Miles Teller is currently starring alongside Anya Taylor-Joy in Apple TV’s sci-fi romance, The Gorge. It seems the actor leads an equally vibrant life beyond the camera. So, what else is there to know about this enigmatic star?
Back in 2015, Teller graced the September cover of Esquire magazine where writer Anna Peele controversially branded him “d*ckish”. Fast forward a decade and Teller’s fortunes have dramatically improved. From modest beginnings with paychecks of $5,000 for Rabbit Hole, $7,000 for The Spectacular Now, and $8,000 for Whiplash, by 2025, Teller has certainly made a name for himself.
His rise to fame, largely attributed to his standout role in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel, has been nothing short of meteoric since his 2010 debut in John Cameron Mitchell’s indie drama Rabbit Hole.
Yet, there’s much about Teller that remains a mystery, such as his unique tattoo tribute to beer. He sports a Roman numeral piece on his arm, a nod to the thirty-two-ounce beers he and his high school buddies had to settle for because forties were unavailable in Florida, reports the Mirror. His bond with his ’32 crew’ endures to this day.
In 2007, Teller was involved in a harrowing car accident that nearly claimed his life when he was ejected thirty feet from a car that flipped eight times.
He was returning from a music festival when the crash occurred, and the driver was his roommate during their junior year at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Teller has candidly mentioned that the driver, who was behind the wheel of the car, didn’t offer much in the way of an apology.
The Spectacular Now actor opened up about his past accident, saying: “It was an accident. I never blamed him. I got a lot of laser surgery on my face, like what they use for getting rid of tattoos. Like, very painful. But I never wanted him to feel bad, so I never made anything out of it, ever.”
“But I mean, if I was in his position, I’d be like, ‘Hey, man, do you need a Gatorade or anything? I’m just running out. You need any meds?’ I didn’t hold that against him. No big deal. But I was racking up all these medical bills, so we had to sue his insurance because he was driving. It’s not like we’re suing him; we’re suing his insurance.”
Teller further recollected the tension when his friend confronted him about the potential rise in insurance premiums due to the lawsuit, recounting the conversation: “He comes to me. He’s like, ‘Miles, I don’t know if we can be friends when my parents’ insurance premiums are going to go up.’ I just sat with it for, like, twenty-four hours, and after that I was like, ‘Man, f*** you. Like, I’ve never made you feel bad for this. For you to make me feel guilty and make me feel like you’re the victim here, that’s really f****d up.'”
Teller, who is now 37, has experienced other misfortunes including the recent loss of his home. The Two Night Stand star faced the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires which claimed his recently purchased mansion; Teller had bought the 6,000 square foot home valued at $7.5 million with his wife Keleigh Sperry in April 2023.
The actor expressed his sorrow during the recent FireAid benefit concert, an event organised to support victims of the catastrophic LA fires, as Fox News reported: “First I just want to give a shout-out, I know there are a lot of first responders here tonight. I know there are a lot watching at home, so thank you all for keeping us safe. Thank you.”
He continued: “My wife and I, like a lot of us in the Pacific Palisades, lost our home in the fires and my heart breaks for everyone who has been affected across the city. Truly my heart goes out to all you guys.”
Despite the recent adversity, Teller’s romance with his wife began under much happier circumstances. The couple started dating in 2013 after meeting at an after-party celebrating the Grammy-winning Black Keys.
The Whiplash star managed to persuade Keleigh to go on a date, which marked the beginning of their enduring relationship.
Reflecting on their early interactions, he told Vogue in 2019: “Keleigh caught my eye early in the night, and we talked. I didn’t think it went well, but after a few more attempts, I got her to dance with me… After we met, I knew she was the one.”
In that same conversation, Sperry revealed her immediate attraction, saying: “He was so charming and charismatic. I adored him from the first moment we met.”
The couple’s romance continued to blossom, and in 2017, Teller proposed to Sperry while on a romantic safari holiday in South Africa. He cleverly attached a note with their initials and two significant dates – the day they started dating and the proposal date – to a rose on a tree.
Teller shared the details with Men’s Health, saying: “I said [to Sperry], ‘That was the first day I asked you to be my girlfriend, and today is the last day. I found my person. I feel really lucky.”
The couple exchanged vows in a picturesque, low-key ceremony in Maui on September 1, 2019, and have been happily married ever since.
The Gorge is available to stream now on Apple TV+