, I-meant-to-dress-this-way vibes. I want what they have.
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.