A Look at Joel Kinnaman’s Dating History — The Actor Dated Leading Actresses

Joel Kinnaman, the 44-year-old star renowned for The Suicide Squad, may be engaged now but his dating history once consisted of leading women in the entertainment industry.

On January 18, 2021, Kinnaman made a heartwarming announcement that has set fans abuzz with excitement. Taking to Instagram, he shared a snapshot of his proposal to the model, Kelly Gale.

Adding a touch of humor to the post, he playfully captioned the image with, “She said no. Jus kiddin.” Gale, in turn, confirmed the engagement on her own Instagram account, posting a photo of the couple sharing a romantic kiss on a cliff overlooking the coast. 

Joel Kinnaman and his fiancé Kelly Gale. (Source: Instagram)

In the image, Gale proudly flaunted a dazzling diamond sparkler on her wedding ring finger, with the caption, “Yours forever.”

The couple had initially gone public with their relationship in 2019, making their red carpet debut in October of the same year at the premiere of For All Mankind.

The joyous news not only captivated fans but has also garnered an outpouring of congratulatory messages from friends and notable figures alike. 

Even Kinnaman’s ex-wife, Cleo Wattenstrom, joined in the celebration, leaving heart emojis under his post, while former girlfriend Olivia Munn expressed her happiness with a series of enthusiastic emojis. 

Joel Kinnaman was married to Cleo Wattenstrom for two years

Kinnaman was once married to Wattenstrom, a talented tattoo artist. The revelation of their marriage came to light during an appearance on The Talk via People.

In April 2016, during his appearance on the show, Kinnaman casually dropped the bombshell that he had secretly tied the knot with Wattenstrom. 

When co-host Aisha Tyler asked about his “girlfriend’s” thoughts on his Suicide Squad tattoo, Kinnaman didn’t hesitate to correct her. “My wife, my wife,” he said.

Joel Kinnaman and his former wife Cleo Wattenstrom. (Source: )

Although Kinnaman remained tight-lipped about the specifics of their marriage, he did share an amusing anecdote about his wife’s reaction to his Suicide Squad tattoo. 

In a candid moment, he revealed that Wattenstrom found humor in his ink, saying, “She was laughing at it. A lot of tattoo artists are not so precious about their tattoos.”

The couple started dating in 2014 and managed to keep their personal lives predominantly shielded from the public eye. Their first public appearance as a couple occurred at the premiere of Kinnaman’s film, Run All Night. 

Unfortunately, despite sharing two years of marriage, Kinnaman and Wattenstrom eventually decided to part ways, marking the end of their union. 

Joel Kinnaman once dated Olivia Munn

The public became aware of the romantic connection between Kinnaman and renowned actress Munn in March 2012.

Their relationship was confirmed by sources that revealed the duo had initially crossed paths the previous year, yet their romantic involvement only solidified shortly before Christmas. 

At the time a source said, “They met last year, but they didn’t get together until just before Christmas,” to E! News. The insiders also shared with the outlet that the two celebrities not only shared the spotlight but also had a profound intellectual and humorous connection. 

The relationship progressed beyond casual dating. Munn even visited Kinnaman’s homeland, Sweden, to meet his family during the summer of the following year. 

Joel Kinnaman and his former girlfriend Olivia Munn. (Source: )

Kinnaman and Munn were transparent about their relationship, even exchanging a public kiss at the Los Angeles airport in February 2014. 

However, despite their public displays of affection, rumors of difficulties in their relationship began to circulate. By April 2014, the couple officially announced their split. 

Contrary to the common narrative of explosive celebrity breakups, their separation was attributed more to logistical challenges than irreconcilable differences. 

A source informed Us Weekly that the geographical distance played a significant role, with Kinnaman back in Toronto for filming while Munn had established herself in Los Angeles. 

Brief bio of Joel Kinnaman 

Kinnaman, born on November 25, 1979, in Stockholm, Sweden, began his acting journey at a young age, initially finding his way into the entertainment world through a family connection. 

His introduction to acting occurred when his older sister, who was involved romantically with one of the directors of the Swedish soap opera Storstad (1990), persuaded him to audition for a role.

This marked the beginning of Kinnaman’s acting career as a child actor, portraying Felix Lundström in 22 episodes before briefly stepping away from the profession. 

However, in 2002, he reignited his passion for acting while studying at drama school. He featured in films like Hannah med H and God Save the King and graduated from the Malmö Theatre Academy in 2007. 

His breakout moment in Swedish cinema came with the film Easy Money in 2010, earning him a Guldbagge Award for Best Actor. 

Moreover, Kinnaman ventured into international cinema and television. His Hollywood debut came in 2011 with the thriller The Darkest Hour, and between 2011 and 2014, he gained widespread recognition for his four-season stint as Detective Stephen Holder in the AMC series The Killing.

Despite being considered for lead roles in major films like Thor and Mad Max: , Kinnaman remained focused on choosing roles that intrigued him artistically rather than merely pursuing Hollywood fame.

In 2014, Kinnaman assumed the iconic role of Alex James Murphy/RoboCop in the remake of the 1987 classic. He starred in films like Run All Night and Child 44 in 2015. 

In 2016, he portrayed Rick Flag in Suicide Squad, a role he reprised in the 2021 sequel. From 2016 to 2019, he appeared in Netflix’s House of Cards and headlined as Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon.

In 2021, Kinnaman took on the role of Pete Koslow in the action thriller The Informer and reprised his character Ed Baldwin in Season 2 of For All Mankind. The following year, he returned to the role once again for Season 3 and Season 4 of the Apple TV+ series.